Oh, man, what a gorgeous foyer.

I don't think I'd use either sisal or jute in a foyer. They are hard to clean. I once had a seagrass rug in front of a frequently used door and it got really moldy from dampness and had to be tossed.

I have one in my beachhouse LR from PB.

Bur honestly I don't think you need one for staging.

Thank you for that info, tibbrix. I didn't realize they were difficult to keep clean. Any suggestions for another affordable yet attractive rug other than sisal or jute?

ETA - at least we rarely need to be worried about dampness coming in here in sunny So Cal, the land where it never rains :(

Mtn, I had actually been considering putting a rug in this room to reduce the dust and dirt that always seems to make its way into the house. This seems even more necessary now that strangers will be coming in and I won't be here to remind them to wipe their feet on the outside doormat :)

I have had great luck with esalerugs.com Are you looking for muted light colors or darker colors? Any particular colors?

I would just find something at the huge sexy Home Goods at the District in Tustin and make it work. [then I would buy cured meats and cheese at the Whole Foods..... ;) ]

I don't know what your city is, but maybe check Craigslist since you're not a rug fan. I looked at the LA CL and saw some Pottery Barn wool rugs - the first one was $60.00 and all wool.

I also checked Amazon, just looking for 5 x 8 rugs, and there are thousands, as well as esale rugs, which several people here have ordered from.

http://esalerugs.com/5x8-rugs

I have this one in my living room and love it. Not sure if it is what you are looking for but it is a lovely rug and affordable.

gw · More Info

The color is off. It looks much more like the photo on the site than in my pic.

Remind us again why you're leaving this home?

I like woven outdoor rugs for maintenance. I usually get mine from frontgate. They are nice but very flat. I think they would downgrade your look, but most economical easy clean rugs would do that IMO. However I do think they can look more formal than sisal or jute. They have some with formal patterns. Mine is made by safavieh, which I have also seen on overstock.com. Not sure about consistency with this brand - I haven't read enough reviews.

I do love your house! I have IKEA sisal runners in my front hall, not comfy on the feet but they have been indistructable with loads of kids and pets coming in and out on them daily for years. They come in only three sizes.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70280506/

for economy and ease of cleaning (since people will be coming through to view the house), I'd look at a polypropylene rug. They do have sisal look, but I think you could do something much more inviting (however, I'm not a fan of sisal and can't see its appeal). I found one similar to aktillery's at esale rugs in poly for in front of my kitchen sink that I love and it was so affordable.

I wonder if a 5x8 won't be dwarfed in that space? I'd use some painter's tape to mark off different sizes and see what size and placement looks best. Or use a blanket or sheet to mimic different sizes and try it out.

I think Aktillery's rug would be beautiful in your foyer.

Roarah, do you use a grip pad under your sisal runners to keep them from shifting?

My daughter (with two boys, ages 14 & 16) has had sisal on her stairs now for 17 years. It has held up beautifully! She also has seagrass rugs in her LR and DR - also 17 year old, and 3 cats and two boys later, still look good. Jute does not wear well at all. Sisal does not do well in damp climates - it will mildew and grow mold if there is not heat/ac on at all times. But in S CA I don't think this would be a problem.

Oh my..you're in So Cal??

Sorry for not adding useful info about rugs...:) I honestly went to Laurel Bern's blog to check since she wrote about them a lot, but I can't find the posts..I just remember her being adamantly against sisal because it can get quickly ruined..also silk..

She was pro-wool, pro-indoor/outdoor..

Don't remember jute and seagrass..but she definitely had on opinion on them too..I think more favorable than sisal but can't be sure

You see i don't own any rug myself, can't commit yet..so I'm gathering the info for future, then I pin it, then I can't find it lol...

(this realtor (or stager? who recommends the changes for resale?) sounds like a harsh one..paint these, add that..it's a gorgeous home, what more does he/she want?)

You have a beautiful foyer. I definitely would not use sisal or jute. Both are scratchy, stiff, and uncomfortable to walk on. There are many comfortable, cushy rugs that would look wonderful in your foyer that your family would enjoy walking on. Take your time and find what's perfect for that space.

Thanks everyone for your great ideas. I will check out the links mentioned like esalerugs, PB and Ikea. I'll also look for a soft muted rug like aktillery's - what a beautiful room!

aprilneverends - thank you :) The agents and stager were actually very impressed with our home and all we have done. They just had a few suggestions for a few rooms to better show the spaces.

They're just recommendations though and we're free to take them or not. (Like getting rid of the wall mounted flatscreen in the master that DH took great pains to plan for in the update - probably a good idea but we're just going to have to work around that one - hopefully it will appeal to the male buyers!)

I've actually always wanted a rug in the foyer because of the dust brought in though. I've even posted here looking for suggestions because these types of design details aren't intuitive to me, but never got around to getting one.

Somehow I think my usual practice of putting an old folded up towel down in front of the door might be a bit of an eyesore when showing the house :) It's actually pretty embarrassing in any circumstance!

KSissy - do you mean you would definitely not use sisal or jute?

Do you just need a doormat? Look at a washable memory foam bath mat. I have one fom Home Depot - I think it was $12.95. It's IVORY, has a nice double border, looks plush, and cleaned up well in the washer. (I've only washed it once so far.) I vacuum it with the stick vac with roller brush and it survives fine. The dog uses it as a bed. It looks perfect with my other rug (which is a woven patterned outdoor rug). It has a latex back, I think, but the back is not heavily textured like those waffle floor protectors. You might need a runner for the double door to make it long enough. It could be a small investment until you find one you like. You can look at reviews to see how slippy they are.

Lisa, I do not. they seem to have a thick backing but one is in a position that with running kids and animals does sometimes slip out of line.

Yes, that's what I meant. Sorry, my iPad keys are sticking.

I just bought a seagrass rug from Rugsusa. Free shipping and no tax.

I've read that seagrass holds up better than sisal (stains, even water) and jute ( unravels).

I think the seagrass would look great in your foyer!

I have seagrass, which has held up very well.However, the pattern of the seagrass has poked though the backing and dulled the hardwood floor , i.e. you can see an imprint of the front rug pattern on the wood. So make sure to use a felt pad underneath.

I have a funny story about Franklin. I was there for business at least 10 years ago. One night I went to the mall and was excited to find shoes to aerate my lawn on sale. The next day I told my client about my purchase and she about fell off her chair laughing and telling me that the only way she could do that to her lawn in a day was on a tractor!

1929 - I can't wait to get - and ride on - a tractor! It will definitely take me back to my early years when I lived in heavenly bliss at my parents' place on 11 acres out in the country.

Kitchen and nosoccermom - thank you for the tops on seagrass rugs. I will look at those too.

Jane - I have a doormat out front but they don't seem to work well right in front of the door on the interior. I think my doors are very low when they swing open or something.