I think a 7' rug would work. I'm not sure about the "rules" for using wool though.

Your countertop and tile look very similar to mine, and I'm struggling with finding a paint color. Yours looks great. Can you tell me the color on your walls?

I think that rug is nice looking but I do not think I would put wool in my bathroom.

I also think that 5 feet would look fine there.
I saw some others on JCP that look like they might be good if you do not mind having synthetics. I think the care would be so much easier. I bought there Sherbrooke rug and I love it for my front entrance and in the summer I take it out in the driveway and wash it with the hose.

lyban: I'm OK with synthetics. I'm just brainstorming here. Which ones do you think would work? I did see one indoor/outdoor one like you descibed but size was wrong.

i have wool rugs in our master bath---love them! i do use a bath mat when i use the tub, which is infrequently and also one for the shower. i have an 8' runner in front of our vanity and 2 others in the room. don't know what the problem with wool would be- it's durable stuff! (though i would not use hair dye in our bath and don't use bleach or harsh cleaners---our floors are marble...)

amj: I forgot to mention my walls are Behr Oat Straw. I've toyed with the idea of repainting, something more spa like though am working in the spa colors with accents so perhaps it's OK.

busybee3: I'd love to see a pic of what you have. How long is your vanity in relation to your runner? The same size or longer? I guess the issue with this one might possibly be shedding since it's an inexpensive one. But, I'm willing to give it a shot, if the size/pattern are OK.

I have wool rugs in the bathroom and I think they are the best solution. We use a mat for the shower and just throw it over the side of the tub to dry...we don't leave it on the floor. I think the 7 foot wool rug would be fine.

I would not use wool in a bathroom - hair spray, potential spilling of other bathroom items - mouthwash, toothpaste, and overspray from flossing and brushing of teeth , application of make up. I don't mean to offend - I wash my poly bath rugs very frequently - at least twice a month, and scrub the floor weekly. We use bath mats over the bath rugs too!

jeane: That's good to know that you are happy with a wool rug in the bathroom.

One of the things that would bother me with the 7' size is that one end of the rug would need to go flush against the wall in order to line it up with the vanity. I did manage to find some 6' long runners on Overstock, issue there is hassle of returns if I decide I don't like it whereas with JC Penneys I can order from catalog and return to the store.

These are all 6' rugs on Overstock. Please let me know if you like any of these better than the JC Penney's rug:

Overstock rug 1:

Overstock rug 2:

I also have two long runner wool rugs in my bathroom, and a washable bathmat. I suppose they might get overspray from cologne, but I've always found that wool rugs repel dirt, and just simply vacuum them on a regular basis.

I like the size you show with the towel.
Dee

Of the 4 you posted I like #3 the best, then #4.
Here is one from decoraters web site. I am not sure if you would like this or if it is too busy .

Here is a link that might be useful: Click here

I like Overstock rug #2 the best, then #4.

lyban: I've been checking the Home Decorators website but I can't find any runners shorter than 8' long.

After mocking up the 6' runner I think that is the best size for the vanity as it will give 6" clearance to either side so that there is breathing room between the runner and bath mat and the other side of the runner and the wall.

I'm going to look around though to see if any of the other online rug stores carry this size as my problem with Overstock is the pictures are usually not that accurate.

Here is one that I absolutely love on Home Decorators but unfortunately the smallest length is 10'. I'd love to find a similar rug in the shorter 6' length.

I'm very tempted to get the 2x3 size to use in the hall bath. My two daughters use that bathroom, the 16-year-old uses powered foundation and I find it gets all over so that is my only hesitation. Can wool rugs be spot cleaned? My gut feel though is I should get an indoor/outdoor rug that can be hosed down like this:

I'm going to repaint their bathroom, most likely in BM Wedgewood Grey.

Lovely bathroom and bed! I too have a wool runner in my bathroom. Its 80 inches long. I got it at Marshall's. It works perfectly in the space. Keep an eye out at stores such as TJMaxx, Home Goods, Marshall's etc.

Here is a photo...

{{!gwi}}

Hey Val!

I really like the look of a runner there and I see what you mean about the length, even though I didn't notice it at first glance.

I spot cleaned the wool rug under my kitchen table before and it's fine. I'm talking cleaned up a hair ball with Resolve (chemical spray cleaner) and it's ok. I can't seem to wrap my head around that whole "blot with water" idea.

Are you considering the indoor/outdoor rug for the other bathroom or yours also?

I like all the rugs you posted and it's a shame that you can't get the one from Home Decorators in a smaller size. I really like 1 and 4 the best out of the others but I think they'd all work nice in the room.

I'd probably consider trying finding a poly rug over the wool but I really think the wool will be ok.

Val,
The one I linked to is called Montecello Rug
and it comes in 2 feet by 5 feet.
As shea says, one will come along just be patient.

aktillery: I will definitely plan to check out TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Tuesday Morning before I order anything online. It does help to know in advance what will work or not. Your rug is very pretty there.

lyban: I looked at that rug which is pretty also. WIth the 5' rug, though, when we stand in front of our sinks, then one foot would be on and the other off the rug. Since I found the 6' rugs at overstock, I think I'd take a chance on one of those before getting a 5' rug. I think a 7' rug could work if it looks really good. I think I might try an online chat with one of the folks on the HD website and see if they can recommend any in that size since I can't narrow down the runner size so much in the search function.

shee: I want something more plush in our bathroom because we're pretty careful; in the girl's bath I am considering that indoor/outdoor one as I'd be kidding myself to think I won't need to clean it as old rugs in that bathroom I've been washing every 2 weeks or so. Also, the print looks more "fun" for them plus a tad busy so the makeup stains, etc. hopefully won't show so much. I've tried talking to my DD to be more careful, but so far, not much luck though we have made her responsible for cleaning it. My 9-year-old DD is much cleaner and more systematic than her. I think she has inherited my decorating gene, but it's skipped over the 16-year-old. She more like her Dad, huge into sports, science, etc.... and makeup (not like the Dad)!