Making it Yours (MiY)

Making it Yours 10: A Traditional Red Rug

Laura M, referencing the eighth edition of Making it Yours, recently made a request for the next round.

I love your blog and am a long-time reader but first-time commenter. If you are thinking about the next in the series, can I suggest as (selfishly-motivated) inspiration a Making it Yours with a big red oriental rug? I recently inherited such a hand-me-down rug from my parents. It’s a really nice lovely rug and it was really generous of them, especially since I’m a grad student and could never afford something that nice on my own. However, its a bit more traditional than my usual style – I’m definitely into more modern style with clean straight lines and funky pops of color. I really love the rug itself and hope it will last a long time but I’d love some ideas on how to use it without ending up with an entirely traditional space.

Excellent suggestion! The Making it Yours series (MiY) is all about using furniture (or a rug, in this case) and making it work for you and your style. I’m taking on Laura’s request and basing three different looks around this traditional red rug.

Making it Yours 10: A Traditional Red Rug

In this edition of MiY, I’ll begin by using the rug in a living room, which I’ll be posting tomorrow. I’ll then design another living room look, followed by a home office/library. It will be a fun exercise for me because the rug is much more traditional than my usual style, and I hope you’ll enjoy my take on it.

Let’s do this!

Sources & Paint ColorsNeed design help? Let's work together.

You Might Also Like...

  • Centsational Girl
    April 23, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    I always look forward to these! How fascinating that you chose a traditional red rug, unexpected! Can’t wait to see what you choose to mix it up!
    xo
    Kate

  • jenn aka the picky girl
    April 23, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    I had this same experience right after I bought my house. I’ve found, though, that it almost acts as a neutral, strange as that sounds. It’s so traditional that it grounds the room and allows me to do a lot of eclectic decorating in that space. I love it!

  • Elisabeth@YCCII
    April 23, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    The time has come to revisit the traditional rug. I can’t wait to see what you do with it!

  • meta
    April 23, 2013 at 1:32 pm

    Awesome! Can’t wait! I have been loving kelims in Nordic homes, I so look fwd to your take on traditional rug!

  • Justynn [creativeliveantics]
    April 23, 2013 at 1:37 pm

    This is such a cool series… I’m looking forward to looking through all of them!

  • gemma@thesweetestdigs
    April 23, 2013 at 1:46 pm

    Love this series!! Lots of folks have rugs like these and they can look great in modern rooms. Looks forward to seeing your spin!!

  • Kristen
    April 23, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    I’m so excited to see this play out! I think we all can relate to getting a piece passed down that has value and sentiment to it but we just don’t know how to incorporate it in.

  • Kate R.
    April 23, 2013 at 3:50 pm

    Love that you are steeping out of you comfort zone! Will for sure check back tomorrow!

  • Catherine
    April 23, 2013 at 4:16 pm

    Yay, I’m excited to see your ideas! We redid our flooring and kitchen last year, and at the time, I had beige slipcovers on our furniture. I bought a lovely, traditional blue wool rug from Rugs USA, and it worked really well with everything. Eventually, I removed the slipcovers and got more modern curtains from West Elm, and now it’s a mix of styles, but it works for my young family. I’m hoping this series will be something similar!

  • Laura M.
    April 23, 2013 at 5:57 pm

    This is so awesome!! Thanks for taking my suggestion Nicole and I’m so excited to get inspired!!

  • Aryn
    April 23, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    Like everyone else, I’m really looking forward to this one. My mom has a bunch of very traditional rugs and she recently ( and morbidly) asked me what I’m going to do with them when they’re mine. Like the Laura M., my taste runs more modern.

  • Mary
    April 23, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    PERFECT timing! I have a completely lovely hand-me-down red oriental rug that is completely not my style. I’m also closing on my first house in about three weeks! Looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

  • Eileen
    April 23, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    Can’t wait!

  • Holly
    April 24, 2013 at 8:59 am

    Yay! This is extremely timely for me, as I recently inherited a very similar high-quality Persian carpet from my grandparents. (Mine has a wide crimson border with a cream background in the center.) The only room where it will fit is my bedroom, so I’m redesigning the room around the carpet, trying to balance the stuffy traditionalist rug with my more modern tastes.

    Can’t wait to see what you do!

  • Cristina
    April 24, 2013 at 9:36 am

    I’m really excited to see what you come up with. My grandparents house is covered in these type of rugs, which if I am interested, I can take my pick at. Looking forward to your ideas!

  • Melissa
    April 24, 2013 at 4:41 pm

    Great idea! We are in a similar predicament with a hand-me-down red rug. I like it fine but it is a little traditional for my tastes as well. (Apparently this is a more common predicament that I thought!) Can’t wait to see what you come up with.

  • Making it Yours 10A: Minty Fresh | Making it Lovely
    April 24, 2013 at 5:26 pm

    […] basing three different looks on a single rug for this edition of Making it Yours, per a reader’s request. She wanted to know how to incorporate a traditional red rug with her […]

  • Jennifer
    April 25, 2013 at 7:50 am

    I am taking notes! I’ve been struggling for a long time with my big red oriental rug. On the one hand it’s a beautiful piece that adds so much to the space, but on the other nothing seems to go with it! Love this MiY.

  • Making it Yours 10B: A Blush of Pink | Making it Lovely
    April 25, 2013 at 12:44 pm

    […] basing three different looks on a single rug for this edition of Making it Yours, per a reader’s request. She wanted to know how to incorporate a traditional red rug with her […]

  • Melinda
    April 29, 2013 at 9:01 am

    Love that you’re doing this! I have a similar situation, so I started a pinterest board a few months ago with photos of red persian rugs in modern settings. (http://pinterest.com/melindapedia/red-rug-red-rug/)

    Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

  • Making it Yours 10C: Reading and Writing | Making it Lovely
    May 9, 2013 at 5:25 pm

    […] come to the last look in this edition of Making it Yours. True to the spirit of the series, you see a few pieces showing up again from previous looks. The […]

  • Color Palette: An Analogous Color Palette | The Anatomy of Design
    June 13, 2013 at 6:14 am

    […] work with a traditional red rug, just like the one in the Room of the Week.  Check out her posts here, here, here & here for some other color palette […]

  • Piece de Resistance: A Traditional Red Rug in a Modern Room | The Anatomy of Design
    February 26, 2014 at 6:38 am

    […] more tips on using traditional red rugs in modern spaces check out this series Nicole did on her blog, Making It […]