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lara_slikhanian

Persian style rug made modern?

5 years ago

I’m in the process of buying the furniture for my condo. I’m looking for ideas to get a bright, modern, and airy feel. There are of course a few challenges.

  1. I fell in love with and purchased a blue velvet sectional that measure 8ft x 8.5ft
  2. I was given a Persian-style rug by my mom that I’d like to incorporate. It measures approximately 7ft x 10ft.
  3. The floors have a pinkish and orange-y hue to them.
  4. The ceiling are pretty low at just under 8 feet.

The condo is currently being renovated so I don’t have pictures of the actual space. I have attached images of what I have so far

What I need help with is picking the right combination of TV unit, coffee table, dining room table/chairs, and sideboard that would give me a modern, harmonious look without making the space too gloomy or flat. I’m comfortable shopping around for the actual product, but I need ideas on what finish to look for in each piece of furniture.

I was given a old dresser by a friend that I can use as is under the TVCor slightly update (I don’t have much time or desire to get too manual). I can also opt out of using it.

Comments (19)

  • 5 years ago

    In case it’s useful or helpful, the kitchen cabinets will be matt white with integrated handles. The kitchen floor will be a glossy medium grey.
    Also, the dining room table on the plan has a 47” diameter

  • 5 years ago

    I kind of like this look for the dining room. I worry that it clashes too much with the rug’s style though. Any way to make this work? All other suggestions are welcome too

  • 5 years ago

    I think table/chairs work with rug/sofa. Pegasi you can bring the metal of chair legs into the coffee table. The dresser seems fussier than the other pieces but maybe with new hardware it would work for now. The color seems to complement the chairs. What kind of fooor is in living/dining area?

  • 5 years ago

    Thanks for the feedback. Assuming I go with this dining table / chair option, I was eyeing these two coffee tables (both have black metal). But I worry that the walnut one makes the whole living room space darker while the marble while is too matchy with the dining room table. Maybe I’m overthinking this...!

  • 5 years ago

    And the floors are red oak but must be around 30 years old. The condo has floor to ceiling windows everywhere so the color of the floor varies across the space from orange to pink. They are otherwise in good condition.

  • 5 years ago

    This is the floor with the dresser from my original post for context

  • 5 years ago

    I don't see a problem working the Persian rug into otherwise modern decor.; Persian and Oriental rugs have a chameleon-like ability to work with almost any decor. Here are a couple mood boards showing the two different coffee tables.


    To my eye, the sectional and dining table work great with the rug. I think I prefer the walnut coffee table, but it is dark on the dark rug and maybe there is a third choice that will work better than either of these. I added an arc lamp to the elements you listed, since you will want some floor or table lamps and I'm a sucker for arc lamps.


    I think the dresser is too traditional. You could probably make it work with new hardware, but with the profile of the wood it is never going to look modern, even with a lot of work. But the color is okay with the rug and the proposed dining chairs, so it would work as a temporary placeholder if you aren't eager to buy everything all at once.


    I really like where you are going with your choices!



  • PRO
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    The rug is fine, lose the dresser. Find a nice long and low tv console : ) Your furniture plan has too MUCH furniture for the space. You may have fallen in love with the least flexible seating.




  • 5 years ago

    Thanks cawaps for the mood boards! Definitely helpful to put everything together like that. I’ll keep looking around for a coffee to see what else I find.
    Jan, your point is well-taken about the amount of furniture. Unfortunately, I can’t put the piano where you suggested since that’s a window. I can, however, potentially not have a buffet in the dining room and push the table and chairs a bit further away from the sectional. I also might not use an armchair. Would a small pouf be easier on the eye?

  • 5 years ago

    For what it’s worth, the piano has a glossy black finish

  • 5 years ago

    where do you sit to look at your garden? Asking because there's two eating areas, and maybe a lovely set of arm chairs would be nice to enjoy the view. ?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Great sofa and rug, and I like the selected table/chairs. Agree with metal legs on chairs. Of the coffee tables shown, I would do the round wood one... as the round white is too similar to the dining table. Definitely skip the dresser. Is there a local antique store you can find a vintage modern piece for the TV? Facebook trading page or FB Marketplace? Or look at West Elm and shop sales/coupon codes. Congrats on your condo.


    ETA: I would really try to find another location fo the piano so the sofa will be across from the TV. I know you cannot put it in front or by a window. The hallway area is SO BIG, and I don't know where the doors lead, but could it go on the angled wall (against pantry)? I know it is longer than the wall but the hallways is such a wasted area. As long as the piano doesn't get into the kitchen doorway, it might work.

  • 5 years ago

    Keepthefaith, there’s no garden, this is a condo unit downtown - there is a small balcony that overlooks a row of trees in the summer but nothing interesting in the winter.

    Allison, i love your idea of looking for a vintage modern piece for the TV. I will take a look around. West Elm is so expensive, I splurged big time on the sofa - I can’t bring myself to spend much for a TV table. I’m actually considering moving the TV to the spare bedroom that I was hoping to use as a guest room/play room/ office combination. My kids are 5 and 8 so they’re in school while I work from home. The 15x10 bedroom can maybe be a multifunctional room. I guess that would be a topic of its own!
    That being said, I totally see where you’re coming from for the piano. Part of me also finds it a shame that it’ll be hiding the sofa a bit. Maybe by moving the TV out of this room, the piano could go where the TV is. The living room would also be less crowded this way. I don’t mind a bit of open space - my kids are young enough that they’ll appreciate the space to spread out, dance around, set up a show, do a floor puzzle, etc.

    I’m still struggling with the coffee table too. I don’t hate freedomspace’s suggestion but I don’t love it either. Maybe a tad too industrial for me? Can one live without a coffee table?

  • 5 years ago

    I don't think you can live without a coffee table when you have a sectional, because side tables aren't accessible from all the seats (if you had a sofa and loveseat, a side table could go inbetween).


    My TV moved out of my living room back in March to become my daughter's computer monitor, and I haven't missed it at all. But we'd largely transitioned to watching "TV" on laptops or phones, and didn't do much watching as a family. From a space standpoint, you not having to deal with both the TV and the piano would make everything easier. The question is whether that works for how your family likes to watch.


    I keep thinking brass would be pretty for a coffee table.


    https://www.westelm.com/products/cast-coffee-table-antique-brass-h3031/?catalogId=71&sku=4537257&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Furniture%20%3E%20Coffee%20Tables&cm_ite=4537257&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt9PehZvW6wIVEz6tBh1LVw4BEAQYAiABEgJrFPD_BwE

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Safavieh-Tilly-Antique-Brass-Coffee-Table-FOX3214A/301961435

  • 5 years ago

    I lived in an apartment with that exact living room layout for 5 years and tried every furniture arrangement possible and ended up with your layout. I don’t think Jan’s layout will work because the sofa will block the room. Instead of a piano, we had a secretary desk in that spot. We had the TV where you have it, but mounted it on an articulating arm so that it could be viewed more easily from the seating area.

  • 5 years ago

    I would put the piano in the other room before moving the TV. You won't end up using this room as much w/o a TV in it... not matter how little you think you watch TV.


    I think you would miss a coffee table. I like the large brass round one cawaps suggested.

  • 5 years ago

    cawaps, I actually really like the round brass coffee table! I can feel it working well with everything else - thanks for the great find! It’s a bit more expensive than what I was hoping to pay but if it’s a perfect fit, it’ll be worth it. What I also like about it, is that it doesn’t tie me down to a specific type of wood finish right away. I’d rather not rush into buying everything right away, so this gives me time and flexibility to think about the TV unit and potential buffet.
    Val B, thanks for the reassurance regarding the layout. I struggled a LOT with it before settling for this one. I’m still a bit nervous but the sectional is custom made and now paid for so no backing out at this point :) I do plan to get an articulating arm for the TV
    Allison0704, you make a good point. We’re not huge on TV but the kids do love movie nights and I watch Netflix 2-3 times a week. I sometimes use my iPad but a TV is much more comfortable. The piano has to stay though. It’s the most expensive thing I own, I’d rather not hide it away lol.

    At this point, only the sofa and rug are must haves. But from everyone’s comments, I feel like the dining room set-up sounds like a winner?