Choosing a Rug with a Client

No matter the style, a rug should enhance the furnishings of a room.  Sometimes, it is the inspiration for an entire room design, sometimes it is added later as the room evolves.  Occasionally, a room can stand on its own without one (read my post on this, here).  Today, while dropping off some pillows we had done for her family room, my client Donna asked for my opinion on a rug for the music room.

The chairs and side tables we had ordered for the music room recently arrived, and Donna, who had told me she was going to wait on a rug for the space, had suddenly changed her mind and called to tell me she'd purchased a rug, but didn't know if it was right.  Her rug guy, Fahad, was bringing some additional rugs for her to look at.  This was the first one, which she loved and had lived with for a week, but wasn't sure if it was the one.

When I came in the house, my first reaction was "wow!"  that's a gorgeous rug!  You would think that would be a great response.  Not necessarily.  Unless you want your rug to be art on the floor as a focal point, a rug, like all the other pieces in a room, ought to help produce a reaction of "wow, what a gorgeous room."  It should play together with the other pieces -- not having to match exactly, mind you, but each should make the other look good, not steal the show.  So, we looked at some other choices.

Fahad laid down three rugs with beige grounds and hints of red in them, which talked to the drapes (but were too bland and weren't enhancing anything), and Donna's heart still went to the first, more vivid and formal one.  The red just spoke to her.  I should have photographed every one he put down, but I didn't (duh!).  In the end, it came down to the initial red one, and my favorite, a more muted, softer, and somewhat more casual piece.

It's hard to see from the picture above, but the new introduction, on the right, is so much softer in the room. It calmed the whole room down, while speaking to, but not fighting for attention with, the drapes.  The new brown velvet french chair, which will live to the right of the armoire (along with new artwork and floor lamp), is shown below in a close up of the newer rug.  This picture really shows a truer sense of the warmth of this rug.

Yum.  Unlike Donna's initial choice, with it's more vivid color, tight pattern and ivory border, which seemed too formal, this one speaks to the casual, warm elegance of her European-inspired home.  It also conveys a warm, "come sit" feeling she wanted the room to have, as it's where her daughter's practice the piano and guitar.  I'll hear in a week or so what the final decision is.

On the topic of how a rug should enhance a room, but not steal the show, check out Maria's living room rug on her blog Colour Me Happy.  I think it is beautifully balanced with the other furnishings of the room (I thought it would be a fun look at a great rug in an entirely different style room.)  Click here to see what I mean.

So tell me, does your rug steal the show, or does it make everyone else look good, too?

Talk to you soon,
Carol