Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
shesabeauty

Please help me choose an area rug design/style and an accent chair

A. Hunter
4 years ago

I am already on my 3rd purchase of an area rug for my living room and still do not like this last one. I'm not sure why this has been so hard but I just cannot find the right match. First off my sofa is a dark chocolate brown, floors are brownish gray vinyl plank a bit rustic, walls are BM London Fog, trim is BM White Dove. My media cabinet has a distinctive pattern/design. Coffee/nesting tables are dark wood/metal. I like to mix metals and have some lamps, accent tables and accessories that are antique brass/gold/pewter. I recently lightly whitewashed my fireplace, the original brick had too much of a flesh tone that I didn't think went well with the flooring or paint color.

Living room is open to breakfast/kitchen. Kitchen cabinets are espresso with white granite countertops that have flecks of dark gray/black (can't remember name of granite), backsplash is a quartz ledgestone.

The pictures are of the last rug I just ordered. I don't like it :( I'm thinking maybe I should go with a plain (not pattern) area rug? Everything I've selected seem to clash with the media cabinet because of the pattern. If I do with a solid area rug, what color? This is the other issue I'm having, should I try to match the brown in the sofa/flooring or do I need a rug that will contrast or even bring some color into the space?

3rd problem - an accent chair for the corner left of media cabinet. I have no idea what style and/or color would go with 1) the brown sofa and 2) not clash with the media cabinet. Not sure I can go with a pattern because of that. So if I go with a solid color chair, then what color? I don't think I want to match the brown sofa because I'm not looking for a matchy-matchy look, on the other hand, I don't want the room to look completely mis-matched either. Maybe I'm thinking about this too hard, but I haven't had any luck with a rug I like or have I been able to find a chair that I think would compliment the sofa.

Please share your ideas, thoughts or recommendations! Thank you so much :-)

Oh, also this last rug is 8x10 I'm not even sure if this is the correct size for my room. Does it look ok or do I need a larger rug?

I apologize for the lighting in the pictures, the fireplace wall faces south so the sun moves around to the picture windows late afternoon/evening then this room gets filled with nice natural light.













Comments (26)

  • della70
    4 years ago

    The media cabinet appears to have an olive green hue in the pattern. I think the rug should incorporate a bit of that green, soft grey, and those colors in the pottery. The color of the sofa is a warm color -- brown is warm -- think fall colors -- which does not complement the other colors in the room. But perhaps if you brought some of those fall colors up on the sofa -- pillows -- the room would look more complete. I do think you need a larger rug. The sofa color doesn't work, to me, with all the other elements you have in the room.

    A. Hunter thanked della70
  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    espc10 - Thanks for your response and suggestions! The brown sofa I have to keep I'm afraid, so I am trying to work with it. I could repaint if necessary. The flooring I just had installed. The media cabinet has shades of gray, dark brown, creamy white, and light wood tones, I took another picture.

    I also took a few more pics of the room with more natural light now that the sun is shining in the windows. The rug I have down definitely does not work, I will need to send it back :(


    What about a dark gray (charcoal) shag area rug similar to the throw pillow?












    What about a charcoal gray shag area rug? similar to the throw pillow?

  • calidesign
    4 years ago

    No. A solid gray rug with your solid brown sofa won't work. In my opinion, the rug seems like a nice balance between all your grays and browns, and the size works. I think the problem is the entertainment console. I would keep the rug, and paint the front doors of the console the same gray that you have on your cabinets next to the fireplace. It will make it look less rustic and tie in better with your furnishings. Remove the rug under your dining table. It is too small and is not needed in that area. For a chair, I would look for a cream, ivory, or very light taupe solid, taken from the lightest colors in the rug.

    A. Hunter thanked calidesign
  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    calidesign - Actually I was thinking about painting the gray cabinets left of fireplace, not sure that I like that shade of gray with the rest of the room. I love the media cabinet and don't want to change that.

  • Gcubed
    4 years ago

    What about a cream/ivory rug? Pull out that color from the console. Maybe something with a pattern/texture but all same color.
    Rug needs to be much bigger I think. Or you could do a large sisal and later something on top (though I think a creamy shade would tie together everything)

    A. Hunter thanked Gcubed
  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    gargigg - love that idea! I really like the layered rug look and have considered exactly what you suggested. Before I go and buy another rug, I may have to paint the bookcase cabinet to get rid of that gray.

  • Cynthia Keifer
    4 years ago

    I would go with a lighter rug to give it some contrast with the floors.

    A. Hunter thanked Cynthia Keifer
  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    4 years ago

    Order the smallest sized rug to check for color and then if that works order the large rug so that you are not shipping heavy rugs back and forth to on line retailers.






  • PRO
    SANOMA Kitchen & Bath
    4 years ago

    I really love the rug and the soft colors in it. I do think it needs to be larger however. Everything is very soft in the room and you have done a really nice job pulling everything together. I think that some bolder throw pillows could tie things together nicely. Even choosing some in the color of the dining chairs could brighten it up a bit. I do not like the rugs above, they are just too much for the room.

    A. Hunter thanked SANOMA Kitchen & Bath
  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    SANOMA - Thank you so much :-) I agree on no patterned rug, it would clash with my media cabinet. I also agree I need a larger base rug, thinking maybe 9x12 or larger. I would like to layer with a smaller flokati or similar. I'm leaning toward a jute for the base because I love textures and that natural earthy vibe. I may also repaint the cabinet next to fireplace (nix the gray because it looks too cold to me) and replace the mirror above fireplace with a nice canvas to add color....and the throw pillows as you were suggesting. I would also like to add a tall plant (5' or 6') on the right side of fireplace in place of the lamp I have there to add some life to the room. These are just some ideas I've been considering :-)

  • ashtonchic
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I would put in a large patterned rug that wouldn't clash with your cabinet. This one would look good IMO.

    Amazon.com: Handmade Plush Geometric Trellis Shag Area Rug: Kitchen & Dining · More Info


    I also think the doors from your media cabinet would be great on the front of the built-ins next to the F/P. Then you could get a longer Media Cabinet.


    Reclaimed Wood TV Stand Pallet Wood & Barn Wood Style | Etsy · More Info


    Rustic Industrial Barn Board Media Stand w/ Sliding Doors | Etsy · More Info


    A. Hunter thanked ashtonchic
  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    Your rooms are lovely, but need some tweaking. BOTH of your rugs are too small. The living room rug should extend at least a foot beyond both ends of the sofa and the dining rug should be a minimum of two feet larger than the table all the way around. I would just lose the dining room rug.


    The media wall is too cluttered. Replace all that stuff with one long media cabinet. Lose the clock up above and hang art over the part of the media console that isn't occupied by the TV.


    As for the living room rug, I think you could use something bolder. The small soft pattern in the current rug competes with the fireplace. Let me see what I can find.

    A. Hunter thanked groveraxle
  • PRO
    JudyG Designs
    4 years ago

    This rug is from West Elm. On my monitor it looks great with the chevron t v console and would brighten and lighten the room.


    A. Hunter thanked JudyG Designs
  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Wow, thanks for all the great ideas everyone!

    Love the media cabinet idea... only issue is that I want to put an accent chair on left side of media cabinet, if I were to get a larger/longer cabinet for that wall there would not be enough room for a chair.

    I still want to paint the builtin cabinets left of fireplace. That gray is just not working for me. The upper portion is BM white dove, same as all my trim, maybe just paint the entire cabinet that color.

    I do intend to bring color into the room, possibly a canvas over the firepace instead of the mirror. Also the cabinet left of fireplace does have shelving, I just do not have the shelves installed at the moment. If I add the shelving I could add more accessories with color, throw pillows also.

    Again, thanks for all the great ideas, love them!

  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I definitely agree with the rug needing to be larger also, I measured the sofa and if I go with a 9x12 it would extend 2 feet on either side of sofa.

    I am considering a 9x12 base rug and layering that with something like a shag maybe in ivory?

  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    At one point I considering this shag rug (see pics), which is too small obviously but I wanted to see how the color and pattern would look in the room. I felt I didn't like the pattern in the rug with the media cabinet. I do like the shag though.





  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    groveraxle - Wow that's bold! Very interesting but maybe a tad bit too bold for me.


    JudyG - I really like the rug. You don't think it would be too busy of a pattern?

  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    ashtonchic - I actually love that reclaimed wood media cabinet (2nd pic). It looks pretty long and it would take up most of that wall, which isn't bad, I kind of like that idea, but I would not be able to put an accent chair anywhere.

    Do I need one? Is just the sofa enough seating? or would that look odd?

  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    This is a pretty room with too much Hobby Lobby decor. You've got vases of sticks in display niches. Reminds me of a hotel lobby. Find something you love and want to look at every day to put there. I chose a couple of ethnic artifacts, but it could be art glass, or antique pieces.


    Here are a couple of rugs that will work better in your room:



  • ashtonchic
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I would put 2 chairs facing F/P near end of sofa.

  • A. Hunter
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    grover - the room is in flux, it is not finished, I have a lot of ideas i'm toying with. All accessories on shelves and/or art work will be added after the area rug and accent chair, lol, but thank you for your concern!

  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    Unless you plan to make it a time out chair, a longer media cabinet won't prevent you from adding a chair to the conversation group. It should sit on the rug and be close enough to reach the coffee table.


  • Laura Villar
    4 years ago

    following

  • krottmann
    4 years ago

    ....

  • J J
    4 years ago

    following