For the rug, dh originally wanted something light colored and plain to make the room look bigger, which is how we ended up with the flor tiles. For a replacement I was thinking maybe a plain dash and albert indoor outdoor rug?

Thoughts? Thanks!

What a pretty room- love the front window. I think you've got a good plan going. I really love the cognac-colored sofa with the casters. That's almost exactly what I'd like to get for myself :-)

What about a rug with just a little blue in it, instead of all neutral? I can tell you like subtle and simple, but I think you could find something a little more luxurious than indoor/outdoor rugs, that would set off the pretty color of the chaise. I'll look and see if I can find what I have in mind.

I think you need to create the room you designed for your dad, with the tufted leather sofa. It looks like the same rug is already a front runner.

I should mention that easy to clean is a very high priority for both items. I love the looks of a tufted sofa, but I'm wondering whether they are comfortable? And whether they are a bit more challenging to clean? We have two kids and a dog.

jlc712, thank you. I especially like the first rug. But I'm really drawn to the indoor outdoor rugs for ease of cleaning. I'm concerned that a wool rug will require more careful cleaning. I feel like this rug is one to take us through the next several years or so until our youngest is past the age of "forgetting" that her art supplies stay in the art room and get drinks stay at the dining room table. Then, it would be time for a nicer rug.

I will have to see how dh feels about the rug now. He usually doesn't care about decor at all, but for some reason he was quite resistant to any pattern last time we chose. (I was looking at patterns in part to hide dog hair and so on.). He really wanted the flor tiles because he thought they would be easy to pull up individually and clean, which is true. Unfortunately, they don't stay together all that well--and sand from dd's shoes sifts between the cracks, ugh. And cleaning the whole thing would mean pulling them all apart and then reassembling them.

A wool rug with a tight pile will actually resist a lot of stains. The tight pile holds liquids up so they dont' soak right in and the lanolin in the wool seems to provide some protection against soaking into the fiber. I would be okay with them and most liquids, but I don't know what kind of art supplies you are talking about. Is there a kitchen or other table where she can have art supplies? I guess it depends on the type of art supplies and your way of living, but if she is really into art, it might be worth the effort to establish a safe work space and that habit sooner rather than later. I know the rules get bent and pushed -- that's how I got Sharpie on my leather sofa (got it out but took a lot of work, patience and fear of damaging the finish -- don't recommend it). Or start a drop cloth habit. Go to Home Depot and get her a small drop cloth -- or use an old sheet, that she can spread out when she wants to work with her art supplies. Put her name on it -- let her draw a couple of decorations on it to personalize it. Make it special and get the buy in so she will want to use it.

The other things I'd suggest is more color and pattern to the rug. It can still be something that lets the room feel open and spacious (even darker rugs can ground a room and push those walls back with their spread of color or pattern) but color and pattern will help hide anything that doesn't clean up comepletely. That third one would not be anything I would consider -- too even and light in color plus the texture that can hold stuff in the pockets and creases.

We have been looking at a new leather sofa or sectional and DH had the same concern about tufted sofas. The ones we sat on were very comfortable -- but you willl have little pockets to vacuum from time to time. I wouldn't expect dust, dog hair and such to be hard to suck out of those lilttle pockets, but sticky snacks or drips that don't get discovered for days could be a bit of a pain. I'm sure they'd come clean, just more work that wiping off. No big deal for one or two occasionally but I wouldn't' want to mess with that across a nummber of the on a regular basis. Not all kids and dogs (or H's) are equal - think about how your family lives and what you are willing to live with. Consider a tufted back but not a tufted bench as a compromise. Arhaus had several with tufted backs and smooth benches or cushions.

I like the style of the sofa on casters, but I'd wonder about the the casters with kids and the dog. Even if they lock, they seem like the natural weak spot. If they quit locking or one breaks off, you might be able to get a replacement or simply remove them, but removing would mean needing to level the front of the sofa somehow. That is obviously a comment of a mom whose kids are past crayons and markers and now 6'4" flop and ploppers. ;) The dogs would be fine, but not sure if they'd hold up to 180 lbs plus the flop factor. I'd like a more stable leg.

A tightly-woven wool rug is indeed easy to clean. I can't tell you how much cat "crud" we've had to remove from the wool rugs in our house, and they actually clean up much better than anything I've ever owned. You'd think wool wouldn't be forgiving - but it actually is!

Love the English roll arm sofa on the casters. That is the sofa, only in fabric, I always wanted, and to this day I have no idea why I didn't get it when I was sofa hunting.

However, I did get a tufted sofa (tightback), and I have no issues with it in terms of keeping it clean, and I've got dogs up there all the time. It is the most comfortable sofa back I've ever leaned against, but that probably has more to do with the sofa choice than the tufting, per se.

And a woven rug would be gorgeous with the leather sofa, IMO. Might want to consider a darker color or busier pattern to hide dirt and stains.

Dd is sadly very unreliable about the art supplies. She has a designated area--the whole breakfast nook! But she sees dh and me working with pens and paper on the sofa and she "forgets." Ds was never like this so she's a challenge for us. We are working on it. All food and all drinks except water are restricted to the dining room for children except on special occasions (popcorn for movie night). But they "forget." It's a process. In the meantime, I would really rather not have things that might be ruined when there is a lapse. And dh does drink soda in the living room and he and the kids do knock it over occasionally. And that's not likely to change.

The dog is not allowed on the furniture. But golden retrievers tend to shed a lot so dog hair ends up everywhere.

Excellent point about the casters and one I would not have thought of.

Thank you so much for all the feedback!

Mine are in college. I've been there and totally get it.

I just cleaned an Oriental silk area rug that is close to 40 years old and has endured 3 active boys, various dogs, and now 3 grandchildren. It is still lovely, and if there are spots, they are well hidden in the pattern. It's the fringe that's a little ragged. Tight weaves and some pattern do hide a multitude of sins. The flat, solid rugs show everything.

How do you properly clean wool and other rugs? I know that the indoor outdoor rugs can be taken outside and hosed down. Which would be great because I could clean them myself and not worry about the cost of having them cleaned. And sometimes we need more than just spot cleaning as the whole thing just gets grimy from dog paws and sweaty kid feet and so on.

Thank you!

I love Dash & Albert indoor/outdoor rugs, own several in different sizes and have recommended them often on these forums. I actually have that first pattern in Slate in the dining area of our guest suite. However, as much as I like it, I don't see it as the best choice for the room you're putting together. It strikes me as too plain and utilitarian for a LR with your chaise, window treatment & other furnishings.

Of course, it's for you to choose, but I agree with others who suggest a patterned low-pile wool instead.

I had a wool oriental with a busy pattern in our dining room during the years our boys were at home. It wasn't a tight pile, but it was still good about hiding stains & dirt and cleaned up well. The cats barfed on it over the years (why that was their preferred spot is a mystery to me), and one son spilled a big cup of orange soda on it -- you could never tell. It wasn't an investment quality rug (I'm not stupid!) but it sure held up to abuse for 20 years. I did get it cleaned periodically, but not as often as I should have.

But back to you: that window with the chaise & drapes is fabulous. I think you could go a little more luxe in the room with the blue sofa with the buttons in your preferred leather. The arms and shape are more refined. That sofa & an oriental rug for your room would be my choice.

Room is lovely. I agree about having an easy maintenance area rug. I have switched all of mine to polypropylene. I can use a steamer on stains. Here are some suggestions for your beautiful room.

Thank you Beverly. What a lovely room. A more modern take overall than what I am aiming for.

The curtains and side tables are definitely not changing from my pictures in the first post. That is not a function of budget. I am very, very happy with them as they are.

Found some alternate rugs. All synthetic and level loop or very short pile

In regard to rug cleaning, I've done it all: professionals at the house, renting a rug doctor, etc. My DIL has a Hoover rug cleaner that seemed to work well, so I just bought one. We have a large deck and found a beautiful day, so we hauled 3 area rugs out there and cleaned them outside. They were almost dry & could be brought in w/out harming floors by early evening.

another indoor-outdoor rug option is from C&B. I'd always had verious colors of jute which I treated as disposable. I've had this for more than a year and nothing shows on it and it cleans perfectly. Feels fine to walk or sit on (if you are used to jute) http://www.crateandbarrel.com/drift-indoor-outdoor-2x3-rug/s367186?b=1&a=1552&gclid=COO2u-GamsYCFYoYHwodGV4A7A

How about this polypropylene rug from Overstock?

Edited, wait is this the same as the first rug jlc712 posted? Ok, not quite. Whew. So similar though.

Haha! I like it, it would be perfect :-)

Don't know if you like natural fiber seagrass rugs, but we just received today one of the two I ordered.

Here's a pic of a seagrass rug:

They're suppose to be good with pets. You can vacuum and spot clean, but no hosing down, unfortunately.

It's gonna smell like hay in my living room for awhile though! :)

Dh suggests that we just get another clubfurniture sofa. Our current one is actually nine years old and we have decided that for the money and quite heavy use that's a pretty good run. We have also decided that we just don't want to spend 4k and up right now in the wake of a kitchen and bath remodel with bonus new roof. Plus another ten years and we will be down to just one kid at home, a teenager by then, and likely no more dog, which will put us in a better position to get something really nice--maybe not in leather.

As an aside, the frame and the cushions of the sofa seem to be in great shape. It is still very comfortable. But I don't think it is worth pursuing having it recovered? New the sofa would be around $2,500 (we have a sleeper now but may not get another). And we definitely want leather. So I think the cost of recovering it would come close to the cost of just buying new?

So out of the club furniture options, here are our contenders:

This one has nailhead trim. Dh is hesitant to get nailheads because he feels like at this price point they won't be done well and may pop out over time. I don't care about the nailheads either way as far as looks go, but I kind of like the lines on this one.

This is more transitional which maybe isn't ideal for our room? But I like the smaller arms.

We think this is exactly what we have now. It is very comfortable. It works with the room, IMO. But I kind of wish the arm rolls weren't so big.

I'm still pondering the rug. I may try to clean the flor tiles we have now and keep them for a few months until we have saved a bit and could spend a little more on the rug.

Any further thoughts much appreciated!