For President’s Day my leopard rug arrived. Thank you, Obama (and Overstock). So the rug is pretty — it’s by Safavieh and looks to be of decent quality. Better Half Ben rolled it out for me and three seconds later Ike and the cat were clawing and break dancing all over it (cat = clawing and Ike = break dancing, although I would prefer for the opposite to have occurred), so I guess it’s plush enough.
What it’s not is the right size.
I took this picture at night so the colors are all wonktacular, but maybe you can see the problem with this space. It’s really long and narrow, and the 6×9 rug isn’t working… I think. I could shove it up under the credenza, but then it would leave this awkward open space on either side where I had planned to plunk down a pair of matching chairs.
For everyone interested in buying the same rug, here’s a daytime shot that better shows the caramel/tan colors:
I should really straighten up my furniture before I take pictures, right? Oh well.
So, what do you think? Can it work here, or should I move it to the front room and keep shopping? I’d like to maintain an open space in front of the console table so that I can roll out the benches beneath it for seating.
As a reminder, here’s some newborn baby pictures of how the room is laid out:
First of all: don’t panic! The fireplace has been painted and the tv is better situated (I plan to reveal it this week). The brown dining table is now in the dinette area (it looks terrible — new dining table is on the list), and the black credenza is against the back wall. The open area between the credenza and console is where I plan to hold play convention 2012-2040 (holy shit I am going to be old when these kids are grown). I just need a rug to mark out the space.
It would be so easy to buy a crazy 4×10 or 5×11 Persian rug off Ebay, except I already have a red Persian rug (which I like) in the room, and I can’t have two, right?
I was thinking I might could get away with a Nain rug (they tend to be blue), because it would be different yet similar to the one I already have… I don’t know anymore. Rug overload.
What do you think? Leopard where I have it or leopard in the front room?
What kind of rug should I get if I move the leopard?
Or should I totally reorganize the entire living area?
Fireplace pictures to follow.
Wallpaper sample pictures to follow.
Damn I have a lot of things to do.
Related posts:
Ok, I’m actually picking up everything you are throwing down. Yes, try leopard in front room. Could be snazzy.
I’m down with the idea of a long narrow something in the blue colorwave (or blackish whitish) but I think it should be a distinctively different pattern than your other persian
How about a smelly, cheap Beni?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BENI-OUARAIN-MOROCCAN-RUG-CARPET-SHAG-BERBER-QUARAIN-ATLAS-RYA-/200715048110?pt=Rugs&hash=item2ebb8c94ae#ht_500wt_1361
yea, I know I just said smelly. And it’s a lot of white. Could be chic, though
It might work if the size were right… 5×10 or even 5×11 would be perfect. I love that the seller says it has a very strong rubbery smell coming off the rug. ha!
I don’t want anything too modern for the rug. I think. Somehow I always end up thinking modern rugs look cheap, unless they are VERY expensive.
Full disclosure = a clean conscience…just not a clean rug.
Too bad about the leopard…I am really liking the looks of it. Would love to see snaps of it in the front room. Perhaps it was destined for that space all along!
I wish I had rug advice…I am having my own sizing woes up in heeyah.
I don’t have the answer, but if you want to get rid of the art, you let me know. I’d buy it in a heartbeat!
Rugs are a biotch. The sizes are almost never right. Definitely try that cat in the front room. It’s gorge, so it’s gotta go somewhere!
Why CAN’T you have 2 persians? If they complement each other, hells yes you can! Just vary the colorway a bit. I do like the blue Nain (and will be researching those heavily after work today- thanks for the intro), but for some reason, I feel like that is switching up the color story quite a bit. Which you might have plans to do anyway? I dunno. A neutral woudn’t be bad either…
*wouldn’t
Hey Erin – can I just say that your new house is giving me the hots. I absolutely love that colour in your living room – clever Sanders!
I think the leopard rug looks awesome – yes you have a wee problem with the size but I have had an idea! Why don’t you take it to a company that makes stair runners and get them to cut your rug to the perfect size! Those peeps have to cut and sew the edges of carpet runners so they will be able to sort out that leopard puppy no problem – you just need the right colour of wool to edge it in which they probably have anyway…perhaps..perhaps..perhaps?
Sending the love from Scotland xx
p.s. leopard is forever..foreeevvvveeerrr…
I’m thinking the leopard needs to play in the front room and would look mighty sexy against those dreamy walls with the caramel tones of the rug. Yummy. And I like Naomi’s Beni idea. They’ve got some at West Elm now but I think they’re pricey – duh – and probably the wrong size. If you don’t want two Persians in such proximity, maybe you could find one of those super-saturated and cool Chinese art deco rugs. They tend to be more solid and bright purples and blues. Would that be too weird? Of course, they’re pricey too. I’m really no help at all.
Okay, and how do I not know about your credenza. You know I have a thing for black and gold credenzas. Where did you get that beauty?
I know this is really odd of me, but I almost want to say some sort of modern black-and-white print rug – nothing too busy. I take your point about looking cheap, though. I really only have braided and oriental ones (and one little flokati from Ikea), so I haven’t had to think about that too much.
So while I am not really much help…and I now have rug overload through you vicariously (I had hit paint color overload earlier this week, so I was pretty susceptible already)…I have one or two very small thoughts. One Kings Lane kind of irritates me because I kind of don’t believe any of it’s discounted. BUT they do have some really lovely things, including fantastic collections of semi-modern/semi-exotic rugs almost every day. I have way too many rugs already (husband in Middle East for work; went on unauthorized shopping spree; turns out to have fantastic taste in rugs; long story) and most of their stuff (not all) is outrageously out of my price range, but you spend more grown-up amounts on home furnishings, so. Check them out (membership is free, I recommend investing a whole month looking at the rotating sales that involve rugs) if you haven’t and that sounds worthwhile. Also: Ikea has that flokati in 4’7″ by 6’7″ for $80 (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10093942/). It sheds a bit, and it would be hard to clean, BUT it is very soft, goes with lots of things, and is 100% real wool. If you considered that it was to be thrown out once the kids reached school age, it might be reasonable.
Anyway…fascinated to hear what you come up with. It will be way more brilliant than my theories, I know.
Maybe you should get wall to wall leopard carpet — it would only cost about a gazillion dollars. I see no issue with multiple orientals (and have that going on in my own living room which is much smaller than yours). The leopard rug looks really nice as a rug, but I agree it might not be ideal right there. It’ll be fab wherever you put it — maybe in front of the fireplace is the ideal spot.
I’m on Team Multiple Oriental…and now that I’ve typed that I fear that googling that phrase will show me something I didn’t need to see. But! You know what I mean. I do love leopard, but the size is wrong for the space.
Compromise: big cats in the nursery! Cheetah paper, leopard rug, panther lamps…you feelin’ me?
I went to an auction house a couple of days ago for a viewing. There were some seriously luxe pieces (3 Louis Vuitton steamer trunks! from one house! no jokes!) The floor was covered with Persians carpets, layered over each other, all different colours. It was fabulous. There’s something so luxe and excessive about plenty of Persian carpets. I’m not sure if you’re still doing acid wasp neo-trad, but I think, you should go for it.
Leopard in the front room with that fabulous wall colour? Yes please!
Thanks for the comments everyone! I don’t have any updates to post, so I’ll just respond to some of your… responses. Sorry, I need coffee.
Anyway, I love the look of Benis but I’m worried about the kid friendly factor. After having a black and white zebra rug, white rugs scare the bejeezus out of me. I walked around with a spray bottle of folex 24/7.
As for my persian obsession, I am open to other styles of rugs it’s just easier to find hand knotted rugs in odd sizes. And size really matters in this case.
Heh. Team Multiple Oriental. That is going to entertain me all day!
And Pieter, I find this is evolving into Acid Wasp with a deco/modernist twist. I often find myself asking, “What would Robert Couturier do?”
WWRCD y’all?
I wanna see the leopard in the front room.
Also I am found of a Persian rug, but this one is a bit too nanas house for my liking!
Brain on presentation overload, so I dont have anything to share!
What about Flor tiles? Then you can have exactly the size you want, in a wide variety of colors/patterns, and for a really reasonable price? Also, they are incredibly easy to clean, which is a plus.
[...] wanted leopard print wall to wall carpet in my dining room for quite some time. After reading Design-Crisis blogger Erin’s post about her leopard rug situation, it got me thinking about rugs instead of [...]
floor plan, sweetie. you need to draw out a floor plan with the *right* size rug on it. it will be a weird size, i can almost guarantee, but you could buy bigger than the size you need, and have it cut down to fit (like lets say you need an 7′ x 12′, you buy a 9 x 12, and have it cut and rebound on site. easy peasy).
Christian, I know you’re right… the sad thing is my computer wizard husband even made a sketchup and I haven’t played around with rugs on it yet. Who’s stupid? I am. That’s right!
The cutting down idea is a good for something with an allover pattern… I’ll call my local carpet place and look into it. Thanks!
Go big!! I have leopard wall to wall in every room of my 2400 sq. ft. house. I even braved it and picked the one with a pinkish center. I wish I could upload the photo but it is awesome. Look at my website at http://victoriaslastresort.com and you can see it with furniture. It is beyond fun and still looks new. We love it!
Love your blog! Question for you — I’ve been looking for the same rug – is yours the one on overstock sold as “Handmade Soho Leopard Skin Beige New Zealand Wool Rug?” I know they often rename their items on overstock; just thought you might be able to shed some light on this mystery for me!!! Thanks!
Hi Anna, that’s the one. Go for it!
Ah, thank you, Erin! I really appreciate the response!!!!
Erin, thank you so much for your help with the leopard rug recently! I ordered it, and it looks fantastic in my living room! Here are some pictures!!!
http://dailydoseofkevin.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-leopard-rug.html
[...] {Image courtesy Design Crisis} [...]
Hi Erin,
I am wondering if you would consider selling your rug? I can’t find it anywhere and it would be the perfect size for my room!