If you are going to be dealing with a dog who is prone to barfing, you might look into a polypropylene rug. It won't be as pretty as the wool rugs, but it will be easy to clean. You can find Oriental-style rugs in polypropylene on Overstock and ebay.

Tribbrix - I would love to know the name of the first rug you posted.

First rug I posted

Here is a link that might be useful: Tabriz Rug

kees, I know this is counter-intuitive, but the barfing dog is another reason to go with a Persian.

That Tabriz rug, for instance, would hide every remnant stain, if there is any. As a dog sitter, I actually recommend getting either polypropylene or Persian rugs if there are puking, peeing,pooping dogs in the house. So the dog pukes or peesâ¦you clean it up, right? No harm, no foul, no matter what rug it is because if you catch it as he's done it, you get it. But if you come home from work and he's barfed or peed, there is a good chance there will be some remnant staining. With a polypropylene rug, you can just wash it out. But with a wool Persian, you clean it to get odors out, but no remnant stains show.

That is one of the beauties of Persian rugs.

As for cost, let's say you sink $3 grand (or more!) into a Persian. Yikes. Ouch. However, that Persian is going to be there for the next 50 years and will never, ever go out of style and in fact gets nicer as it gets worn. So, $3+ grand over 50 years - then on to one of your children or grandchildren after you've gone to that great carpet store in the skyâ¦do the math. It's cheap.

However, if you get a $1,000 rug which wears badly, shows every stain, etc., you replace it after, say, ten years (and that's stretching it, I'd say), after only 30 years, you've spen t that $3000. See?

Also with Persians, if, after 30, 40 years, the colors start going in high traffic parts of the rug, you simply pull out your Magic Markers, and voila! Like new.

If you can, technically, afford an authentic Persian rug, they really are the most practical, beautiful, and financially smart rugs to get, IMO, for every reason under the sun, including barfing dogs.

Can someone Photoshop that Tabriz rug Kees likes in her room for her?

i am a fan of polypropylene rugs with animals... much cheaper than good wool in the very large sizes! nice ones feel pretty good under bare feet and really clean super well- a couple I have seem impervious to water/liquid so animal vomit, etc seem to almost just bead on the top without really absorbing in. nice quality poly rugs look just as good as lesser quality wools, imo.
a nice wool rug feels and looks beautiful, but they are very expensive--- it would kill me to see a puppy gnawing on the edge of a beautiful, pricey rug! (yes, I had one puppy in particular who loved chewing on the fringe and edges of rugs!!) wool cleans well, but some abuses are very difficult if not impossible to repair!
tibbrix, I laugh every time you make reference to doctoring up rugs, etc with markers-- I have done so much of that over the years- once I even changed the pinks of kitchen mats I had ordered on line-- liked the mats, but when they came i didn't love how pink bits of them were... a nice set of sharpies helped make them look just right!!

Again, I'm going to second what Tibb said. Plus, as the rug wears, you can turn it to even out the wear. Send it out every couple of years for a good professional cleaning and stain-proofing.

busybee, I grew up in a neighborhood of brownstones, so everyone had Persian rugs, and they used to have Magic Marker parties, i.e.: get the neighbors over, and everyone would get on the floor and do a section of the rug. It was like Michaelangelo, only upside down! Lol.

My parents were by no means wealthy at all, but the two things they invested in were education for their kids and Persian rugs. They still have them, and they'll get passed on to us. I just love those rugs. And they go with literally very style: contemporary, rustic, traditionalâ¦.

I'll echo what Tibbrix has said. Persian rugs are VERY forgiving. You can steam clean pretty much anything out of them (I've rented steamers from the grocery store, but now I own my own Hoover steamer), they look great and wear like iron. We've bought a few new persians, but most of ours are antique or vintage. They were around for 50 years before we got them and I expect they'll be around for another 50.

We have 2 dogs and 2 cats, so I'm speaking from experience!!

I grew up in a veritable zoo: three dogs, cats, birdsâ¦three siblings, seven foster brothers and sistersâ¦all on Persians, and they're still there. We're talking 40 years.

They're worth every dime, not only for their beauty and timelessness, but, as arlosmom says, they're very forgiving nature.

However, if you're going to go the Persian route, take the real road. Don't get a knockoff Persian. They're exactly the opposite: horrible. Invest in the real deal. You won't be sorry at all.

I bought an antique Heriz on Ebay. Despite having it shipped from Europe, it was quite inexpensive. In fact, the rugs bought on the European Ebay sites sell for considerably less.
Another option would be a Kilim.

Examples, all about 7x10

255.00 plus 120.00 shipping from Switzerland

240.00 + 110.00 shipping woven, from Bulgaria

Kilim, 200.00 plus 74.00 shipping from Turkey

Definitely look on eBay, Etsy and Craigslist.

I think Kees needs a 9 x12.

Voila, 9x12, currently at 203.00

Here is a link that might be useful: ebay heriz

nsm, how do you get on the ebay European sites? Or are you using the U.S. site but buying from international sellers?

Yes, I click on worldwide for location, but am still on the US ebay site. That way you find sellers that will ship to the US.

If you're really into it, you can also go on the UK or German or Dutch site, but then you have to carefully look whether they will ship to the US.

Now, the other option would be to go all modern with an IKEA rug.

Stockholm, 8.2x11.6 299.00

What size do you need?

The first rug Tibbrix posted:

Black and white (problem is, in my home, the white would not remain white...):

OHHHH! Oldbat2be and Tribbix, I love the look of that rug as it is photoshopped into my room!

I think I have to go with an 8' x 11' because there is an electrical outlet under my couch (not fully recessed into the floor). So, the rug would "butt up" to that outlet and then leave about 12 inches in front of the fireplace.

I hadn't really thought about using a Persian rug until I got this furniture. Originally, this furniture was supposed to be more of a worn saddle brown. The darker brown seems to lend itself to the more traditional look of the Persian.

Side note: In 2001, I had been on an educational tour to Greece with a stop by Kusadasi in Turkey. We went to a Persian rug shop for a lesson about Persian/Turkish rugs. Fascinating! Watched a young woman working on a silk on silk small rug - hand-knotting. The labor put into that piece gave us all a much better understanding of the price charged. Also, the sheens of those rugs were unbelievably beautiful.

Grateful for the suggestions to look on ebay in Europe because any money that can be reasonably saved would be wonderful.

Love all of the pictures and ideas you are sharing. Please feel free to share any other ideas and insights.

Glad to hear that they wear well. What do most of you have? Wool, cotton, or silk? Based upon what I learned at Kusadasi, there are 6 combinations of those textiles. Silk is the strongest, most colorful and most expensive.

I'm not a big fan of "modern" rugs but do like transitional pattern pieces. Also not a fan of florals. Just a personal thing. :-)

nosoccermom, I love that blue rug that you have.

Busybee3 - my dog also has a nibbling habit. He's not quite 2 years old, so it seems to be lessening with age, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed....

Busybee3 - my dog also has a nibbling habit. He's not quite 2 years old, so it seems to be lessening with age, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed....

8x11 is better price wise too! I think your plan should be to get a great Persian for that area, and as time goes on, when you're able, add more to the room, with that one being the main one. Ie: one at the top of those stairs, a runner behind the sofa, that sort of thing, each its own design. It looks amazing.

Chewing puppy: get bitter apple spray and spray it on anything you don't want the dog to chew, including furniture and rugs.

My LR rug is a wool Karastan. I would not get silk.

I really don't know how to tell if a rug is authentic. Certainly ask to see a bill of sale, if the seller has one; a label on the carpet itself, and you kind of can tell by looking at them. The fake ones really look fake and cheesy.

eBay has some protections, so you can buy it, and if it proves to be inauthentic, you can fight the sale. If you find one on CL, you obviously can go and look at it yourself. I got my Karastan on CL in Boston.

If you do need a larger rug, you can always just make a slice in it to go over the outlet and plug the lamp in.

I think the Tabriz looks fantastic with your leather furniture - very handsome, sophisticated...

oldbat2be, could you photoshop the 2nd rug that Tribbix suggested - the one labeled rust/navy?

Tribbix, where did you find that rug?

Oldbat2be, could I have you try this one as well? Just to try a different color?

Also, where did you find the rug that you first photoshopped as an idea for going with bold colors? Were there some others like it with different colors?

Here you go. Antique Tabriz Rug.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tabriz Rug

The rugs I posted are still for sale on Ebay, including the blue one.

I have no idea how to authenticate a rug. I just figure if I pay a couple of hundred dollars for a wool rug that looks slightly worn and has a Heriz or whatever pattern, who cares whether it's authentic or not.
Now with bugs, I keep it in the hot car or freezing temperature. And also clean it.

I've bought several rugs from various online sources and I've never had a problem with bugs (hope I haven't just jinxed myself). I think the oriental rugs must have been treated with something. They always seem to have some sort of powder in them. I thoroughly vacuum the rugs, front and back, several times before I put them in the house.

Like NSM, I don't worry about authenticity. I do make sure whatever I buy is returnable, but I always look at is as a crap shoot anyway. I bought a small-ish rug once. When it arrived, small parts of the design were shocking pink. I was too lazy to return it. Years later, I discovered no one had ever noticed the pink bits but me - not DH, not DD, and not DSister.

Glad to help. I hesitate to offer an opinion when I do this, but my gut feel for photoshop #1 was - blah. I like the black and white because I felt it worked with the background and added contrast. (Very poorly photoshopped, I do much better with pictures taken from straight on).

Here is #1:

Here is the Rust//Navy in context (can't get the angles right). I think the colors/contrast is very nice.

I like the blue better than the first one. The first one is a beautiful rug, but it does come over a little blah in this setting.

To me, this room just cries for the warmth of one of the rust rugs. Wish I could photoshop....

ob2b, looks like you and I were posting simultaneously. Even if you can't get it to "lay down," I like the rust best.

bbstx - I agree:)

The blue one, to me, is blah and too ornate/formal for the leather and the room.

The rust/navy is great!

And I still love the Tabriz, like it the best, but that one would be VERY expensive.

I thought "in the red family" when I saw the first picture. Rust (and navy looks good!) is exactly what I pictured in my head, so that's why I agree.

The last one oldbat posted, the rust/navy, is gorgeous! The other pale blue, as others have stated, is a little too pale.

The Blue/Navy Safavieh will set you back some, but not nearly as much as the Tabriz.

How traditional is your decorating style? Looking at the pictures, I can actually see a slightly less formal Turkish Kilim.

Below a link to antique, large rugs on ebay. It requires some sleuthing because there are so many. So, if you see a promising seller, also look what else they sell. Or look at the suggestions to the right.

Here is a link that might be useful: antique larg erugs on Ebay

I really like the last rug that you photoshopped.

Tribbix, where did you find that rug? And, I think you're right about the medallion in the middle - I don't really want that.

Not going for a really formal look. I'm fairly casual and I really like ease of cleaning/care. I have dust mite allergies. After I dust my house, I have to shower. So, I try not to have too many surfaces that I have to dust.

Trying for warm, but not "blah" in the sense that I already have a lot of brown, cream, beige, so now I need some color, and I think some dark blue adds a nice contrast.

Here you go

Here is a link that might be useful: Farahan Sarouk Rug/Safavieh

Tribbix (or anyone), do you have any idea of the cost of the Saravieh Farahan Sarouk rug? We don't have a dealer anywhere near here. I think that's my favorite.

I think the rug that bbtx suggested from overstock could work, but because of its size (9x12), I'd have to cut into it to make room for the electrical outlet. It's price is $1800. Also, it looks like rust to me, but the details say red, so I'm worried that it won't look right when I actually have it.

This really is harder than buying a new car.

No idea about what it costs. It's not going to be cheap, but it'll be worth it.

And don't worry about having to slice into a rug in order to be able to use a floor outlet. It's counterintuitive, I know, but you don't have to cut a hole, just a slice. It's under the sofa, so it can't be seen, and if you ever hand the rug down or move it somewhere else, the slice will never be seen. Just make sure you slice with with something VERY sharp so that you can get the cleanest cut possible.

A larger rug for that room is worth the slicing, IMO.

I would contact Safavieh directly and start there.

Btw, Safavieh is the real deal, so you'll pay a lot more, but you'll have some assurance that what you're getting is quality.

I Googled "Safavieh Farahan Sarouk."

Google Shopping search results

Here are some that looked similar:

Overstock $3100

Peerless rugs You can request a quote from Peerless Rugs.

Etsy $3500

Safavieh can be found on Overstock and at Horchow, among other places.

Eek! But I think still a good deal. $3500 for a rug you'll have in the family for 100 years plusâ¦

For yourself, let's say 50 years (no idea how old you are); that's $70/year.

Versus a $1,000 rug that isn't made as well, goes out of style (that one NEVER will, I promise, even if you get new furniture - Persians go with virtually every style), i.e.: has to be replaced after ten years = $1,000 every five years = $5,000 over $50 years, or $100/year for 50 years of rugs. And that doesn't count the ensuing hand-me-downs after you've croaked.

Oh, and if you have to slice a rug, do it from the underside.

Linked is an 8x10 that you might like, $1100

Here is a link that might be useful: Heriz 8x10

Just chiming in that I have bought about 10 different oriental rugs on Ebay--small, medium and 10 x 12 and 2 rugs that were 11 x 15. One was worn a little more than I would have liked, but I just tell myself that if I were a rich aristocrat, most of my inherited carpets would also be worn. I get a million compliments on the rugs and although it is a crap shoot, in general, it is a very good resource.

Living areas look great with a traditional rug because it offers a royal look. For living area I would suggest you to buy a traditional rug with some floral pattern.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rug that used in this Living room