Well why do you want to warm up a beach house with rugs? Seems counter intuitive. If you are craving rugs, I would stick with sea grass or sisal. I would suggest you look at a lot pictures of beach houses. Then copy it. I would lose the valances totally and not replace them. Very dated look. Simple shades: perhaps woven bamboo stick shades. Do you want to keep the warm honey colored floors the same? If you are not in love with them, consider staining them weathered light gray. Then put a deeper taupey gray on the walls. Are the chairs blue?

Thanks for the suggestions. It's actually a lake house and not a beach house with a great screened porch overlooking the lake. So you don't feel I need to put anything on the windows? Everything feels very bare .

I agree no window coverings. embrace the view. if it gets cold in winter (not sure where your lake is) or you find it too bare, I'd go with shades.

Lake houses are tricky. WIth a beach house I would say use light sheer fabrics on the windows and sisal for the rugs. A mountain how I would use a more substantial curtain with wool rugs. Lake houses are tricky because they are both cold and warm depending on the season. I think what it boils down to is when do you spend the most time at this property? Are you here in the summer or the winter?

Regardless I would not use curtains. The ceilings are too low and they will dwarf the room. Wool rugs are always best but if you will be tramping around with wet feet, so for sisal.

Is that snow on the grill and trees? If so, go ahead and put up curtains. You can take them down the other warmer seasons. Consider using simple machine made bed quilts, with clip on rings. Pretty to look at, heavy enough to help keep drafts at bay. We used quilts like this from JCPenny, to cover a window wall, in blue and white. They made great curtains. I agree on natural rugs, but if not your style, look at solid colors, if you have pets, look at highly patterned, like orientals. You can roll them up and put them away during the warmer months.

Check out Safavieh polypropolene rugs. They come in many colors and patterns, are very easy to clean and feel great under bare feet. Overstock carries them and I have seen them on One Kings Lane occasionally, and I'm sure other online sites do too. I have a house on the water and found these to be the best (after many tries) to deal with sand, water and food spills from the grandchildren. You can usually buy a small rug in the pattern that you like to see if it works in your space.

If you are worried about sand and dirt, go with jute, sisal, or bamboo. Polypropylene rugs are just all around horrible. They're a derivative petroleum and with such beautiful natural scenery, it would be a shame to see plastic placed about in your home. Synthetic is never a good idea for any thing in your home so if you don't have the budget for wool, go for jute, sisal or bamboo.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We go down occasionally in the winter but is mostly a spring/summer place. I'd like to get some color in the rug, I've got a boat picture that I'm decorating around that has a lot of blues in it.

I'll upload a copy of the picture later today.

This is the picture I'm decorating around. We plan on painting the room one of the colors on the left. Since everyone suggested no window treatments how can I pull some colors into the room with rugs? The room is a dining room/living room combination.so I thought two rugs, one under the table, One under the couches. Does any one have any suggestions for rug colors and prints. Thanks so much for everyone's ideas.

Would this rug work in the lake place on the hardwood floors with the picture or is it too modern?

If you love this rug, go with it! It is not too modern and the colors definitely work with your painting and wall color choices. However, if you commit to neutrals on the floors, you lose the opportunity to introduce color (which you mentioned above you wished to do)

Good point but don't what colors I would use.

Well like you said you wanted to pull the colors from your inspiration piece: that lovely painting. Golds, creams, tans, blues. Spend some time on line looking at various rugs which have those colors in it. (HomeDecorators.com) has a wide selection. You will come across many different styles and patterns; beware it can be dizzying. However, you will be able to start narrowing down what you hate, like, love. Only consider rugs that fall in the "love" category. It should elicit an emotional response from you. Chances are good it will coordinate with the painting you have on the wall which I am assuming you also LOVE!

I've been looking at rugs for weeks . It is overwhelming. I like the geometrics but want to make sure I don't get too modern. I need two rugs in the room. So need to find either two that coordinate well or a print and a solid.

Could I do this rug with the one I posed above in the Sam room?

Yes, you could. I go well together. Where are they from?

i think one is overstock and one was Joss and Main. if you have other suggestions please share. i thought the second one may pull in a hint of color with the blue

Consider the rug below. It coordinates very well with your painting/inspiration piece. It pulls in all the colors from nature/outside. It is very natural looking. I know this is taking you in a different direction. Sleep on it.This one is from HomeDecorators.com. But if you find rugs you like at big box stores, Home Goods, etc. it would be worth your effort to bring them to the lake house and try them out on site. of course making sure you can return them if you don't like them.

I don't see the picture with the rug in it.

That may be too bold for me.

Meaning your desire is to have a room which is more of a neutral palette? I think the visual weight of this rug would work very well with your painting, dark wood dining table and blue chairs.

Ok but let's find something else that will work with our painting which is more of a neutral. The two rugs you selected above don't coordinate with your painting - we can do better. I definitely would not introduce a Persian rug into the mix for this setting.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Tayse-Rugs-Deco-Ivory-7-ft-10-in-x-10-ft-3-in-Transitional-Area-Rug-DCO1011-8x10/205367648

what is your reaction to this rug? The colors connect your painting and furniture together and it is not too bold, modern or traditional.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kas-Rugs-Crafty-Flatweave-Ivory-8-ft-x-10-ft-Area-Rug-JAN30258X10/204280300

This is a lovely neutral.

Thank you so much for continuing to try but this one is too modern feeling for me or too casual may be the better word

ok your welcome anyway - I hope our discussion has moved you along in being able to focus on what will make you happy with the final outcome. Best!

I hope to take more pictures overall of the house this weekend as we are heading to the lake. Thanks again.

We painted this weekend and hung the picture. It's looking better already. Now just need to find a rug.