Here are some rugs I had seen:

Rug I bought but can return. Looks different depending on lighting and since it is hand-knotted, looks different depending on looking from the light or dark side. In addition to the beige and cream, there is light blue in it.

Another rug that is closer to a caramel color, but shows slightly lighter in this pic. I like that it has both blue and green, but it is a lower quality than the rug above:

An inexpensive rug I saw:

Thanks for any opinions!

You have a pretty room...I don't think you can judge the rug placement or size until you get furniture in the room. The stone planter is puzzling me....Have you thought of taking it out and/or putting a stone half wall there? Or evening it out (making it square) or putting a gas/fake fireplace there?. Your floors are beautiful.

Thanks grandmaof3.
I had the sofa removed when they did the hardwoods, but when my son can come over, I will bring my outdoor furniture in to give a better idea of what the room would look like with furniture.
It probably is a big project to remove the stone planter. I will try to pick up some plants to give a better idea of what it looks like when it is filled. But if it would look much better, I am willing to get rid of it. I like the idea of some sort of fireplace there if I could figure out how to execute.
Thanks so much for getting back!

If the rug was expensive, then return it. Don't start with the rug. You need to start with function. What do you plan on doing in the room. Do you watch TV? Entertain? Read? Need a desk area? Play space? Function drives everything. Then from there, get on and get familiar with homestyler.com...free on line software that's easy to use that will allow you to lay out your room and then add furniture and accessories to see what it would look like, what sizes you need, etc., including in 3d.

You might look up Christopher Lowell's 7 Layers of Design...there are on line videos in youtube and it's a book that you can probably find in the library. It will help you get going in the right direction and the right order.

Turn the rug and run it parallel to the length of your room. I don't know if you plan to watch TV in the room, but here is a floor plan to start with.

Hi Annie - The room is used just for entertaining, and will not have a TV. (My house is bigger than I need, but my family loves staying here together at the holidays). I will look at homestyler.com and Christopher Lowell shortly. Thanks so much, Annie!

If for entertaining, then how many would you like to seat? Do you prefer one large cluster or do people break up into smaller groups to chat? Will you be serving food like appetizers as well? Think about guests needing to put drinks down or flexible seating like a bench along a wall or an ottoman/coffee table or some lighter weight chairs that can be pulled up into a group, or not.

I would definitely talk to some modern fireplace guys for a creative solution to your planter. They make these things that essentially run on sterno so no chimney is needed and the look can be very flexible.

I suppose you could always do a fountain for a zen feel...or if you're into fish, you could place a wonderful aquarium there...or even maybe a terrarium.

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Tue, Nov 11, 14 at 7:57

Thanks so much, Beverly. I changed the direction of the rug and it seems to me to improve the look and flow.

Do you think it will look ok for the sofa end tables to be off or or mostly off of the rug?

Thanks, Annie. Generally I entertain in small groups of about eight, sometimes larger at the holidays. In the past, I had seating for six plus would pull up extra chairs. That probably will still work. (I also used to have a game table with two chairs). I am definitely planning to have a coffee table and end tables for drinks and appetizers.

Interesting thoughts on the planter. (BTW, the planter is about 18” deep). I don’t have gas, but maybe there is an attractive gel fuel fire feature? Or maybe I could do plants interspersed with candles? I’ll have to visit a fireplace store and see if they have any ideas.

It is a lovely room, but I think you need a much larger rug. 8'x10' just isn't enough even if you round down your room dimensions to 15'x13'. Of course, that is just my humble opinion. I think the room would look much better with at least a 10x12 and I would personally probably go with a 12x15 even though most people seem to choose smaller rugs. I just don't like rugs that look like postage stamps in the middle of the room with the furniture sitting on the bare floor.

I do like all your rug choices a lot, especially the first one! I would just go bigger even if you need to economize for a bit after the purchase. I don't think you will regret it.

Also, how delightful that your family enjoys staying with you! Oh, and I would keep the stone planter. I think it is quirky and kind of cool and I am a sucker for stone! At some point maybe you could get one of those new ethanol or propane firepits for that (see picture in link-kind of cool, but not sure I would like one that wasn't vented, although they say it doesn't require venting)

Edited to add: ha, great minds! Gel fuel would be great there, too!

Here is a link that might be useful: Glass chip fireplace

This post was edited by cyn427 on Sat, Nov 8, 14 at 19:02

I think the rug you selected is spectacular. I would consider painting the walls what appears to be a beige/grey color in the rug and select furnishing in a fairly monochromatic color scheme for the room and accent with a few dramatic items in black.

I'm not disturbed by the planter, and think the dark taupe color of the boulders could be a building block for your color scheme. Place a giant split leaf philodendron and or a white Bird of Paradise in the planter. Both tropical low light, don't need too much attention or water plants and you'll set the mood for your room.

Kellysar,
Whatever you do, don't get rid of that stone planter!
Go to Home Depot or Lowes, and buy some beautiful green big house plants, don't even take them out of their pots, not necessary, and stick them in that planter.
Wait til you see how beautiful it is.
And when people come into your foyer, they can't see all into your livingroom, you will have privacy too.
Fill it with plants, and by some colorful ones for the front of it.
I love your rug, I think your last pictures were wonderful, now all you have to do is buy furniture.
Just take it slow because you just moved in. You may change your mind anyway.
Congrats, your home is beautiful!

Thank you everyone for your help and comments on my living room.

Regarding the rug size, I had also bought a 9 x 12 as a potential dining room rug. It is very similar to the 8 x 10. They are both vegetable-dyed rugs, almost the same pattern, and the colors coordinate but one is very slightly darker. I am attaching a pic of the 9 x 12 in the living room. The chairs and sofa would definitely have to be fully on the rug so people could be at a comfortable distance. My understanding is that then everything should be fully on the rug, and I don’t think the sofa end tables would fit. Also, I don’t think I could fit a third chair as I had planned. I haven’t seen a 10 x 12 or larger rug. So I am leaning towards the 8 x 10, but please let me know if you disagree.

If I use the 8 x 10 in the living room, could I use the 9 x 12 in the dining room even though they are so similar? Or perhaps I should just get a different rug.

I appreciate the suggestions about the planter. I plan to go out tomorrow and get some plants to try. I hope I can find the giant split leaf and/or bird-of-paradise.

Re the color scheme, would I try to bring any of the baby blue of the rug in? With the neutral color scheme, what color art work would look best?

Thanks again!

Well, I don't know too much about decorating, but that planter bugs the holy crap out of me. Is this a new house? It seems like a '60's feature.

Maybe it's just the angle of the picture, but somehow it makes me feel like people can easily topple off that beautiful wood floor and fall down off the planter into whatever is below.

I don't know what to do about it, but filling it with plants doesn't seem to be the answer. If it were mine, I'd remove it and put in a half wall, squaring off that corner. Or a railing at the very least.

Hi littlebug5 - You're right that the home was built in the 60s, and the planter stone is the same stone used on the exterior. It probably would be a big job to remove the planter because the stone is also used for the step risers from the foyer to the living room, so the steps would need to be replaced as well. They're deep stones and not a veneer. Fortunately, in real life it would be quite difficult to fall over the planter into the foyer. For now, I am going to try putting in plants.

I think plants will look spectacular in that space. I'd look for some bamboo to fill in some of the vertical space, maybe with some other plants at ground level.

[

[Contemporary Staircase[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-staircase-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_745~s_2103) by Oakland Architects & Building Designers CleverHomes presented by Toby Long Design

Like here, you could even add supplemental pots/planters to add interest at different heights.

[

[Modern Staircase[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-staircase-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_745~s_2105) by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers John Maniscalco Architecture

olychick - I love the pictures you posted, and thanks for the ideas. I'm going to experiment with the height of the plants and see what works best.

Please do not get hung up on legs all on or off the area rug. You'll drive yourself crazy. They do not need to all be on the rug or all off to be correct or successful.

My concern is that with the larger rug, its corner will get in the way of accessing the dining room doorway, so be careful about that.

Thanks, Beverly. I just checked, and to access the dining room from outside of the furniture arrangement, you would have to step on the corner of the rug. Could be a tripping issue.

I like your arrangement dated Nov 8, 17:46, especially the last two pictures. I think an 8X10 works well and shows off more of your pretty wood. I have one and and only the front legs of the chairs and sofa sit on the rug. If your sofa is long enough, you have room to keep the end tables off the rug.(which is what I did). You have lots of possibilities and you should get the rug first like you did. Go with what you like and will be easy to decorate with. Maybe take a look at sofas before you make a final decision on the rug.
I think a fireplace could be interesting, but I really like Butterfly's idea of getting plants in pots and placing them in the planter. Use different sizes and try for different heights, maybe some taller than the opening looking into the foyer. Mother in law tongues are cool too. The actual planting space looks small so that may limit what you can do, unless you were able to add a couple fake bamboo interspersed with the live plants.

Thanks everyone.

Karen seb - I think the arrangements you like best are my favorites as well. I like your ideas for the planter. I had been thinking of shorter plants, but after reading everyone’s posts, I realize I have the height and should try taller plants.

I have looked at sofas and found one that I find comfortable. I can’t remember for sure, but think it is 85” or 87”. I have samples from before I found the rug, and have attached pics of them. I really have to test the fabrics in various lighting and directions because the rug changes so much. Do you think a lighter fabric could look good if I paint the walls beige/grey as Beverly suggested?

Do you think this sofa works? Appreciate all the help I have received!

I don't know where you live or your budget, but that's not an inexpensive sofa. Are you sure you want to spend that much? You could probably purchase something quite nice for half that price and then have more money to spend on chairs or a stellar coffee table.

I suspect that planter was put there for a very dramatic view from the stairway. Would you take a picture from down there on the landing? I am thinking for plants to hang like this. Pothos is fool proof. Even I can grow them.

I'm pretty sure the price showing was before the markdown (20% or so?). But if I could find a nice sofa for less, that would be great. I find it hard to find a living room sofa that's comfortable because they are usually so deep. I will shop around some more before I finalize.
I took a list of the plant recommendations, but didn't have much luck shopping today. I'll post a picture of the plant I found at a local nursery, but I couldn't find any tall, low-light plants. Hopefully I will have some time mid-week to look some more.

Beverly - I assume that is your preferred fabric color?

Thanks

Here's a picture of my planter. The slate on the steps and on the top of the planter are going to be refinished, and the foyer floor we will be replaced. The stone is a lot more muted than it appears in this picture and does not look orange. This is the plant I bought today. I think she said it was a praying lily? I do like the look of it as you walk up the stairs.

This is the plant in the planter from another angle. I could easily get two pots of the plant to fit in, but maybe the plants would be too squished.

Your pothos look so nice, Emmarene! Thanks for posting the picture. At the nursery today, that was one of the plants she recommended for low light. Do you think it would be a good look for my planter?

I am going to bring in an outdoor palm to see how it looks. Maybe I could get a Parlor Palm if the additional height looks good.

This post was edited by Kellysar on Sun, Nov 9, 14 at 20:56

Peace lily, aka Spath. I love the planter from the step side! I think you are going to need some color. The room is going to be beautiful!

I like the planter - adds a unique MCM touch. I also like the idea of something vertical in it like bamboo. Sorry, I'm not crazy about the plants you have in there now, or the pothos idea.

springroz - thanks for the correct plant name. I am not the best at color, so hopefully some gardenwebbers will help me on that. There is pale blue in the rug, but I assume I will need a second accent color. Pale green?

Thanks, terriks - I couldn't find bamboo at the garden center or Home Depot today, but I will be looking later this week.

Well i would like to congratulate first for giving a new theme to your interiors. It has given me an idea to refurbish my room. The one thing which i would like to add is, why not bring a money plant or a bonsai to give an environment friendly ambiance. Many of those who can experiment with their interiors are embracing this concept. And when it comes to rugs, natural fibred rugs with soft hues complete the story of an elegant atmosphere.

Just a comment...it may be just me, but I find the seats with their backs to the stairs a little uncomfortable...I like to be able to see who's coming up from behind me, so I prefer the arrangement where those chairs are angled more rather than backs to the stairs.

The color I showed was for the wall paint...But now that you have shown a better picture of the planter, I would match the grout color between the boulders and use that as the paint color for the walls.. I like your selection for the sofa fabrics.

I like the spathphyllum in the planter. It can handle two plants cascading from the planter. Nice lush low light level plant. The plants will help block an awkward view of the lower portion of legs walking across the living room floor.

Make sure you also utilize the color on your stair treads some where in your room. It will complement your rug selection. Not sure if the treads are stone, but that could be a good selection for a cocktail table.

You are on your way. Good luck.

Mike121 - I didn't see a money plant today - but I like the idea it is supposed to bring prosperity! I will probably go to a larger nursery in the next couple of weeks. Good luck with your refurb!

Annie - I agree, and definitely prefer the look with the chairs angled. Before I had swivel chairs which worked well, and may get them again if I can find nice looking ones.

Beverly - Below are pictures with two plants. Right now they are just propped on boxes.
Thanks for the paint suggestion, which I like. The fabrics are sunbrella so hopefully they would clean well.
The treads are slate, and the finish has worn off. They will be refinished and should turn out a dark charcoal color. Have to decide matte, semi or high gloss. I plan to get the slate on top of the planter finished at the same time.
I like the tables you posted. Do you think it could also work if I use something like that for the end tables and use glass for the coffee table?

Thanks so much, everyone, for your time and comments. It's a huge help.

I would suggest matte for the slate. That is more of it's natural appearance. The sealer is going to wear off after walking on the steps over time, so the matte will minimize the difference.

The tables I found at American Signature Furniture, also known as Value City in some areas of the country. My first few cocktail tables were glass when I was in my 20s, 30s and 40s. Now my cocktail days are few and my feet on a cocktail ottoman is my preference, but it's your choice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cocktail Table

Your room is looking fabulous! I love the plants that you chose for it!

holly-kay - Thanks! I'm really getting excited about finishing the room.

beverly - Thanks for the link. I'm in a suburb of Philadelphia and have an American Signature within 45 minutes. Will definitely check it out.
Great point about the matte finish. It was gloss before and it did wear unevenly.
I love the look of an ottoman, but virtually any time I entertain in the living room I am serving cocktails and several hors d'oeuvres. I'll try to figure out if an ottoman and trays or a glass cocktail table will be easiest/look best.

I kind of love the planter and I'm so glad you're keeping it. :)

My style tends to be eclectic, but I think it might be cool if you mixed in some more modern pieces with your more traditional ones (like the rug) -- play up the planter (and maybe the DR furniture?) a bit.

I have a hard time with furniture layouts and size selections, especially in an empty room -- so I like to get help! Are there any furniture stores in your area that can help you with furniture layouts? I think even the bigger retailers offer this service for free now. I find I tend to underestimate how much furniture/what size furniture to buy on my own.

Good luck!

Thanks, StellaMarie - I also like eclectic and think it will work best. Two people did floorplans for me, but I didn't think they worked. I think the room looks and works so much better with the rug running parallel to the long direction, as Beverly suggested, and with the chairs at an angle. Some of the furniture stores in this area want a minimum purchase commitment to come out to the house which I think would limit my options, but I will look around more.

Hi, Kellysar,
I'm looking for rugs as well, after installing hardwood a year ago! I LOVE the two rugs you found and wonder whether you kept them and how you like them? Also, can you share the manufacturer/product number etc? I am finding the rug shopping process very intimidating! I love that yours are similar but not identical.

Hi madaboutkitchens. I also find the rug shopping process difficult. I loved the rugs I posted, but when I sat in the living room in the daylight, I saw some flaws in one section of the rug that bothered me. I would not have been able to cover them with furniture. I hope I wasn't too fussy as they are hand-knotted, but reluctantly I returned them. I don’t have any manufacturer/product number, but I bought them at The Dump in Oaks, PA. (Kevin MP had bought some beautiful rugs at The Dump, if you remember his posts). I have since bought a much less expensive rug, but I don't like the looks as much. I’m deciding whether I like it enough for the living room; otherwise I can put it in my family room. Can't wait to decide on a rug so I can paint, buy my furniture, etc. Good luck in your search!

Rug I am considering. I hope it would look less busy with furniture and a coffee table on it.

Personally for me bright coloured rugs can wipe out the gloominess of any room so i would suggest any rug which is either from reddish tone or purple one. As far as size is concerned take help of some one to determine the exact measurement of the rug.

Thanks, kidrowlam. I've decided on an 8x10 or 8x11 for the living room since that size seems to work best for the flow of the room. I loved the rugs I ended up returning, but I also like rugs with more color.

Kellysar, there is no comparison IMO between the latest rug and the one you had. It was exceptional in design and color.

The flaws in the rugs often are due to the hand weaving process. Tribes run out of one color yarn, or they have to move homes during seasons or conflicts. That's rather the beauty of having something handmade. It has a soul and a story.

Your room is big enough for an L shaped sectional with your rug as the anchor. Ever thought of a sectional? You could get one for the price of that sofa. Your planter is looking good! Maybe a little color in it? I did like the color of the sofa.

Candice Olson/Divine Design had a similar room to work with yrs back.
The HO wanted to keep 3 tall teak bookcases, so Candice used them on the back wall.
I believe she used a sectional sofa w/chaise in front of them with a path behind for bookcase access.
She also did the whole window wall in drapes and sheers.

Thank you for your comments.

Beverly27 - I agree totally that there is no comparison between the two rugs. I was expecting some flaws, but the largest flaw was bigger than the size of a pencil eraser, with just foundation and no pile. I didn’t know if it could cause problems down the road, and couldn’t get it looked at before the return period was up. I’m still shopping and hope to find a rug similar to the first rug. Interesting about the tribes!

zorroslw - Glad you like the planter. I like sectionals, but in my room the sectional would be in front of only part of the bow window. It might make things feel out of balance? That’s why I planned to use a sofa and chairs. (The price in the photo of the sofa was not the sale price; the sofa would be a few hundred dollars less).

chijim - Thanks for the ideas from the Candice Olson room. Hopefully I might be able to find a picture of it in a book of hers that I have.

This post was edited by Kellysar on Sun, Jan 11, 15 at 23:34

I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and go to NYC twice a week. If anyone has recommendations for rug stores in the NYC, NJ, PA, DEL area, I would appreciate it.