What do you think?
The dining room is so jumbled right now. The fabric in the hutch, the different colored walls, one zigzag chair, roman shades that don’t match anything else, PLUS the new black and white rug. All false starts with no follow through.
I like the way the rug adds pattern, and it brings in a dark color without making the whole room dark. It is the only room in the house that has black though, which is a little strange to me. I don’t know if it’s out of place or if I just need to get used to it.
empty
with the table and chairs
If I keep the rug, here’s what I’m thinking… I’d switch out the chair fabric for a different solid (pink? orange? lilac?), and paint the ceiling and walls above the picture rail the same color. The main walls would be cream or grey. Curtains could be creamy white with trim to tie in to the chair fabric. Whatever fabric I use for the curtain trim could also go in the hutch.
The zigzag chair and the rug don’t work together, though I was hoping they would. It’s one or the other, but I’m not sure which…
angorian
March 20, 2008 at 8:25 amI find that the rug kinda makes my eyes hurt … it goes all wiggly. I think the busy pattern works better on the small surface of the chairs and that a subtler rug would have a nicer effect. I don’t know that either the rug or the chair covering works with the fabric in the back of the hutch though.
priscilla
March 20, 2008 at 8:25 amThe puppy goes with everything.
Marnie
March 20, 2008 at 8:43 amEh…. it’s a tough sell. The rug seems kind of incongruous with a house that has an otherwise consistent decor. It also seems to detract from that pretty soft glow that all the wood in the dining room seems to emit.
In all honesty, I’m not feeling it.
Caitlin
March 20, 2008 at 8:46 amI love the rug! I think the lines in the rug are a great compliment to the rest of the lines in the room. I also think your ideas on what you’d do with the entire room if you kept the rug are great!
Maybe you can search around and find a stripey rug like the IKEA one in a rich chocolate brown if you’re worried about the black. The brown will still give you the dark effect you’re looking for but won’t feel out of place in the rest of the house! :D
Just a thought…
Mrslimestone
March 20, 2008 at 8:48 amI like the black in here. I think it brings in a modern touch without being over the top. I think you could keep the rug if you tone down everything else. Or keep the zigzag if you get rid of the other patterns. The green would look really sharp if it brought out a bit more.
Are you treating the wood as a color? Usually I feel like wood is neutral but its really prominent in here so I’d say you have to consider it. So right now you already have pink, cream, a couple of wood tones, black, brown and green. Im not an expert but I’d bring it down to three colors max and then carry that through all the elements of the room.
PS: The curtains from the Drew Barrymore article would look great in here with black trim.
Making it Lovely
March 20, 2008 at 8:55 amYes, the wood definitely has to be considered with the other colors. I think wood, black and off-white, plus one other color would be OK.
I do wish the rug was chocolate brown instead of black. I want a Madeline Weinrib rug, but an 8×10 is $1050 (plus shipping). The price isn’t outrageous, it’s just more than I can spend right now.
Katie
March 20, 2008 at 9:43 amI really like the ritzy stripe as the chair upholstery. It gives a nice little pop without being too overbearing. I think the rug would look best in a very simple room, it seems to drown all of the other details right now.
Beth
March 20, 2008 at 10:30 amI’m not feeling the rug either, honestly. I do like it, just not in your house as it’s currently decorated. I can see why you’d want to try to keep it, though! A valiant effort indeed… but for what it’s worth, I think everything looked better pre-rug.
Caitlin
March 20, 2008 at 10:33 amI love how the pets are “helping”! They know you have to see a room with pets in it to make sure they go with everything. ^_^
Lili
March 20, 2008 at 10:38 amI prefer the patterned chair to the rug. I think its the lines on the chair backs plus the rug that just seems like too much to my eyes. And, I dont know what I think about all the wood with the black. The view from the living room with the hutch in the picture just seems like there is way to much going on.
Jinah
March 20, 2008 at 10:50 amLong-time lurker, first time poster here! I personally love the rug. I do think you need to incorporate some more modern and graphic elements into the room in order to make the rug work. While I love the pink fabric in the hutch, maybe if there was more black within the hutch to set off the white accessories, it could tie in more with the rug?
puglyfeet
March 20, 2008 at 10:53 amI LOVE it.
Laura
March 20, 2008 at 10:56 amThat rug is taking all the attention away from your beautiful table. I just don’t think it’s working here.
Jane
March 20, 2008 at 11:34 amWould it upset you terribly if I said I’m still not over the Romo wallpaper? I know it doesn’t work with the new table… But I do love a dark wall in a dining room (where you’ll mostly have candlelit dinners) and more understated floor and fabric choices…
Sorry I’m unhelpful (I’m really hung up on that wallpaper lol – it’s all your fault!!)
JayEssJay
March 20, 2008 at 11:36 amfound your blog the other day, and i just have to weigh in. i love the rug! At first glance it rubbed me the wrong way, but the more I look, the more I love. Wish I had the guts to go that bold in my apartment!
-J
Nicole RJ
March 20, 2008 at 12:21 pmI like the zigzag chair fabric better than the rug (which makes me a bit dizzy). The black of the rug is a bit harsh against the medium brown of the wood… and the chari fabric has some great colour options you could pull into the rest of the room. But I also really like the hutch fabric, which would also be fun to work with! Can’t wait to see which way you go!
robiewankenobie
March 20, 2008 at 12:21 pmi like the idea of the rug, i really do, and i see where you’re going with it. that being said, i just don’t think it works. :(
michelle
March 20, 2008 at 12:43 pmi think maybe you have too many different shades of wood going on… i don’t know, just a thought.
Stacy
March 20, 2008 at 1:01 pmI actually like the zig zag fabric after seeing it on the chair. However, I do NOT think that rug does anything for that room. Your table set and so great and that rug steals the show. IMHO, I think you should stick with the brown/pink/orange/lilac thing you got going on and skip the black and the green all together.
Shelley
March 20, 2008 at 1:21 pmI love that rug too but not with the current furniture. I love your retro table and chairs however, I think the table & chairs AND the built-in china cabinet are heavy wood pieces that are already competing with each other and the rug just adds to the heaviness along with a patterned chairseat. I liked the previous one better and I loved the old orange rug with the furniture. If you brought in a painted light colored table or black table perhaps the rug could work. Too much medium colored wood in that room. You’re overthinking it.
Erica
March 20, 2008 at 1:36 pmI love your light fixture. The table & chairs are amazing. I really like the Ritzy Stripes and the rug, but not together. I agree that the carpet is competing with everything in the room & taking away from the lovely touches. I say go with a more subtle pattern & a different color. Something that blends better with the room & your house. I like the idea of chocolote brown. The curtains from the previous post would be a good idea if you go with 2 colors from your current room. Murray is awesome!
K T G
March 20, 2008 at 1:45 pmWhat the rug is is too loud. For a dining room anyway, and there’s a difference between loud and dramatic sometimes. You want the hosting, food, and conversation to star in the dining room, and possibly live in a room with some dramatic elements. In this instance, you’re attracted to a piece that would look right somewhere, it might play better with other furnishings than the ones you have already chosen. It could be just right if the room had even more stuff in it, so the eye doesn’t just stare at the mesmerizing rug, and everything curiously recedes in attention. It might be quieter in a minimal and pale room without a lot more glass or mirror, and less wood in it. Or a child’s room.
Some items are merely too strong and unbalance a design scheme just being there, but if you like or love something, you will find its place in your home, it will make some friends in another room of your home, or you get to rearrange again.
Jan
March 20, 2008 at 1:56 pmI like the rug, but the pattern is too busy. It makes my eyes hurt looking at it. I like the zig-zag pattern and colors on the chair. But it doesn’t go with the pink in the hutch.
jamie
March 20, 2008 at 2:02 pmthe rug doesn’t seem like yal. and yes, i’m saying yal like i know yal, but hey!
murray is excellent already and photo inclusion.
jamie
March 20, 2008 at 2:03 pmat photo inclusion, not and.
Toi
March 20, 2008 at 2:23 pmThe pets all seem happy with the room just the way it is!
Katie
March 20, 2008 at 3:19 pmYou should look at overstock.com for some rug options… I saw several reasonably priced with bold, geometric patterns in warm brown colors.
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Rio-Wool-Rug-5-x-8/2225078/product.html
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Tufted-Ackworth-Beige-Rust-Area-Rug-710-x-11/2964709/product.html
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Houndstooth-Polypropylene-Area-Rug-96-x-129/2992546/product.html
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Rodeo-Drive-Patchwork-Wool-Rug-8-x-10/3010755/product.html
Katie
March 20, 2008 at 3:22 pmThe houndstooth rug at overstock is available at other online retailers, too. I think it gives you a graphic look and if you went with black, its still has the natural brown color incorporated, too.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4789935&sourceid=25003591801015383352http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4789935&sourceid=25003591801015383352
Nicole
March 20, 2008 at 3:40 pmI really like the zig zag on the chairs but I’m not feeling the rug all that much. I agree with the above poster that it seems at odds with the rest of the house.
But I am looking forward to seeing what you decide!
kiona
March 20, 2008 at 4:03 pmI love the rug, and I’m not loving that zigzag fabric on the chair. Personally, with all the nice soothing colors in that room on the walls and the wood and all the white, and the blinds, and then the modern touch of the rug in there I would probably throw a really loud and noticable color fabric on the chairs. Nothing with a pattern, maybe a texture if that. But I am picturing like a popping red would be great on them and add a splash of color to the room.
kiona
March 20, 2008 at 4:03 pmor orange!
Erin
March 20, 2008 at 4:14 pmhmmm… have to agree with the others who said the rug is overpowering the rest of the room. I like how all the rooms in your house complement each other and I don’t know if I like the black. I love the fabric on the chairs, though…
debbie
March 20, 2008 at 4:31 pmHi, new here so I’m not sure what the rest of your home looks like but, I like the rug and think that since it is busy that everything else should be simple. I’m an artist, and if I was making a painting of this room, I’ld add some nice blue to balance out all the orangy tones of the all the wood….maybe a turquiose-ish blue.
jenni
March 20, 2008 at 5:09 pmI think it is the chair back that become too busy with the rug. But I kept looking at the puppy. So what do I know.
iloveupstate
March 20, 2008 at 5:24 pmI love the fabric you picked for the chair – and it seems consistent with other styles in your home. The rug is cool…but doesn’t do it for me in this setting. I vote chair fabric – yes. Rug – no
tracy
March 20, 2008 at 5:47 pmI love the rug but I think it needs to be in a bigger room.
sabrina
March 20, 2008 at 5:57 pmI think it looks busy because of the chair back/striped rug combination. Something very simple like your original chairs might do the trick.
SeaPony
March 20, 2008 at 6:31 pmHi there! I stumbled upon your website a few weeks ago and just love your sense of style, I’m so sorry you moved out of your old apartment, I wanted to move in, LOL!
As far as the rug vs. the chairs, I personally prefer the rug. It seemed a bit much when I first saw it, but after looking a few times, and having my eyes get adjusted to it, lol, I really loved it.
The zig-zag fabric on the chairs just isn’t doing it for me, I think the chair fabric needs to be a solid, otherwise it’s just too much and it really detracts the eye away from the gorgeous wood tones of your dining set. I’d stick with the rug for now, and in the future when you can get one you like more (to go with the wood tones of the room), then you can replace it later on. Just please lose the zig-zag chair fabric though, lol.. sorry I’m just not as crazy about it as you are! :)
SeaPony
March 20, 2008 at 6:35 pmOh, one more thing! Actually, there’s a great new pattern by Amy Butler called “Lotus”, it comes in a variety of color combos and one of them is pink/brown/cream, pink background with brown and cream flower blossoms (there’s a touch of red in there too, it’s a brilliant color combo!). I think that pattern would just look great on your chairs, with that particular wood tone. I thought it was fitting, for PinkLovesBrown. :P
Michael
March 20, 2008 at 10:20 pmI think this would be an ideal room to incorporate some aqua accents…Not with with the current rug or chair seats though. Both of those are tiring.
DawnMarie
March 21, 2008 at 7:59 amI love the rug. I love the printed material on the dining seats. I love the new dining set. However, in my opinion, they are not all working. I think I would go with something else in the rug department. It is the bold black and white that is just not working for me. I think the rug needs to be toned down a bit. Based on others responses it seems one either loves it or hates it. Interesting.
Amy
March 21, 2008 at 8:07 amI love the rug, but I love the chair covers and hutch fabric more. I do not love the three together – I would suggest getting a less dramatic rug (i agree with the eyes hurting comments) and keep your original ideas for the chairs & hutch fabric.
love your blog!
Making it Lovely
March 21, 2008 at 8:44 amYes, it seems everyone loves it or hates it. No surprise really – it’s a pretty bold rug.
As much as I love it (LOVE it!), I just don’t think it’s working. I thought about finding a new spot for the rug, but there are only 4 rooms in my house big enough for it: the living room, dining room, studio, and bedroom. The living room and dining room are out. I think it will limit me too much in the bedroom because I like being able to change the sheets to change up the room. The rug would look good in my studio, but not with the curtains that I made (and equally love).
I suppose I’ll be returning the rug. *sigh*
Harmony France
March 21, 2008 at 9:48 amHi there! I’ve been admiring your house for some time and this is my first post. I don’t know if you returned the rug yet or not, but I wanted to put my two sense in. I really like the rug a lot. I think that the dining room is one place where you can go for more drama and be a little more risky. Also all of the pictures are very close to the floor. I don’t think it would hurt everyone’s eyes if people were looking at it from an eye level. I’m a firm believer that if you absolutely LOVE something that you can should try to make it work.
I would keep the rug and use the chair fabric somewhere else. I would take a cue from the fabric in your hutch and go with deep pink for the chairs and a softer petal pink for the ceiling. That would go with cream or gray on the main walls. AND just think of the WOW factor. White, black, and pink are so chic!
Anyway, that’s my two sense. Good luck!
Kyle
March 21, 2008 at 12:40 pmI like the idea of lilac walls in here…seems like it would flow well with the rest of your house. I also liked it way back when you were plannning on flowered wallpaper…you’re the genius. GENIUS.
Shelley
March 21, 2008 at 1:37 pm“Harmony France” has a pretty idea with the white/black/pink/gray color scheme. It also seems to agree with with the rest of your home. I do love the rug.
patricia
March 22, 2008 at 6:28 pmOk, the rug is groovy but not in your dining room.
Go for a neutral, nothing that will show stains, something easy on the eye. That rug needs a modern setting. You have more of a “mission” or bungalow feel and need something
warmer, something richer! Also texture, there is lots of wood now –
I know that you will find something to make it lovely!
Kate
March 24, 2008 at 9:15 amI agree with your decision to return the rug. It’s a bit too bold. But I do love the chair fabric. I wasn’t sure when you first chose that pattern, but on the chair it looks great. If you like the pattern of the rug, Pottery Barn has some new ones in different colors (no chocolate brown, but maybe the apple green would pull out the green in the chair fabric? Or maybe Clementine?)
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p10737/index.cfm?pkey=gTHMNEWRPW
Abby
March 24, 2008 at 11:49 amHi there – I’ve been lurking in your site, and this is my first comment.
It seems that people leaving comments are torn between loving and hating the rug. I love it! Normally I wouldn’t expect a rug like that to spice up a dining room but it does. I love how you put together different design elements in your home and make them cohesive. I’m such a big fan and can’t wait to see what’s next.
Darren
March 25, 2008 at 3:29 amHi Nicole, Keep the rug! with the curtains that you like with the black, yep definatley, You need a bit of drama in your dinning room, and I think thats the way to do it. maybe jsut add some thing black in the living room to bring it together a bit more.
Cheers
Darren
March 25, 2008 at 3:30 amYou could add a cushion or something in my lastest fabric im designing,to bring in the black… if your interested I can send you an image of the design and then go from there.
Colleen in MA
March 25, 2008 at 8:32 amthis is why i love your blog – you experiment and you’re not afraid of posting all the results. if it works, great! if it doesn’t you try again. you are making me more comfortable with trying new things out in my home and with being flexible. my two cents: return the rug, you many lovely things in that dining room already. perhaps some day that rug will come into your life again, just not today.
maria
March 25, 2008 at 8:33 amI’d keep the rug and add Chartreuse fabric for the chairs. I think the rug works just fine but you’ll need to add an accent color to make it really sing.
Sally
March 25, 2008 at 11:02 amWhat happened to the orange rug? If you’re wanting to unload it, I might be interested…and I’m in Oak Park. ;) Just email me…
rena
March 28, 2008 at 9:59 amLOVE the rug. its the chairs im not so crazy about. lilac idea sounds beautiful and as long as nothing else is too bright in there it wont come off as too feminine. i dont like the idea of greay walls though. i’d paint them crisp white.
Olivia
March 29, 2008 at 9:06 amIt’s not the color black that is the problem, it’s the lines in the rug that are the problem. I think going with a bold color or design is a great idea. However, its the design on the rug that is a distraction. I am so sorry but ;0)Change the Rug! Oh! love the idea of the grey walls what about a pewter color?
Making it Lovely » Blog Archive » The Living Room, Reimagined
June 3, 2008 at 1:59 am[…] I get to bring back the black and white rug I loved so much! I like mixing patterns, and I think the Astrid chair in black and white would be nice and punchy. […]
tbird
January 29, 2009 at 4:57 pmBeautiful apartment!
That black and white rug is exactly what I’m looking for! Where did you find it?
Ann Ryan
February 8, 2009 at 10:14 amI hope you didn’t return the rug. I looks so chic. I have arts and crafts oak furniture that I’ve gotten pretty tired of and had been thinking about using a black and white striped rug to provide an updated feeling, and your pics convinced me to do it. Can you share where you got the rug?
Making it Lovely
February 8, 2009 at 10:26 amI did return the rug, and I’ve since wallpapered the dining room.
The rug was from IKEA.
Alison Keiser
August 24, 2009 at 12:51 pmI love your rug. I only wish it were less expensive (for my little apartment). That is all.
tbird
August 24, 2009 at 1:08 pmthey sell a smaller size at ikea…