Should we replace the area rug?

Tina
by Tina
We just moved into this old farmhouse less than a year ago. We are trying to make the furniture and the rug work. Should I replace the rug with something less busy? Yes, there are hardwood floors, but they are in need of refinishing. Money is TIGHT........help! Suggestions?
Don't look at the clutter
  34 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 09, 2016
    In my opinion I would do less of a pattern to give the room a larger appearance and maybe rearrange the furniture. There are many stores that sell carpets at close out prices.
  • Gwennie Gwennie on Mar 09, 2016
    I would purchase an inexpensive chair slipcover(possibly off-white)) for the patterned chair; keep rug; rearrange furniture and maybe paint tables w some chalk paint and distress them. Match the window blinds too
  • MN Mom MN Mom on Mar 09, 2016
    I really like your rug and you have a lot of character with the different styles of furniture. If possible I would get a neutral slipcover for the sofa. By covering it in a lighter color, you can play with toss pillows etc in the colors from the rug and patterned chair. I'd also move the sofa to the wall where the chairs are now. Flank it with the two side tables and then place the coffee table in front of it. The patterned chair can then go in front of the other set of windows.
  • Marcia Calcaterra Marcia Calcaterra on Mar 09, 2016
    Your rug is sharp! I too would slipcover your sofa in a neutral color. Looks like the chair incorporates rug and drapery colors. The present sofa color doesn't seem to work.
  • I have to jump on the bandwagon with everyone. It's not your rug, it's everything on top of it. Slip cover the sofa/chair and for sure rearrange the furniture. check Craigslist for people selling anything you might need. Paint is cheap too.
  • Victoria Victoria on Mar 10, 2016
    I love the rug and the chair...would cover the sofa only and cover pillows with greens/beige to tie the rug, chair and sofa together. You have great possibilities!
  • Ann Ann on Mar 10, 2016
    Floral chair could be moved to the front in your picture (or elsewhere in room). As it is now, it sticks out visually and spoils it all. No need for slipcovering, which it is unnecessarily expensive. To me the room needs a few sparks of a brighter version of one of your colors, but don't overdo these or you'll make the rest look tired. Think about art. Be open to various sources -- cards, ads, handwork, and change things around. Also, how is your lighting working in the room?
  • Country Design Home Country Design Home on Mar 10, 2016
    Hi Tina! I am going to disagree with most of the folks above- I think your "retro" 1970's vibe with the vintage tables, lamp and phone are sweet. You are not going for a modern look, so run with it. If money is tight, then I would keep all the furniture-and the rug- as is-but remove all of the pillows and blankets that are too bright- the navy blues, dark reds and white lace and stick with the color palette that is in your rug. But, I do feel like the furniture placement is not quite right. Not sure what is on the right side of the photo, but bringing the green recliner to face opposite the floral chair might help to make the space not seem so much like a straight lineup. Or move the sofa to the left wall and place the two chairs across from it. PS: I love your "don't look at the clutter" comment- so cute!
    • See 2 previous
    • Country Design Home Country Design Home on Mar 10, 2016
      @Tina I thought I saw the edge of a table in your first photo. But what I couldn't see was those amazing french doors on the opposite wall from the chairs. Now I know why you don't move them over. That being said, I am wondering if you can move the green chair to the wall after the door ends- assuming that you don't have a hutch there? Then move the floral chair up towards the dining area?
  • I think the reason the room looks "busy" is that you have a lot of different colors and patterns in one small space. So the rug could work, but you just need to change some of the other colors. I would slipcover the sofa to a more neutral color, as others suggested. I would also suggest hanging your curtains higher and wider, and moving the panels that are in the center of the windows to the outer edges. This will help open up the room a bit and make the windows look larger instead of divided.
  • Rose Grimsley Rose Grimsley on Mar 10, 2016
    it's not the rug. You need to rearrange the furniture. It's all sitting on the wall and that's creatinga cluttered look
  • Jen R Jen R on Mar 10, 2016
    I like the rug and think what you have would work for now until you are ready to purchase new pieces, but I agree that by simply rearranging the room, it will feel more cohesive and intentional. I would move the chairs facing the sofa, possibly at an angle, from the corner of the run, not parallel to the sofa. Here is one example: http://www.hgtv.com/remodel/interior-remodel/living-room-layouts-and-ideas. Also here is a good site for room floor plans http://www.bhg.com/decorating/lessons/basics/how-to-arrange-furniture/?sssdmh=dm17.723398&esrc=nwwu021814c#page=3 Good luck and please post some after photos. PS I LOVE that you have a rotary phone!
  • Michelle Collins Michelle Collins on Mar 10, 2016
    I agree with the suggestions so far - but mostly that you need to rearrange & add some things (ex.: art, pillows, wall grouping) to tie it all together - usually you can find a good selection of décor items at thrift stores & yard sales.
  • Linda Johnson Linda Johnson on Mar 10, 2016
    I agree. Rearranging your furniture will do wonders for your living room. I would keep the rug, couch and green chair, as they compliment the rug. I would move the chair with the busy pattern, or put a neutral cover on it.
  • Paulette Paulette on Mar 10, 2016
    Switch your chairs... Keep the carpet...add a complementary pillow to chairs in carpet color...cover chairs back and cushions with same color throw...cover some of your pillows with new fabric and use some of this fabric as a swag on your curtains and please center your coffee table and put a decoration on it...you would be surprised how much it brightens a room
  • Freda Freda on Mar 10, 2016
    Keep the rug and cover the busy chair with any solid fabric. Old sheet or blanket would be cheap.
  • Liz Liz on Mar 10, 2016
    I agree with the comments about the chair. The rug is very pretty and goes well with the room. You can use many things to throw over the bright, floral chair. We found a beautiful, solid colored bedspread and used it to throw over a chair, and then made cushions to match for the sofa and other chair. It went together so well, and brought the room together.
  • 861650 861650 on Mar 10, 2016
    Great comments. Everything in your room is a solid color except the chair and rug. I would get get rid of the chair or cover it. Take a few good pictures of the rug, your couch and your chair. Enlarge them and go shopping. Use the colors in the rug to pick out fabric for your throw pillows, (slip cover them.) You can use different patterns as long as the colors are the same. Fabric outlets would be your best choice as they combine the "same colors" but different patterns together on rolls. You won't believe how easy it is. Further, you can update your lamps. Make slip covers for your lamp shades. Just google, "how to make covers for your lampshades," and not just with fabric. You can use wallpaper, heavy duty wrapping paper, curtains, shower curtains, inexpensive sheets, etc.
  • Pam Delnevo Pam Delnevo on Mar 10, 2016
    I would keep the rug & get a solid cover for the busy chair. Also, moving the chairs & sofa would help the flow, I think.
  • Snapoutofit Snapoutofit on Mar 10, 2016
    taller end table lamps would spiff up the place.
  • Sue Peet Sue Peet on Mar 11, 2016
    I agree with keeping the rug, covering the busy chair in a solid color but also finding a pair drapes in a different color. Pick a color from the rug for the drapes that would help tie everything together, the same for the chair a color from the rug.
  • Marcia Calcaterra Marcia Calcaterra on Mar 11, 2016
    Is your head spinning yet? Great ideas! I agree with changing the pillows.
  • Marcia Calcaterra Marcia Calcaterra on Mar 11, 2016
    Some artwork would tie everything together too. If not prints or oils, perhaps mirrors or iron scapes.
  • Deb Deb on Mar 12, 2016
    When you don't have much cash, try rearranging FIRST. Next I would try fewer pillows, but ADD patterned ones, not solid. Keep in the same color group as the chair & rug, but use something with different textures or scale of pattern. Drapes are so high contrast that they make the room smaller. Too expensive to replace? Well, you have shades; pull the drapes off for the summer and see if you like it! Art is a great bet. But if you are buying thrift store art, anything that has lost its YELLOWS -- do not buy. SUN-FADED.
  • Kayo Frazier Kayo Frazier on Mar 13, 2016
    Here's my 2 cents...I would keep the rug & the yellow patterned chair. All I would do is find a slip cover in a darker sage color than the curtains & put it on the couch. Get 6 pillow covers...2 in forest green solid &/or pattern, 2 cream faux fur & 2 in a pale yellow. That will tie everything together & give you a cohesive look. Hope this helps.
  • Deb Deb on Mar 13, 2016
    Agreeing with KAYO, SAGE is a great connecting color. I would recommend it on the walls. It is really more classic than gray/grey. It held its own in every color fad from the 1950ss through the 1990s (and beyond, whether pink or orange was in vogue!). About paint? It's the cheapest change you can make, but there are cautions. Never start with purchasing the gallon; it is so worth it to get the tester or quart size,..whatever you can. Take a favorite garment to the paint store, if you have one to color match. And pick a tint of your final choice for the ceiling; it should read as "glow" from the lamps and the walls. Never feel silly about carrying a cushion when you are shopping. I want to see how you end up. But if all your large pieces are solid, you will not be happy -- they will look like lumps. Trust yourself to add some prints as well, even if it is just pillows. Oh, and for art -- buy (fewer) bigger pieces (not lots of little) and don't hang your art too high -- people mostly SIT in rooms. Take time. Enjoy!! Good luck.
  • Kayo Frazier Kayo Frazier on Mar 13, 2016
    I wouldn't put a sage color on the walls...I'd leave the walls white. That will give more light to the room during the day & it won't feel like a cave at night. I would add other colors thru decor pieces or artwork. I'd change the shades to the lamps a creamy white.
  • Deb Deb on Mar 14, 2016
    Not to turn this into the KAYO & DEB hour, but I would use a very LIGHT sage on the walls. The high contrast between light and dark elements in the room chop it up. That's why I would try pulling the dark drapes and seeing if she likes it. I find the couch color so strong that the pillows we both recommend will break that up. The way to try paint is on a piece of plywood and move it around the room to see the effect in day and night. And yes, she is not getting enough help from her lighting -- paler, thinner shades are good. And maybe, not sage walls, but warmer ones based on apricot.
  • Kayo Frazier Kayo Frazier on Mar 14, 2016
    It's not my house...It's Tina's house...She will use whatever ideas she gets from the post she made that she likes. I was going cheap, easy & littlest amount of work. A slip cover on 1 piece of furniture would bring a cohesive look to everything in the room.
  • Deb Deb on Mar 15, 2016
    It is starting to feel like an argument between two commenters, Kayo and me. So this is my last entry. But I think we agree on our help for Tina. 1. Don't invest a lot of money you don't have. 2. Make one change at a time, and see how it works. 3. Don't be afraid of pattern if the colors work together. Remember (except for paint, sort of) you can try things (with the tags still on) and return them if they don't work -- drapes, pillows, etc. We all want to see if we have helped at all. (And I still recommend removing the grapes, at least while you are exploring; I think they are a distraction.) Good luck, Tina!
  • Obabie03 Obabie03 on Mar 15, 2016
    I would swap your sofa with chairs, put your chairs at angles to each other with a table in between . Not so many pillows on the couch, but 4 and bring the colors from the chair and rug, like the gold and sage in a texture (cover the ones you have). Take your lamps to the top of the tables they look to short give them some height. Add some pops of color to the walls with some art work picked up at garage sales or even from people online. Hang at eye level. Wish you luck!!
  • Kari Roberts Kari Roberts on Mar 20, 2016
    You can also dye rugs colors. I would bring some teal color into the room with accents.
  • Linda Linda on Apr 13, 2016
    I see you already
  • Linda Linda on Apr 13, 2016
    I see that you already have lots of suggestions, which can be overwhelming, but at the same time helpful if you weed things out. Looking again at the photograph, I would cover the chairs in the same coloured slipcover, take off a bunch of the cushions off of the sofa. Maybe think about painting the lamps and shade, also you could paint the coffee table and end tables in an off white and that would lighten things up. Good luck.
  • Deb Deb on Apr 14, 2016
    Wow, do you really still use that phone?? FUN!