The rugs can either match or simply coordinate: it's a matter simply of preference. And yes, it's okay for the rugs to be more traditional, if that's what you like. Do you have any photos of the surrounding rooms that lead off the foyer? Do you live in a region with a cold or rainy climate--where little boots full of snow and mud will be tracking into the foyer? If this is the case, try indoor/outdoor rugs, which can be very soft, but need only to be hosed down for cleaning. If you live in a sunny climate and don't have to worry too much about such things, you can get a good deal on Karastans on ebay, which are machine-made, but are very good quality.

Here are a couple of links:

Polypropylene rug:

http://www.frontgate.com/jump.jsp?sort=-1&itemID=4863&itemType=PRODUCT&AS=1&keyword=polypropylene&page=1

Karastan:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Oriental-Rug-Karastan-4x5_W0QQitemZ330264266139QQihZ014QQcategoryZ73468QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-KARASTAN-WILLIAMSBURG-Rug-4x5-r9559_W0QQitemZ350091652336QQihZ022QQcategoryZ37980QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/KARASTAN-ASHARA-COLLECTION-RUG-15005-AGRA-IVORY-26-X-4_W0QQitemZ180280528915QQihZ008QQcategoryZ20584QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/KARASTAN-ORIGINAL-RUG-722-NAVY-MEDALLION-KIRMAN-3-X-5_W0QQitemZ170253069709QQihZ007QQcategoryZ37979QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

OS - Thanks for all the great links. I love the colors in the frontgate rug. I have a small rug that has very similar colors made by Couristan.
I think you live near me. I am in S. NH. So, yes there will be mud, snow, etc... So no expensive rugs for me!
I will take pics of the surrounding rooms tomorrow. There is a completely undecorated office to one side. It has a traditional style desk in it.
To the other side of the foyer is the playroom. You can't see it very well from the foyer. it is supposed to be a LR but we turned it into the playroom since you cna't see it well from the foyer.
The foyer leads right into the kitchen with maple cupboards, black granite and is not really decorated other than a valance over the window.
The walls in the foyer are painted BM Shaker Beige and the kitchen is BM Nantucket Grey.

You're welcome. I almost bought the Frontgate rugs for my kitchen. Can't beat the price and quality if you have small children and want something that both looks decent and can keep up with them! :) Your house sounds nice.

Do you think it matters if I have a more transitional Pottery Barn rug in the dining room mixed with a traditional persian in the foyer. The colors in the rug are also different. They both have reds/greens/beiges but the persian style rug has much more vibrant colors.
The dining room can't be seen from the foyer.

anyone else?

I don't think it matters at all, unless the styles are completely different--for example, a geometric in the DR and an Aubusson in the foyer. Can you take a couple of photos?

I will take pics. I promise!
They are not completely different styles. The rug in the DR is a typical Pottery Barn style rug. The rug I bought for the foyer is the one in the link.
So,do I buy the runner in the exact same pattern for the foyer?
Thanks for helping me OS.

Here is a link that might be useful: foyer rug

If you love the one you already bought, then I think it's fine to buy a matching runner. :)

If you decide you'd rather coordinate than match, I think one of these would look nice, too, in the runner size:

http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/control/prod/~pid=11037600598-P/~color=11103

http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/control/prod/~pid=11028295123-P

I love the 2nd one with my current rug. I just have the current rug for a 7 day trial from my local rug store (rug depot). Nothing is permanent yet!
I finally took a few pics.

I like the second one, too. :) The one you have, though, looks very nice: that design in both rugs would look fine, I think.

What a beautiful house you have!

Thank you.
So does the rug look ok with my dining rug? You really can't see both rugs at the same time unless you are at the kitchen island.

I think it looks fine. It's a completely different kind of rug than the DR rug, but it has a touch of red in it, and the design is tasteful and subdued, so it works. Plus, you'll never see a bit of dirt on it. I think it's a good choice for the entryway. :)

What do YOU think? That's the most important question.

I don't think it looks good with the DR rug but you can't see both at the same time. I am wondering if I should go with the 2nd Couristan rug you posted above b/c it has more red in it.
Do you have any other rug suggestions that would wear well and go with my current style?
Am I overthinking this way too much??? I never get any decorating done b/c I am so darn picky.

If you can't see both at the same time, it's not a problem. But you need to be sure. My suggestion is to go get the second Couristan and try it before making a decision.

An alternative approach is to save your pennies and go with a handknotted rug. Not the high-end kind, but the "contract" type rug. They wear like iron. I bought one for our entry and a runner for our small hallway. They are indestructible and show no dirt whatsoever, and--unlike synthetic or hand-tufted rugs--will never need to be replaced. Seriously. They're no more expensive than a PB rug, yet are much higher quality.

I'll try to post pics for you in a few hours--gotta' run make dinner!

Okay, the first one is the one I bought (but in slightly larger sizes: 2x4 and 2.6 x 8). The colors are much more muted than in the photo:

rug1

You can see it a little bit in this photo:

Here's another one:

rug2

And one more:

rug3

They also have a 20% off sale twice a year.

We have three dogs and a cat, and the occasional doggie sleep-over, and the rugs look as good as the day I got them. :)

Just something to keep in mind, perhaps in the future.

OS, your rug is beautiful!
I was sitting at my kitchen island tonight and realized that you do see the foyer and DR rugs together. I am not sure how to find rugs that coordinate with the DR rug and are stain resistant. I looked at PB but their rugs do not come in a small 2x3 size. They are also too thick for opening my front door.
Do you think that the Frontgate rug you posted goes better?
I really appreciate your help with this.
I feel like I ask for so much help here and don not have any advice for others. Decorating is definitely my weak area.
I would love for you to come to my home and help me out someday! Aren't you in MA? I am 30 minutes from Boston.

momtotwins: You are so sweet. I'm probably not the person to ask for decorating advice. I'm quite decorating challenged myself, you know. :) But I'm always happy to give my $.02 on rugs because, while I am certainly not an expert, I have learned a lot about them over the years and love to talk about them. And yes, I am in MA--Arlington. :)

Okay, back to rugs. . .

There are so many things to think about when it comes to rugs. "Stain resistant" usually refers to a treatment for machine-made wool rugs, like Karastans. Synthetic rugs, like the Frontgate rug, are super-easy to care for, because you can just wash any spill right off. If they're well made, they can look good for several years, but will eventually need to be replaced. Hand-tufted (like PB rugs) tend to wear down fairly quickly, and are not usually that easy to keep clean. Handknotted, all wool rugs are fairly easy to keep clean, and the more densely knotted ones are practically indestructible, especially many of the tribal rugs (because, of course, those rugs were often woven to be used inside the home of peripatetic tribes, often shared with animals).

If you ask my opinion, I do think the Frontgate might go better. It's difficult to know how any rug will look in your home, though, until you actually see it there. Frontgate does offer a 30-day in home trial period for new rug purchases.