Rose, that would be a wonderful idea. It would be nice to see how a solid curtain in an orange-red looks and another in that color but with a pattern.

Patty, I know my style may seem schizoid, but we can always call it eclectic. I just have things around me that I'm comfortable with and make me happy.

Kippy, when the toile drapes were up the very words "English country" were in my mind. I was wedded to that style for years and in some ways I still am, although I've tried to tone down the color and patterns from my previous house, which was larger and much more elegant. Still, it is just that style that can have great art and antiques alongside comfortable seating, chintz and piles of books here and there, not that I could ever aspire to the great art and antiques. My hubby doesn't like the toile either so I'm going to look for some other drapes that have color, and perhaps a pattern,, and go from there.

I like the toile. If they fit on the same rod, why not change them out at different times of the year.

Don't you already have a bedroom drape in the red color that you can test run? Just to get an idea if that is a good direction.

I like the toile. Just looks effortless and done to me. (a look that is impossible for me to achieve!)

I like the addition of the color that comes with the drapes but not pattern which seems to fight with the rug- love the rug btw- how about trying solid colored drapes, or solid color pattern on pattern drapes that play off the warmth of the rug. Maybe something like the pillow on the arm chair in your third picture, maybe a shade lighter, or even blue.

Kippy, you're a wonder, I had forgotten about those drapes. We put them up and my hubby really likes them; of the two I still favor the toile. These drapes are temporary; they're not really nice enough. However, at least now I know what red curtains would look like. By the way, the color is more orange in this light than they are in reality. They do look better in daylight but it got dark very quickly.

Ingrid, I want to go shopping at your house. As an alternative you could look at blue or green. I can't tell the predominant colors in your room.

Oh I love the orangey red drapes! The off white was boring and the toile just didn't "go" but these are awesome. Really makes it all work together

These last ones look wonderful!

How do you feel about the change? Might be good to use these a few days and see how you feel about the darker and solid color. I like these curtains too.

I think part of the problem is that when one has a collection that they want to feature, it can be hard to find current popular items that work with what you have, but that is a good challenge too. I think yours is probably extra hard because your pieces have intricate details that you can see in person but don't really show up when looking at the over all picture (for a giggle... that fabric I liked so much and just bought, a friend said she used to have in her old house as wallpaper....ugh. lol)

I'm glad the curtains seem to be popular. I'm going to leave them up for quite a while to get used to them, although I don't think they're going to work when it gets hot. I won't be using the toile again, but in the summer will be using the boring off-white curtains (they're actually beige, a color called biscotti, and have an interesting raised texture that doesn't show in pictures). I still want to find another pair of curtains that are reddish orange but with a pattern. I'd love to find checked curtains but they're difficult to find.

Kippy, if you like the material you bought it doesn't matter if it was someone's wallpaper. That's an outside thing and shouldn't influence what you feel. I know, easy to say, we're all influenced by others one way or another.

Ingrid, here ya go. BB&B. ;)

The bold color drapes look great!

Just a side note. On the red/orange ones, looks like there's trim on the outside edge only. If so, they need to be reversed. The trim should go on the inside.

Like them the best!

Ingrid, I do not post here often. I never feel I have anything to offer you talented people, so I am merely a daily reader/lurker. For a very long time. I wish I could be bold enough to share my home and ask for the advice I desperately need. I understand about not trusting your own judgement!

I just wanted to say that I really love your home and style. and the orangy drapes look great.

https://www.countrycurtains.com/product/01015l1032+madelyn+lined+rod+pocket+curtains.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=fn&ecList=7&ecCategory=15

Would this work? Country Curtains has a few curtains that might work in your room

Like you, I tend to have a lot going on in a room; to me it can be a warm, cozy, inviting look, but there is a fine line separating cozy and cluttered. I now use the term I've heard on GW: "too many clowns in the room" to describe when there are too many elements fighting for attention, as in the effect of the toile and other busy curtain patterns for your lovely room. I love your rug, but IMO the other cast of characters should be supporters of the star.

If you are going to use red-orange drapes I would stick with the solid with trim on the inside that you already have. The pattern of the rug (and maybe a patterned pillow?) is busy enough for the room IMHO. Maybe a drape with pattern with the summer blue area rug since it is more muted.

Do the posted checked curtains pull you to the English country look again? Maybe if you want something other than solid a textured or tone on tone is better with the rug?

i think that the idea of more pattern in a curtain to go with the blue is a good idea too

patty, thank you, I love those drapes, but am beginning to think that in this particular room it might be a bit much. Safer, I think now, to stick to a solid red.

So glad you like the drapes, RoseAbbey. I have great confidence in your taste.

shadylady, thank you. I tried to tell my husband that the fringe should go in the middle. They will be changed now, and I'm sure that will improve the overall look.

jennava, I want to urge you to please post your home and allow us to help you. No one is going to disparage you for what you have there now since you obviously want to improve the look, and there's nothing that most of us here like better than to help. That's what this forum is all about. Thank you for liking my room, but you can see I've been stumbling around for quite some time re the rug and the pillows and the drapes, and I haven't been told to get lost yet. I hope we'll see some pictures of your home soon!

grandmarows, peaches and Kippy, I think you all make very valid points. I'm going to stick with a solid red, but in a prettier, lighter material, and like the idea of textured and tone on tone. These drapes actually are textured and I like that look. I'll have to remember that phrase "Too many clowns in a room", that's helpful to remember in many decorating decisions.

decor, the toile actually comes from Country Curtains. I'll have a look to see if they have anything in a solid color that I like. I have several rooms with their curtains and really like the quality this company offers.

For anyone who still has the slightest iota of interest, I took these shots this morning so you could see the curtains in natural light.

After all the Sturm und Drang, I'm left wondering if I shouldn't have just left well enough alone....

I like the beige/white ones you have in the above picture best....then red maybe in the fall/winter. Not liking the toile at all..too busy. You have a nice room. Love the coffee table....I am partial to glass.

Both rooms look nice in the photos. What we dont see, only you can, is which version of this room flows better in real life with the rest of your house.

The area rug was just simply a mistake, and not a cheap one, and I'm expending a lot of time and feeling stressed trying to make it work. I switched paintings and like the room a little better now.

How about these if you want a check?

Country Curtains Laurel Check in Bittersweet.

I really like this one because the pattern is so small that it doesn't scream at you but it's much more interesting than a sold color. Thank you!

Is it possible to sell, return or just not use the area rug? I ask because of your previous "mistake" statement and because your room seems so harmonious in the picture you posted two above this without the rug. I know when I try to make a mistake work I can spend a lot of time and money and it's still a mistake.

I like both the orange ones and the toile ones..I think the room looks more vivid and cozy, and simultaneously more pulled together, with these warm colors in the background. Nice counterpoint to the wall color too.

Having said that-I think you should trust your own judgement:)

liz, unfortunately I can't return the rug because I tried to "improve" it by overpainting the borders with acrylic paint. All I can do is not use it or live with it. The red curtains do help to integrate it more into the room, but you're so right about spending a lot of time and money to try and fix a mistake and it still not working out.

april, I've decided against the toile because my husband really doesn't care for it and does like the red one a lot. He's so wonderful to me that I can easily let the toile go, and in real life the toile just isn't quite right. You're the only one who's noticed my wall color, which was supposed to be gray but is in actuality greenish-gray, but it does set off the red quite well. At the moment I don't trust my own judgment much and so will just leave everything as it is, and I'm sure that time will provide more inspiration.

I love the pale, muted look with the light drapes and without the rug for summer and spring. It's light and sophisticated. I'd add some light flowers.

For fall and winter, I'd cozy up with the orange/red drapes, the new area rug, and stronger colored cushions and flowers. Maybe add some brass or gold accessories.

Sorry late to the party. I like the toile or the orange drapes. I also find the ones that bac posted interesting. Just enough pattern to not be boring. IMHO I think you need a little pattern in the drapes since all the furniture is a solid color. BTW I'm still loving your rug and I don't think it's a mistake at all.

I would agree with nosoccermom to use the rug during the winter months, and no rug during warmer months. While I don't see the rug as quite the mistake you do, I operate under the philosophy of never decorating around a mistake. It's a hard lesson to learn, but one everyone learns eventually. I also think you're looking for some level of unachievable magazine perfection. Your room is comfortable and welcoming and that's a worthy achievement on its own.

Hi All , Just found this Site ! How Great to have Help Decorating, Very Nice people here. I am Terrible at trying to Decide Anything about my house, I'm a Senior , Used to be Good at making at least, Myself Happy but..... I have lost that ! Nothing I do seems Right to me anymore. We just moved from 700 sq feet to 1500 ( Son is single Dad to our ( Heart) she just turned 6 , we Needed a place for her to Grow Up. All that being said lol , the walls are Concrete block, we have been here 7 months & I have not hung One Picture ( once a pic is up , not Easy to move when its Concrete ) so.... Here I Sit & Over Think Everything !!!! I will be asking for advice from All of you talented ladies. Thank You All , So Glad I found this site.

I think the red orange is a good direction. Looks nice with the blue pottery, gray carpet and walls, and terra cotta tiles in the entryway. If the rug is too red, I'd try it in the entryway where it looks like it may be a good complement to the contemporary rug you have in the hallway. I think it'd work better than the burgundy rug that's there now.

I just don't understand how and why the red rug became a "mistake" to Ingrid. She had loved it from the git go and it was perfect, especially after painting the border. I'm afraid too many varying opinions may have had too much influence, which is a shame.

yes, that's the problem with coming here asking for opinions- everybody's taste and or 'vision' can be different!! even if a world renowned decorator gave an opinion, it wouldn't be right for everyone!!

I agree with you busy. We look at a photo and offer suggestions but all we do see is that room and not really the rest of the house to see the flow. This is where the poster needs to decide on what would work in her home and what she likes from those suggestions and go with. Ultimately we need to please ourselves not everyone else.

It's true that I get confused when too many different opinions are offered, although at the same time I'm touched that so many of you are concerned about my dilemma and want to help. I need to learn how to go with the opinions that most resonate with me.

I went one step further yesterday and, in an act of lunacy, ruined the rug completely by painting over the red with yellow paint in an effort to tone it down to a less bright color. You can imagine how well that went. This picture doesn't quite show how bad it looks.

On a different note, I found these drapes on Country Curtains that I quite like which I think might go with this rug, the more summery one that hasn't arrived or no rug at all. What do you think about it?

I know nothing about how the paint you used, but would it be possible to comb out some using a metal toothed pet flea comb? Maybe starting from scratch with that rug will help?

Ingrid, I have to agree with you in staying with a solid window treatment, mainly since I feel the check borders on being more of a country look. French country, English Country, rustic country, but definitely country. I also feel for a summer look, not to have a rug. I actually rolled mine up last week, deciding to leave my dark wood floor in the greatroom to be bare for the warmer months. Save your money. ;)

patty, I wasn't showing the check drapes but another pair. Any comments on that one? I wonder if it would look good even with no area rug in place.

Kippy I tried using a serrated knife and that didn't help but, since I have one of those flea combs, I'll try that now.

The picture of your room earlier before the red rug, when the color scheme was beige and pale blue/gray/green with linen colored curtains that were all a foil for the brightly colored art on the walls was your best look so far. I think you are running into trouble because there was really nothing to fix, and everything you've done has simply created a new problem that needs a solution. Sometimes it's hard to see that a room works and actually is finished.

I'm glad kswl said what I was thinking. It looked great before. Changes also look good, but I like first look better. And that curtain from CC actually goes much better with the colors before you introduced rug.

Kippy, thanks for the tip about the flea comb; it did help to get rid of some of the painted-on color. I don't really want to remove all of it, but the result is better now.

The wall to wall carpeting is new and turned out to be cooler and grayer than what was on the sample board, which was more of a warm greige. I think that's what sent me off into a tailspin of wanting a warmer color to liven up the room. My previous carpeting was lighter in color and warmer in tone and frankly I'm still not totally happy with the new look. However, I have to agree that my attempts at "fixing" it have cost me time and money without achieving a more satisfactory effect.

Ingrid, I really like your orange/red curtains as they bring a cosiness to your room. Sorry to hear you are not happy with your latest attempts to assimilate the red rug into your space - in the pic above it honestly doesn't look too bad to me, but I guess I'm not seeing it in real life. I do like the Country Curtains drapes you posted above and they do seem to have the right colours to blend with your scheme, but am thinking a tone on tone fabric is still the probably best option. Don't feel too downhearted about your decorating - I think you have a lovely room with some wonderful pieces that mean a lot to you, I just think you're over thinking things and need to take a break then come back feeling refreshed :) Easier said than done of course, as i know how obsessed I get when trying to put a room together!

I love the toile drapes, and would definitely use them. I don't care so much for the rug. It seems like too much for the rm. I'm not a fan of the orange drapes at all, but the summer pattern is good. Like the toile best though! I think that you have good taste, and that you should trust yourself. This is your home, and you should have what you love in it.

I value everyone's input and it's helped me to come to a final decision. It's basically what I've said before, that for half the year I'll use the solid red curtains with the red Oriental rug and appropriate colors in pillows. For the summery half I will keep the pale carpet and order the drapes above from Country Curtains because the solid beige drapes are too bland, and this is a lovely pattern.

Ingrid today is the last day of CC's friends and family 15% off

Ingrid, would you please post pictures of your new drapes when you get them up? I've been thinking about ordering those same Country Curtains drapes... would love to see what they look like in real life. Thanks! :)