Somewhere along the line, we decided we wanted to use green as our accent color in the living room. I've had the pillows in the photo above for a while now. The ones with the white fern leaves on them came from a flea market. I paid $7.00 for the pair. The long, lumbar-shaped one came from the Pottery Barn outlet outside of Atlanta for $10.00. It's one of my favorite things in the whole house. I love that "Medici" patterned fabric! The off-white colored throw blanket was a gift from our real estate agent, and the sofa and chair-and-a-half came from a furniture liquidator here in Alabama. We were ecstatic to find both pieces of furniture for $900. They are covered in a velvet-like fabric, which is exactly what I was searching for at the time, but I didn't know if that was possible for under a grand. (Thank you Total Liquidation in Montgomery!) But for the past couple of years, the one thing we've been trying to find is a good-looking, inexpensive area rug. Unfortunately, the words "inexpensive" and "area rug" don't often seem to go hand in hand.
But as of last weekend, I'm happy to report our rug search has finally ended! We were at a flea market here in Prattville, shopping for some things for a client. I shop a lot slower than Kevin, so he was a couple booths past me when I heard him say "Lay? Do you like this rug? ". At this point in our relationship he seems to have a very good grasp on whether or not I'll like something or not, so I was very excited to check out what he had found. When I rounded the corner and saw him standing there with the green and tan, stylized floral rug draped over his shoulder, I swear I heard angels singing. :-) The only problem was, it was a 5' x 8' rug, and I really wanted an 8' x 10' rug. Our coffee table is pretty big, and I didn't want the rug to look too small underneath it.
For some reason, it seems like when you go from a 5x8-sized rug to an 8x10-sized rug, the price jumps up significantly. But I loved the 5'x 8' rug Kevin had found so much, that I decided to borrow an idea I had seen somewhere, at some point, while obsessing over all things interior.
I decided to use our large, inexpensive 6'-7" x 9'-10", "Dragor" area rug from Ikea (that we had previously been using in our dining room) on the bottom, and the 5'x 8' rug Kevin found for $39.99 on top...
I love the layered effect the two rugs creates. And because the bottom one is actually an indoor/outdoor synthetic rug, it's super durable, which is always a good thing when it comes to rugs. (It's reversible too!)
Today, I saw this similar version of our $39.99 rug on RestorationHardware.com for $1299.00:
Boy do I feel like we got a heck of a deal now!
Have you purchased any inexpensive look-a-likes lately? I'd love to see and hear about your frugal finds too!
Layla :-)
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44 comments:
Hey Girl!
Ill tell you another trick with the area rugs..Go to the remnant section at your carpet store, find something that flips your switch and ask the store to bind it for you (finishing the edge) and voila!
Works wonderful, and totally CHEAP..or InExPeNsIvE!
xo
coastal nest
I think your rug looks way better than the one from RH. The room is looking fantastic!
great find! love the green. I found a 10x12 seagrass rug at the Salvation Army a few weeks ago for $20! I nearly died. of course, it was covered in mildew (lovely!) but it bleached right out!
What a great find! I love the colors you have in that room and the rug adds the perfect accent. Thanks for sharing!
Yowza, you totally got a great deal. Looks super!
It's perfect! I would have never thought to layer rugs, but it looks great!
I have a similar rug to that in storage! Might need to drag it out now that you have inspired me!! :)
It looks great! Way to follow your instincts. My husband would think layering the rugs is weird. I love it!
I have been searching for a coffee table for our house & I wanted black or red to accent that room. NOTHING has seemed in our price range. I stumbled upon this yesterday & I love the look. can't wait til it arrives!
http://www.abcdistributing.com/home/catalog/cat_item_pg3.asp?P=124&G=750
This is such a great idea. I had the hardest time finding pretty rugs for a decent price. I never understood why rugs are so expensive. Thanks for the tip!
i just today discovered your blog and must say - wow! - i can't think of anything you have done that hasn't caused my pulse to beat a little faster -
love the layered rug effect - cool - hey i even love that little pointy-eared puppy on the back of the sofa - i love that little dogs like being up like that -
great blog -
troy & rod
I love your rug, it looks perfect with the pillows and other accessories. I may have to try that layering rug tip. The rug we have is a 5 by 8 and I would really like a bigger one - this one has just room for the coffee table and and a soft place for our feet sitting on the couch
What a deal! I have been looking for an 8x5 rug for my living room forever & can't find one that I like and if I do I am not willing to pay what they want for it!
awesome deal! i love when i find things like that! that green is SUCH great pop of color!
i found a rug for my dining room from Marshall's home store and it was so inexpensive, good quality AND the colors i wanted!
OMG Layla, my family room is decorated in "ferns" using green & tan as well and I love the area rug. I'm in LaGrange, Georgia and have not been able to locate any good flea markets around here. Any suggestions?? Where is the one in Prattville? Thanks and enjoy your blog.
I got an awesome 8x10 seagrass at J&G's a month or so ago for $19.99! I'm going to use it in my sunroom (it's currently being redone but won't be finished until after Christmas), so that's my "rug story"!
Judy
I like your rug much better than the Restoration Hardware one. What a beautiful find.
I love layering rugs. I almost always put area rugs in bedrooms with wall-to-wall carpet. Not a huge wall-to-wall fan, and adding an area rug simply helps! I've been wanting to layer area rugs over wood floor for a while now. I've been thinking sisal for the bottom layer, but your IKEA rug is fabulous. Maybe I'll try that! Thanks for the constant inspiration!
Go Kevin!!!
I think it is fantastic that you can pick out items that Layla loves for the house.
You are so good for each other.
After 36 years( yes I love my Glennie) my husband went to the mall for a b'day prez.
He says I am hard to buy for and he is right.
If I buy something I want it to be the exact thing I am loving.
After 2 coffees, a cinnabun, pretzel, and xlg soda he came home in quite a sugar stupper with a William Sonoma "cheese-grater". hehe
We never laughed so hard.
Gotta love the effort.
Maybe Kevin could give tutorials on shopping.
Love the light green pillow tons and the living room is awesome. geri.
I was looking for rugs one day and was in Cost Plus there was this wonderful really great thick red 10x12 rug it was around $100, I then was at Pottery Barn and they had the exact same rug,truly the same rug for $800, I was very blown away.
You layered those rugs perfectly! Sometimes layered rugs can feel a bit like clutter, but the two of yours combined gives a nice, elegant feel to the room. Love it!
Funny you posted this. I spotted that rug the other day in your photo and loved it. You guys got a great deal!
Hi Layla, Kevin and Fur Friends
Firstly I have to say how much I love your blog and the coming together of your home...you are both an inspiration ;)
Secondly, I wanted to make the same suggestion as Coastal Nest, my mum did the same thing and it was ALOT more 'inexpensive'. She couldn't find rugs large enough (without the price tag)to fit under her dining table and coffee table so off she went to a carpet supplier, found the exact thing she was looking for and had them finish the edges and they look fantastic...By the way my Mum is a perfectionist and her home looks like walking through a vouge magazine shoot, they did a brilliant job.
Looking forward to the end result of your guest bathroom.
Merry Christmas
Cheers from Australia
Amanda x
beautiful green rug! You give me hope...as I have been searching/hunting for a good area rug! Love your blog...I've been lurking for awhile ;)
Have a wonderful week! Aubrey
Hey "SeaWorthy" and "Amanda"!
We actually did have the edges of a large carpet remnant bound back in 2004, but it cost us over $200! <:-O It is a great tip though. Especially if you can find someone to do it for less than we than we did!
:-)
Layla
Your rug is much prettier that the zillion dollar one! Love the layered look for the Letter Cottage. Go Kevin!!!
I have recently bought 2 persian, super cool rugs on e-bay ( I will send you a pic later- both odd shapes: 5x7) for .99 !!!! It cost 20 dollars in shipping, but soooo whhatt! There are a bunch of them on there under Pakobel's store and if you stick to your guns on the .99, you'll eventually get one!! I did! They are gorgeous and were just what I needed in my kitchen to warm it up and in our bedroom. I love this one you found, I agree, looks so much richer than the RH one!
Lizzy
so nice!! For any other Canadians reading, I have this similar-looking carpet in my living room and love it. It's not $39.99 but it's a great deal cheaper than many others I had found. (Can't wait to see more on the guest bathroom :-))
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/DebbieTravis/DebbieTravisFloorCoverings/PRDOVR~0686058P/Debbie%2BTravis%2BBranch%2BRug%252C%2B5x8-ft..jsp
(I hope that link worked...??)
That's such a great find! I haven't had that luck lately, but I'll tell you if I do.
Layering area rugs is an EXCELLENT idea!! I'm actually so excited about this post. My mom is in need of a huge rug and she will love this idea. Thank you LOTS. ;)
The new rug coordinates beautifully with your green patterned pillows! Great find!
I recently finished The Fixer Upper and really enjoyed it! Thanks for the recommendation. :)
I have a white tile floor in my kitchen that is just aweful to keep clean and ugly to boot. I had been looking for an area rug to put down in there, but wool was out of the question for a kitchen. The ones I had been pricing were in the $300 - $400 range. I was ecstatic when I found an indoor/outdoor rug exactly like I had been hoping for in the Ballard Designs catalogue for $89. I also had a coupon, so after shipping and all it was only $90 and some change. I feel like I got a great deal on that rug and my kitchen also looks so much better now. :0)
I love the way your new rug looks in your room. The layered effect really adds a lot of warmth.
I love that rug. It's perfect for you. We, too, have done the remenant thing at the carpet store. It's really plush and feels, well, like carpet. Just not all over, covering the hardwoods.
How's the bathroom coming?
Hey Miss Obara!
We've had to put the brakes on the bathroom reno for the time being. We're getting prepared to leave this Friday to tape our TV segments (which will air next Tuesday and on the 17th by the way), so we'll resume with the reno when we get back on the 13th. Thanks for checking in with us!
Layla
I found a lovely 8x10 at our local Ross store...it is just a solid tan color with a leafy pattern in it. I just love it, and it was just 50 bucks! I love your layered rugs. They look beautiful!
-Grace
I noticed the rug in your last post too. I love the little touch of green you have in the living room. I'm on the look out for rugs for my new house as it will be carpetless. That can be a little rough on baby knees. I never would have thought to layer them to get a bigger looking rug though. Great idea!
That's so funny you posted this today. I must have subconsiously used the picture you posted yesterday for inspiration for my living room. Last night, my husband wanted to re-arrange our living room after I was telling him of an idea I had to open it up. Not one to say no when he offers help like that, we jumped into action only to find out that my new 5x7 rug was too small. Later, after moving everything back I had an *ingenious* idea to buy a cheap 8x10 and layer the 5x7 on top.
I must thank you for providing pictures of your interior that is so lovely to look at, they are no embedded in my memory banks! I think your layerd rugs look fantastic! And I LOVE how you decked out your mantle for the holidays.
Looks great!
Just FYI - the reason 8 x10 rugs cost so much more is that they are double the square footage as a 5 x 8. * x 10 rugs are 80 square feet and 5 x 8 rugs are 40 square feet, so even though it doesn't seem like it , the 8 x 10 is double the size.
Marty
It looks amazing! A great trick to keep in mind!
I love getting inspiration then coming up with a less expensive solution.
I love the trestle tables at RH but $1755 just for a table isn't in the budget. I did find a local craftsman who makes trestles tables from 150 year old barn wood so it's handcrafted, reclaimed wood and less than 1/3 the price!
Love alternative options that turn out better than the inspiration. :)
Have a great week!
Oh, that looks wonderful. I just wanted to tell you so.
Love it all, girl! I call our house "the green house" like yours is Letter Cottage. It's my all time favorite color and it's everywhere. My office, bedroom, dining room, and kitchen are all shades of green.
Well that is just brilliant! I have an inexpensive Berber rug in our guest room that I may try layering over if/when I find a perfect add on rug. Thank you for the great idea - I love your blog!
Love the rugs! Good choice to layer them...gives a warm, rich feeling. I snagged a great bargain the other day in my local thrift store (where I spend WAY too much time and money!). They had a pretty set of dinnerware by mse (Martha Stewart Everyday). They were a simple design in a toasty warm beige with a dotted border that I'd seen there for a while. They had 16 pieces - a full service for 4 - dinner and salad plates, cup and saucer, each marked separately. On "Black Friday" I stopped in to find everything in the store was marked down, in addition to the weekly price tag "color" (items with the selected color price tag are 50% off for that week). These mse pieces all happened to have tags marked with the color of the week, so I got all 16 pieces for $13.50! What a coup! Maybe I'll do a tablescape on my blog to celebrate them and finding great bargains.
It looks great (and what an awesome price!) Love the green...
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