Yup, that’s how I’d describe our new living room rug. We have a case of happy feet. It’s even more plush and amazing than expected. But before we get to all the juicy rug pics we need to tell you guys how much we love you. The overwhelming support, kindness, and hilarity that you bring into our lives – not only on this morning’s big announcement post, but on the regular – is humbling, inspiring, and completely and utterly amazing. So smooch. I just virtually kissed your face. Oh snap.
Now back to Big Green (since it is St. Patrick’s Day)…
Although it’s so thick that you’d think tumbleweeds of green fuzz would be rolling around the house, we vacuumed it when it arrived and again the next day (just to grab any of those loose fibers that might have pulled out from shipping) and so far so good. No issues with green fluff everywhere or pulled tufts from the vacuum suction. Whew.
At 8 x 11′, it’s definitely a more appropriate size for our giant 25 x 15′ living room (as opposed to our old 5 x 8′ rug that now lives in the guest room). And once we build a big long console table for the back of the sofa (and the sofa comes forward about a foot more onto the rug) it’ll look even more proportionate. In other words, not quite as much rug will show since the sofa will move forward on the rug for a more balanced look once we have that console table built.
And of course once we upgrade to a deeper/bigger media cabinet, hang curtains, and bring in more art, the room will hopefully start to feel more cohesive and make a lot more sense. Because right now it’s just a big gray box with a fuzzy green rectangle on the floor. Haha. But it’ll be fun to see how thing evolve as we layer in all sorts of other stuff over time. Hopefully it’ll fill in nicely. Just think of the rug as a big furry grass-like foundation that we’re laying- er, planting.
Speaking of the fun green color, we’re so psyched about the happy-go-lucky tone. It’s just perfect with the gray sectional, pewter walls, and dark beams. All of a sudden it feels chipper and a lot less cold in there. Like a space that we want to kick off our shoes and settle into. It’s definitely not your mother’s persian rug (or your father’s neutral one) but we’re having a lot more fun taking risks in this house. Even if it means doing things that might not have mass appeal – as long as something speaks strongly to us, we’re in. There’s actually freedom in letting go of the notion that your house should please everyone who walks in the door. It allows you be more true to yourself and your place starts to feel more special. Plus it means that your rooms won’t be in danger of looking like everyone else’s, which isn’t a bad thing either.
We loooved our first house for how soothing and serene it was, but in all honesty, we smile bigger here. Cheesy but true. It’s just such a fun and happy house – even though we’re just getting started and every room is about 80% incomplete. We definitely think Clara has inspired this whole Benjamin Button-ization of our style (read more about that here). Basically we’re loving the looser and less serious approach to making this house a home – and we’re quickly learning that playful pops of color, texture, and pattern can definitely happy up any room. Especially when mixed with neutrals like gray walls/furnishings/beams or white furnishings & a jute rug. Because if everything is a color and a pattern it might get cray-zay.
To tie into this big furry rug baby we’d love to add eight green parson’s chairs to our giant wooden dining room table for some nice whole house cohesion (there’s that “neutral + color = love” combination again). We’ll find those perfect chairs someday…
Oh and when it comes to keeping Kermit clean (we’re loving that reader recommended rug name – don’t Karl & Kermit sound perfect together?), as we mentioned in the post about ordering it, a friend of ours with three kiddos and a big hairy dog has a similar shag rug in her house and she swears it holds up to stains and kids like nobody’s business since crumbs/dust come out with a quick vacuum and you can actually subtly trim the long hairy tufts if anything catastrophic happens to “lift” the stain. So far it’s been amazing (but we obviously haven’t dropped anything major on it yet) so we’ll tell you the truth if we hate it in a month.
You might also notice some new pillows on Karl. We got two of those ruffled purple guys for $16 at HomeGoods. We also brought in our two green pillows from the bedroom just to see how something like that might work with the rug (we think they’re a little too yellow, but not terrible), and tossed three Sue The Napkins over other pillows that we had lying around to see what real Sue The Napkin pillow covers might look like when I get down to business and sew some. The pillow situation will definitely evolve over time though (I love those teal tones in Sue, so blue pillows might make an appearance someday, perhaps in lieu of green ones).
But back to the purple ruffle pillows for a second. The ruffle detail is really fun, but isn’t it amazing that John didn’t veto them? He’s usually so not on The Ruffle Train. I think he likes the idea of spicing things up with bright colors like navy and plum and deep teal so he just did one of those “sure, why not?” things. Love that man. Or maybe he’s just finally catching on that a happy wife = a happy life. Haha.
Now we just have to plan our big console table build because we can’t wait to see Karl scooched out (that’s a technical term) about a foot away from the wall. A little less rug should look perfect, plus it means there will finally be a place to put drinks (namely my hot tea every night) and two table lamps for reading (which means no more floor lamp in the doorway). Yipppppeeeeeeeeee! Yes I just wrote that. And yes it has ten “e”s on the end. Can you tell I’m excited? Oh yeah and Karl’s embarrassingly pale legs have got to go. So creepy.
She whips her cellphone back and forth. She whips her cellphone back and forth.
Psst- John’s parents just gave us their old leggy antique dresser which is perfect for our bedroom (it’s been in the family for years and John’s dad actually bought it from a cousin for $100 decades ago). It needs some love but it’s going to look awesome. And it’s f-r-e-e. More pics soon (you can see a “they-scooped-us” pic of it here thanks to the Washington Post).
Risa says
Thanks for the suggestions Sherry :) I’ve been itching to use brighter colors in our living room for a year now because our warm oranges/reds/yellows are getting a little too warm. Congrats on the book deal! Can’t wait til your book comes out!!
Jill Stratton says
Your Parson Chairs. Walmart. $89.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Metro-Parsons-Chair-Kiwi-Green-Leather/14254080?sourceid=1500000000000003260370&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=14254080
YoungHouseLove says
We hear those are too olive colored in real life. Bummer! But thanks so much for the link.
xo,
s
Shannen says
Hi –
Every thing looks great! Curious, where did you get the goldish throw pillows? I’m looking for throw pillows in a similar color. I also really like the texture on the ones you have on the couch :)
Thanks!
Shannen
YoungHouseLove says
Those are from HomeGoods (I think we got 2 for $22). They usually live in our bedroom, we just brought them into the living room to play. Haha.
xo,
s
polka says
love it! it’s amazing :)
and Clara is sooooo adorable :)
Lisa says
Hey – I was browsing through Homegoods the other day and saw your chartreuse green Parsons chairs (for $99 a pop) in leather (maybe faux leather). Thought of you. (I’m in Springfield, VA… but maybe the same chairs will make their way down to your Homegoods soon!!) They would be gorgeous in your house!!
YoungHouseLove says
Sweet! Thanks for the heads up!
xo,
s
Amanda says
I LOVE IT!!!
I noticed the lamp hanging from the ceiling is no longer blue…..did you decide you didn’t like it like that? How hard was it to remove the blue?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, it was making the corner take on a blue tint in pics, so I just wiped it down with a wet cloth. Took less than a minute!
xo,
s
Amanda says
BTW, I saw one of those green pleather chairs at a Marshalls too…same price $99. I even took a picture on my phone to send to you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Amazing! Thanks so much! We’ve only seen white and brown ones so we’ll have to keep an eye out!
xo,
s
Jackie says
Sherry, I am not sure if you have seen these white animal hooks at anthropologie yet. They are super cute but in the interest of making them more affordable I have put them in my wait for them to go on sale catagory.
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=073768&parentid=BAYNOTE
YoungHouseLove says
Love them!
xo,
s
Jen says
I am wondering about the hanging light in your living room, i thought you tinted that a teal color? It looks like it is back to the clear, did I miss something? Also, i see a sneak preview of the wall with all the frames in your hallway and I am SO excited to see more pics!! Love you guys, you truely inspire me! <3
YoungHouseLove says
It was making the corner take on a blue tint in pics, so I just wiped it down with a wet cloth. Thankfully it only took about twenty seconds!
xo,
s
Julie B says
The house is coming along great, but Oh My Goodness, your Clara is such a cutie patootie. You are both truly blessed to be able to be together so much. — I know, I know, maybe not ALL the time! :)
Cherish each moment with her because I am certain that time really does fly. My 3 girls–23, 20, and 17–and all were baldies like Clara, were that age just yesterday. Really, they were! sniff sniff.
Katie says
I know you guys are looking for a curvy dresser:
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/fud/2271749107.html
its a richmond antique shop, there are a lot of pictures on this post but scroll down about half way. No idea how expensive the piece is.
Leeann says
Hey guys! I was looking for a Kindle case/cover on Etsy this morning, and look what I found! http://www.etsy.com/listing/62431767/kindle-1-2-3-nook-nookcolor-kobo-sony
Sue is everywhere! :-) (I may have squealed a little when I saw this in the search results. LOL!)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that makes us want to buy a Kindle just so we can have that cover for it.
-John
Mike @HA says
That rug makes me so happy! I never would have chosen it in a million years by itself but it goes so well with your living room! I’m starting to see how the room is going to come together. Exciting!
Kim says
Absolutely love, I mean LOVE the napkin pillows! They look really great on the couch
Keep up the good work. ?
andrea melberg thompson says
Does “Sue the Napkin” come in a placemat???? I have made super easy rectangular pillows from C&B placements. Napkins would be easy too. I bet you could you no sew tape!
Here are ones I stitched together. I even reference you farther down in the post…
http://thomberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-i-wantwhat-i-buy.html
Also, what about making your console table from a bi part of a bi-fold door. We made a DIY headboard from three together. Is would be long and the correct width….
http://thomberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-i-wantwhat-i-buy.html
Thanks for being my go-to, and my morning work break!
Take Care you three and Hello from MN!
Andrea
YoungHouseLove says
Good ideas one and all! Love it.
xo,
s
Alecia says
First of all, Clara is ADORABLE! and I have just the guy for her…my little man turns one in a few days and they seem to have some of the same interests :)
Second, I’m loving the way this room is coming together. I’m big on colour and love the splashes you’re adding. Great job!
Audrey says
I’ll be honest.. I was sceptical about Kermit in your first post about him. But he’s totally won me over now that I see him in your house! The rug looks awesome guys, and I’m so glad you’re happy with it, since I know it was a bit more than you originally hoped to spend – you wanna be extra happy if you’re spending extra money. Plus, as you mentioned in the post, your happiness is what matters here, not your readers’. But it’s nice when we all win, no? :)
The sneak preview of the frame wall and the dresser in the Post Article got me extra psyched to see your posts on them – the colours were a bit weird in the Post thing, and I want to see/hear your take on everything.
And I love Clara videos, so keep ’em coming!
debbie c says
Love the new rug!
Jerri says
She moves her tongue from side to side. She moves her tongue from side to side. Clara is so cute and fun to watch! I don’t have audio at work so will watch this cutie again when I get home!
Vanessa says
While I love that rug and the picture wall you have to know that Clara steals the show every time! I was so tickled by her panting, silent laugh…my son used to do that all the time when he was excited. So funny and made me feel all warm and fuzzy too. And congrats on the post article – you guys deserve it!
Marian says
I LOVE your new rug! We have one exactly like it in a plum color, and each each pile is as think as a nickel, so it can really take a beating. Ours is about 18 months old by now, and while a good vaccumming really gets the dirt out, thanks to our 70 pound pitbull mix, it started to smell like dog. :/ Cut to the scene of my husband and I dragging the huge thing out the front door in downtown Baltimore in broad daylight and hanging it over the entryway railings to get an airing out. Apparently the beating out and airing of 8×11 rugs is no longer a time honored tradition in these parts. Do you guys use/do anything that you might reccommend for getting out smells of the stale/canineish persuasion? I’d like to say I could use Febreeze or something like it, but the perfumes aggravate the poor pup’s skin and eyes. So much for tough pitbulls; she’s our baby and her allergy concerns come before my rug :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man, that sounds like quite a sight. Haha. I wish I had some advice but Burger is so small and practically 50% hairless (his whole underbelly is bald) so he doesn’t really produce much of a smell like bigger dogs do. It’s actually our vet’s recommendation to only bathe him twice a month! He just kind of smells like a baby, haha. But I wonder if there’s some sort of organic or natural product you could use? Like an eco-friendly dog deodorizing spray with non-irritating essential oils or something? Anyone have ideas/recommendations for Marian?
xo,
s
Katy says
Love that dang rug. In case I blend too much with all the other awesome comments, I’m the crazy rug girl with the random blog dedicated to rugs.
I have that same rug in my apt, although in all neutral tones. My hubs wasn’t gonna be adventurous with me and go for the green, so instead we opted for a green ikea ottoman to go on top of the rug. If it’s 100% wool, you may have to vacuum it a bit more (or not, sounds like you got lucky), but eventually it’ll stop and you’ll be thankful you have a short haired Chihuawa (or however you spell it).
YoungHouseLove says
Hah, how could I forget your rug-loving comments Katy? Haha. You crack me up.
xo,
s
Amy says
That rug makes me so happy. Does the pile ever get flattened down or does it always stay nice and nubbly? That was the main reason I stayed away from rugs like that, I hate when they get flattened.
On a semi related note, I’m currently staying at a hotel that has red leather parson’s chairs, and I now understand the love. I need them now.
YoungHouseLove says
So far it has been very perky. Haha. No flatness even after hours of Clara mashing it down while playing.
xo
s
Elizabeth says
Aside from loving the new rug, I also love the videos of Clara. And your reference to I whip my hair back and forth was not lost on me. Too cute.
Lauren says
I absolutely love the addition of the rug! What a transformation!!! You guys do amazing work and this is just another example of a small change making a big impact. I love it!! :)
Lisa G. says
I think that I’m reading the blog a little too much.. I had a dream about Sue the Napkin…. Scary…
YoungHouseLove says
That is hilarious. And I’m kind of jealous.
xo,
s
Minda McDorman says
i mean the rug is amazingly fantastic and all, perfectly brightening the room and energizing monsieur karl….but i have watched that video of clara 3 times now….good LORD she is stinkin’ adorable!!!!!!
Jim says
– Question –
How’s ole’ Karl holding up? I’ve heard compaints in the past about the quality of Ikea’s sofas and we were looking to maybe buy one.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Still love Karl so much. Couldn’t be happier so far. Other Karl owners (of over 2 years) have said they love theirs too so it bodes well!
xo,
s
Tiffany says
Love the rug! We had one just like it in cream, but unfortunately it shed like a hairy dog. We constantly had tumbleweeds of white fuzz floating around the house, no matter how much we vacuumed. We affectionately called it our little dog (which confused new visitors who wondered where our dog was that was leaving all the fur). We had to get rid of it a few months ago when our dog ate three bald spots in when she got sick. I guess she thought it was grass. You’ll have to keep us posted on the shedding situation. I’m scared to buy another like it because of the sweepign/vacuuming maintenance, but I LOVED the look.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no that’s so sad! We’ll definitely keep you guys posted!
xo,
s
Sarah says
I am totally loving the living room with the new rug! It really ties the whole room together! All the gray looks awesome with the bright color.
You’re movie people so I’m assuming (hoping) you’ve seen The Big Lebowski? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQLP1dj_t8 (Profanity alert in the clip!)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, totally forgot about that part!
xo,
s
HB says
I just did the exact same thing with those “pictures”….thought I was so original…guess not lol- but I really love it…I used 59 cent scrap-booking paper….Looks great!
Leanne says
HA! I totally thought you were going to show John’s new toe tricks or something when I first read the title. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, he does have long monkey toes…
xo,
s
Mindy says
Love the fun colors, so bold! It’s like summer is already here. And Clara’s little segment melts my heart. She looks just like you Sherry :D
Beth-BTW says
Ooooh, I need those pillows. NEED. I have to find a Homegoods. Hmmm. I wonder if Marshall’s would have them. (Yes, I am “talking” to myself.) Wish there was a HG here in Fredericksburg! They will coordinate fabulously with my very own Sue the Napkin (only mine’s a chair.) I have an unreasonable love of ruffled accessories.
Love the rug! That is amazing texture. Makes me wanna touch it!
Carrie says
I’m just wondering where your favorite spots are on the couch? I know each of you has picked a favorite snuggling in spot. John on the chaise, Sherry snuggled in the other corner with feet tucked underneath? Sherry on the chaise, John stretched out with feet in S’s lap? Maybe thats too much for you to share but I’m trying to get a visual here people! And I know my hubs and I instantly hone in on our favorite spots.
YoungHouseLove says
I get the chaise, baby. Haha. Since John’s so long he lays lengthwise on the back part of the sectional and I sprawl out on the chaise so we make sort of an L shape with our bodies. Burger’s usually somewhere in between us and Clara’s on the floor playing (or asleep for the night in her crib). We’re gonna have to break in the other side of the sofa though because it hardly gets any use. I guess that’s what big parties are for. Haha.
xo,
s
Cathy says
LOVE the rug, LOVE that you are putting out a book (how are we all going to wait that long?!), but most of all, LOVE your gorgeous baby girl. The vids of Clara crack me up every time. Congrats on all counts!
Lindsay W says
We are currently trying to ‘carpet’ aka buy rugs for our new home as well. Our main living space and 3 bedrooms are all hardwood. For the bedrooms I’ve opted for rugs slightly larger than 8×10 so that the floors are protected but also a bit warmer. Have you found that 8×10’s are sometimes too small to foot the bill? I’ve found that larger rugs are much harder to find, especially on Overstock. We also have a very large, open concept living room and dining room that we still need to purchase rugs for. What are your recommendations for finding rugs that coordinate but aren’t too matchy-matchy?
YoungHouseLove says
It really depends on your room size and furniture arrangement, but a larger than 8×10′ rug can definitely be necessary sometimes. As for how to coordinate rugs without them being too matchy, a large neutral jute rug might be great in one area (they’re great in dining rooms) while a patterned wool one can work in another area (especially if one of the tones in the pattern ties into the neutral jute rug while other colors add interest and differentate each zone). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Aimee says
Your living room is shaping up to be GORGEOUS! I was afraid, once we rushed out to buy a Karl of our own (based on your research), that our living room might end up looking like a a total copycat of yours, but there’s no way. DH isn’t quite on the ‘brighter is better’ wagon yet, but I at least was able to find a fun, albeit neutral, area rug he agreed to…our color will come in in the throw pillows and artwork.
Can’t wait to see the rest of it come together!
Jehna says
Hi i absolutely love your blog & i follow daily.
I also adore your lovely space & colors you have incorporated in your family area.
My question is how is your couch? i was looking at getting on my my future family area & im wondering if it will hold up for the long run with my toddler & my chihuahuas lol.
im interested in your couch the karlstad or the kivik.
do you have any comments on these couches?
thank you
YoungHouseLove says
We love our Karlstad! So far so good (with a dog and a baby!). We know of others who have owned it with multiple dogs and kids and have only good things to say. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Bridgette says
I love how Clara is trying to taste the phone but at one point seems to not really like it and smacks her lips and then just puts it back in her mouth. Babies are so darn cute. I love the rug. It is really starting to come together. Going to be a warm and loving living room. I can tell.
Bunny Terry says
Wow! Love that green rug. I don’t know if I would have been gutsy enough to use it in my home, but now I WANT ONE! Love the blog – just discovered you after the feature on MSN Real Estate. . .will now be a faithful follower.
YoungHouseLove says
So glad you found us Bunny!
-John
Sarah says
Love how the room is coming together. Would you mind sharing where you found the mirror above the Parsons desk? I’ve been looking for a similar one.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from Hobby Lobby (wait for a 50% sale!). Good luck.
xo,
s
Jill says
LOVE LOVE LOVE this room! We have a bathroom in that green (the rug)and it makes me happy. FYI on teal pillows- I just got some from Meijer for $15 (on sale). Here’s a link to them online
http://www.meijer.com/s/katie-brown-northern-chambray-pleat-decorative-pillow/_/R-181372
These pillows would probably pick up the lighter blue (turqoise I guess), not teal, but they are awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
Pretty!
xo,
s
Belinda says
I am interested to know (I haven’t looked through all comments) whether anyone has been able to find this rug in Australia? I have looked at Overstock but they do not ship to Aust. Any ideas??
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have ideas? Maybe try calling overstock.com to see if they have a partner in your area who might be able to carry/order it for you? Good luck!
xo,
s
Sara says
I am in love with that rug! That is our old wall color and I’m thinking about changing it up. I used to describe it as “wasabi” green. But, I am dissapoint. Our new house has a square living room. Square. It seems nice, but I have found that squares are very hard to find in rugs — the least selection in places like overstock. So, my question is: Do you feel like this rug can be cut and rebound? Either by a professional I hire or by myself who is pretty damn handy with textiles (I have worked in textiles conservation in the past). I went out and found some felted wool rugs hanging at Home Goods and it looks like it’s sewn by hand around the edges and looked to be pretty easily done.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I bed a professional could cut and rebind it! I would show a rug person the picture online before ordering and ask them what they think. Hope it helps!
xo
s