Rug Shopping
One of the benefits of having a blog is that I can spend time on Pinterest and shopping sites like Overstock and call it researching (rather than just piddling away time on the internet).
Matt and I want to spend the next seven months buying things for our new house before we move in, so that a) we can spread out the costs over more than half a year and b) we have everything ready and in place right when we move in (since we could conceivably be moving in two weeks before the baby is due). Fortunately, we have a garage and a spare bedroom in our rental, so we have plenty of extra space for storage.
Here are our criteria for a rug:
- Comfortable: Now that we’re living in a house with carpet again, I’m re-remembering how nice it is to hang out on the floor. I want to recreate that feeling of comfort while having bamboo floors. A nice thick carpet is the way to do that.
- Easy to Clean: I love the shaggy rug we bought for Henry’s room, but that thing is no fun to vacuum. It’s not very practical.
- Beautiful: Rugs are often the first thing to capture my attention in a room (if they are colorful or have an interesting pattern).
Here are some rugs that caught my eye.
The more I look at rugs, the more I realize I don’t have a clue about decorating. Perhaps I should spend some of this time learning decorating techniques? That would be seriously fun! Learning new things from books is one of my hobbies. Do you have any decorating book recommendations? Perhaps I should just go to the bookstore and browse (and then see if the library system has them). That’s another one of my hobbies…
In addition to our big rug, we want to get a giant sectional couch. I’ve never had one, but I have visions of good quality family time spent around a huge, wraparound couch. I also want to get a big ottoman instead of a coffee table. Perhaps I got the idea from John and Sherry over at Young House Love? I’m essentially describing their living room…
16 Comments
Allyn
I *love* the first one. Grey is so monochromatic that it feels like it can go with anything. And the funky diamond pattern is super cool. But you probably shouldn't listen to me, my decorating skills are sub par and I have no eye for anything, which is fine while my partner and I live in a rental, but I imagine that we might have to do some serious outsourcing if/when we buy a house
Kelly
The Austin Public Library has a good selection of decorating books. Especially if you're after the basic rules, which don't change like yearly trends, there are a lot of primers that will tell you about proportions and options.
One of the best regarded and highly available is Terence Conran's The House Book. But seriously, I used to go to the downtown Austin library every Saturday after the farmer's market (it's only a few blocks away) and just plant myself in the 747s and look at everything they have. You can learn a lot.
Or you can just copy YHL – no harm in that. 🙂
Kelly
Also, sometimes it's better to live in a space before buying things for it. Sure, go ahead and get a couch if you want one, but you may find you hang out on the floor in areas you didn't anticipate and have bought the wrong size rug. There are a lot of things I felt I had to do before moving into our current house that I would have done differently now that I know what it's like to live in the space.
Irishker
Just wondering if I missed the announcement (Sorry if I did!) and you are pregnant since you talk about moving two weeks before a baby is due…
Amy Delamaide
My decorating style is this: I buy stuff I like and put it together. I figure my instincts about beauty and form and color are enough to just mash some things together and call it good. I found support for this theory in _Undecorate: The No Rules Approach to Interior Design_. Decorate how you like and like how you decorate!
Carrie
Um, are you, in fact, pregnant? I stopped reading after the two weeks before baby is due thing…
Anonymous
So you are pregnant?
saracotner
I think so! I wrote a post for today but then postponed it for tomorrow (switching it with the rug one, which is why I let it slip that I think I'm pregnant). I keep getting positive tests, but they are faint. I know a positive tests means yes no matter how faint it is, but I keep waiting for a little more confirmation.
Anthropolochic
YAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!! Congratulations!!
On a separate note, I couldn't find a rug I liked and ended up painting theatre set canvas with acrylic paint mixed with a heat set compound. It was a very inexpensive, fast project that let me control the look of the room. It is a fumeless project, but I did use gloves to be on the safe side. If I ever get around to posting it online I'll point you there, or if you like the idea I can email you with more detailed instructions and pics.
Carrie
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SARA, YOU ARE PREGNANT!!!!! 😀 My "faint positive tests" are named Selwyn and Everett!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
Anonymous
Oh for the love! You're talking about rugs when you keep getting faint positive pregnancy tests?!?!
Amy
In regards to design, I suggest browsing a lot of home blogs and not just trying to emulate YHL. They do pull their house together quite well, but there is a ton of inspiration out there that might suit your style better.
Miranda
After at least a full week very faint positives and wondering if I was really prego, we're expecting a little boy this September. Congratulations!!
Anonymous
I vote don't buy furnishings until you're moving into/living in the space. You can estimate how big or small something is, or if you like the color/style, BUT it might end up looking very different in the space! Save the money up now as you go, create some vision/mood boards now so you can decide what you like, then pull the trigger once you're moving in!
And congrats! 🙂
Anonymous
I've been following your blog since my husband and I started trying to conceive in November. I just found out over the weekend that I'm pregnant– though of course it's still very early and we aren't out of the "scary" stage. But life is one big scary stage and there is no "safe" age and no "safe" stage of pregnancy, and forging ahead through those fears is what makes us brave.
I'm so excited to think of going through pregnancy reading your blog posts and updates, especially if you are pregnant too! So, early congratulations! I had a few very faint + pregnancy tests and now they're as dark as the control line. What a beautiful feeling!
saracotner
Hooray! Hooray! Congratulations to you and your expanding family…