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A Rug That Punches You In the Face

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I said last week that we were totally working outside of our comfort zone, and together with the recovered velvet sofa, our new rug sealed that deal.

We picked this up on Ebay, and after staring for weeks at Persians (it became a 15-minute part of my morning routine; shower, coffee, feed the family, check Ebay, you know), we narrowed it down to a few choices. To be honest, Scott wasn’t completely on board at first, but he warmed up to the idea when I touted the heavily patterned pieces as being more pet friendly than, say, a soft neutral that we’ll want to replace in a few years. It’ll help conceal everyday wear and tear! It’ll get better with time! We’ll pass it down to our pretend kid’s kids! (Or at the very least, pass it down to our friends’ kids’ kids!)

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I quickly realized that there is definitely an art to understanding and purchasing an authentic Persian, and after messaging a helpful seller, they pointed me in the right direction for what to look for in terms of durability. Ours is hand-knotted and wool with a cotton foundation, however, it’s not considered an antique since it only dates back to 1970 (and we’re cool with that). I found this guide to be really helpful, and this symbol chart is pretty fun!

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The day it arrived, we both excitedly unwrapped it, laid it out on the count of  three (1… 2… 3!) and immediately loved it! Then almost immediately after that, thought, hmmm. Is it too much? Is there too much color? Yes, it’s falls outside of our comfort zone and while that’s nice and scary (good) and all, but did we go too far?

The pattern has our hearts, but if I think about it too long, I might say that I wish there were more pinks and blues – but that pattern. It makes it, don’t you think? The size is perfect for this room, an odd size, for sure, coming in at 6’x10′. (Another reason I was on the Persian train; so many unique size options!) It allows for traffic to pass through the living room without anyone having to step on the rug (which would cause weird wear issues), and it’s wide enough for our extra long (100″) couch.

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So while there was a solid return policy (which is what prompted us to just pull the trigger already!), we’re keeping it! It does feel warm and inviting and vibrant – but this room needs more layers. Right now, it’s heavy. Weighted. The whole room is drawn down to the floor, and the two big punch-you-in-the-face pieces are in place – with nothing else around to lighten the mood, so to speak. No soft and neutral curtains. No artwork. No light fixture! No plants, not enough pillows and blankets and no baseboards (for the love of Pete; I’m as sick of mentioning them as you are reading about it). We’ll need one more chair (or bench or sturdy ottoman?) in here, and once we’re done trimming this room, we can move on to those cozy needs.

Bottom line, we love this rug. And with the two big pieces in place, the other changes will (hopefully) tumble into place – soon enough!

PS… our goal to finish the entry trim + floors this weekend didn’t quite come true (although we really, really tried!), so we’ll be tying that up this week and the coming weekend. Oy, I f@*!ng hope.

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  • bella5.13.14 - 7:05 AM

    I love that rug. I am not afraid of it’s pattern, color, boldness, at all. But then, I’m old. That rug is considered a nice neutral in my world. ha.

    One thing that stands out to me now is the painted nook. If it were my room, I’d have to paint the walls a deep peacock blue to match the sofa.ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.13.14 - 9:35 AM

      You know we love that bold blue, but our closet door (and soon-to-be) front door are both a deep navy… might be too much? Now that we’ve lived with it for a little less than a week, we’ll go with you – these are all nice neutrals, right? ;)ReplyCancel

  • caroline [the diy nurse]5.13.14 - 7:22 AM

    It’s absolutely 100% gorgeous. If the couch didn’t make the room [which it totally did], this does. I wouldn’t leave that room ever.ReplyCancel

  • Lindsey d.5.13.14 - 9:01 AM

    Mmm…Mmm… That’s pretty much all I have. That rug makes me sigh contentedly over the pretty. I love it.ReplyCancel

  • Heather5.13.14 - 9:17 AM

    It’s beautiful, Kim. I am a huge fan of bold Persian rugs, but know that already.:) When we got our first one, which is 10×12, I was a little “What have I done??!”, but after about a month of letting it settle into the room, I loved it. Mine is red heavy too, so I balance it out with blues, too. :) The room is really coming together and I love how the rug and reading/music nook compliment one another.ReplyCancel

  • Sara5.13.14 - 9:48 AM

    I love it. I too am a fan of the mostly neutral thing, but the punches of color are what take it to the next level. I went the Kilim direction myself, but I love the Persians too. Well done!ReplyCancel

  • Staci @ My Friend Staci5.13.14 - 11:28 AM

    This looks amazing. Once you start accessorizing, it will fall into place better, I think. Contrasted against the royal blue sofa (solid) and wood accents (neutral), it is the perfect X factor!ReplyCancel

  • Melissa @ HOUSEography5.13.14 - 12:07 PM

    LOVE! I always tell my clients that they need to live with major changes for a few weeks. Their minds need to be resent with the new way of living in the space. 9/10 times they keep the big change.ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.13.14 - 12:20 PM

      Definitely good advice. Every day, it’s growing on us. (We want more!)ReplyCancel

  • LauraC5.13.14 - 4:16 PM

    Never commented before, but chiming in to say how great that rug (and the couch) looks! Yeah, it will look better with curtains and layers of course, but it looks so, so, so good already! Great job!ReplyCancel

  • Katja | Shift Ctrl Art5.13.14 - 5:52 PM

    I think that rug looks fabulous. I love it with the blue couch. I love the whole thing with the green nook. I like that it isn’t too matchy matchy. I agree with all the advantages you are pointing out about this rug. Look fantastic too.ReplyCancel

  • Tori5.14.14 - 8:05 AM

    I love it! Great choice! I actually have a very similar, but smaller, rug in my office (staring at it right now!). I love fun rugs since most big furniture pieces tend to be a solid color they do add great color. And, they also hide a lot of pet wear and tear (And puke). : )ReplyCancel

  • Julia@Cukoo4Design5.14.14 - 9:19 AM

    Drool, it’s perfect!ReplyCancel

  • Monnaie5.15.14 - 6:24 AM

    Beautiful carpet!ReplyCancel

  • Liz C5.15.14 - 9:28 AM

    Just found you guys by way of Domino, totally sucked in & scrolling through tons of posts. I don’t suppose you’d share the seller you found this rug through, would you? :)ReplyCancel

  • caroline5.15.14 - 6:00 PM

    I found your lovely blog a while back- but this is my first time commenting. I have had Persian rugs for years, and have learned so much about them along the way. It looks high quality and I think it looks great in your space, and plays off the studio room beautifully. I laughed when you said you wished it were more pink and blue, because the Persian in my living room is ONLY pink and blue! Small areas of navy and peach, but mostly hot fuschia/coral and light blue. It’s a little crazy, and sometimes I wished it looked more like yours! Grass greener eh? :)ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.16.14 - 2:52 PM

      Ha – aah, yes, the grass is always greener. Suffice it to say this won’t be our last Persian, so we’ll get many more chances!ReplyCancel

  • Krista5.15.14 - 7:58 PM

    Love! The rug, couch and wood are perfect together!ReplyCancel

  • […] And whoa, how great is this vintage Persian rug with a blue sofa? […]ReplyCancel

  • Joanna @ TheNestbook5.16.14 - 12:04 PM

    I love that rug!!! It is gorgeous. And I totally know what you mean when you say searching for it was part of your morning routine. Now that you have it the search for something else can take its place! :)ReplyCancel

  • Karen L.5.17.14 - 10:46 AM

    We have several Persian rugs in our home and really love the look, the colors, and the durability. We have six grandkids and it’s especially great for when they come to visit as they don’t show anything, wear like iron and are so comfy, too.
    Recently I went to the Richmond area Homearama, and there were the usually schemes of lots of greys, pops of bright colors, neutral/light rugs (which can be lots of work to keep clean looking) but then…..we walked into one home with several wonderful, bright Oriental rugs! Loved how current they can still look and so practical as well—after all they’ve been in homes for many, many years and still going strong. I love your look and it makes me want to go with a blue sofa!ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.19.14 - 9:03 AM

      Thanks, Karen! So happy to hear all those great things about Persians. I have a feeling this won’t be our last one.ReplyCancel

  • shavonda@ahomefullofcolor5.21.14 - 3:56 PM

    Awesome pairing. Im a major color fanatic and this is totally my jam! Love it, love it, love it.ReplyCancel

  • […] And whoa, how great is this vintage Persian rug with a blue sofa? […]ReplyCancel

  • Meredith Griffanti10.16.14 - 10:42 AM

    Could you possibly share the name of the ebay vendor from whom you purchased the rug? I LOVE it!ReplyCancel

  • Ash9.7.16 - 6:12 AM

    Nice pick. Kinda looks like a few of the rugs we have at our shop at SFRugs.com.

    I know this is an older post, but, do you plan on getting any other rugs for the other rooms?ReplyCancel

  • Ash9.7.16 - 6:12 AM

    Nice pick. Kinda looks like a few of the rugs we have at our shop at https://SFRugs.com.

    I know this is an older post, but, do you plan on getting any other rugs for the other rooms?ReplyCancel

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