apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Okay, Andree, you are my new best friend. Do you design for a living? Now I have to confess: I haven't moved into this hallway yet. June 7th I'm there. I have digital pics of the place though. Also I know the work that's going to hang on the wall. It never occurred to me to consider the art and the rug together though. Hhhmmmm.... The piece is made of felt.... It's green, yellow, and red on beige cotton, and I've already framed it in a light wooden frame. Does this mean I should think rugs that are green yellow or brown? Do you agree with Jonathan Adler's manifesto where he says don't worry about things matching if you love them?

You should check out Home Carpet One on North Lincoln Avenue at Barry. I'm pretty certain they have Angela Adams rugs in stock.

Don't laugh, but I've seen rugs from the MaryKate and Ashley Collection in their windows in the past -- you might want to check them out.

Look at this site for some impressive designs:

http://www.vanderhurdstudio.com/

You'll have to inquire about costs.

Here are some examples of the rugs I was talking about:

http://rugsusa.com/shawmarykate4.html
http://rugsusa.com/circlerainbow.html
http://rugsusa.com/fa.html

They're not Angela Adams, but neither is the price tag. They are all under $399.

Don't give up so easily! Did you check other online suppliers? That rug is on the Velocity Art and Design website:

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/aateddy2.html
http://www.inmod.com/rugs.html
http://www.re-modern.com/product/AA-5R.html

Maybe they still have one in stock??

What a beautiful rug. Have you tried calling the Angela Adams showroom up here in New England -- it's in Portland, Maine? They may have some on their sales floor since they carry discontinued rugs marked down. Here's their number, give them a ring... I hope you find it!

207.774.3523

Best,
Holly

Wellllll, you could say I design to keep myself living...I don't get paid, I don't have degree in design, but I'm home (disabled) all the time and I just HAVE to do something. If I didn't have an outlet for my creativity and passion and need to be productive, I might as well be dead. It's rewarding on many levels. It's like a treasure hunt (what can I find) and a puzzle (what can go with what I find) and so on.

I don't mind if you're not in your new place yet. Like I said, you can't have too many ideas.

I don't think things have to match. I personally like to be in the middle of a theme room...and I don't mean a Disneyland theme...I mean if I picked out an art print, I'd kind of want to be surrounded completely by things that worked with that print.

Zip over here to Raelene and Jose's place on AT-NY in Miami:
http://tinyurl.com/ou2eg

If you click on View all Pictures, you'll get the same set of pictures 4 times, so there really aren't 120+ pictures. Each room has a "theme"...a set of colors used that gives an overall feeling to the room. It doesn't have to be the same STYLE...that lovely bedroom with the blue-grey walls, there's a modern bed with a traditional chair and chest. Earthy elements, like the pots, the design on the pillows. And a burst of color in the pink to provide JUST enough color. That burst of color can be changed. To red. To bright green. To charcoal grey. And the whole room will still work.

Maybe Adler's idea was that things should not have to match in style, but could match in other ways. I don't know. He doesn't write. He doesn't call. You'd think we'd never met. Oh, yeah, we haven't met.

Using that same room at Raelene and Jose's, would the room have the overall effect if, let's say, the bed was black, the chair was wood tone, and the chest was white? Uh, nope. Same stuff. The color unites them while they still retain their individual style.

You don't have to get everything at once, Sara. You don't need to make absolute decisions on ANYTHING until you've lived in your new home for awhile. You may find that things you wanted to go in a certain area might be better off in another area, because of the lighting.

As far as matching up the art with the rug...let's think of it this way...you'll be wearing the framed art as a jacket...what pants or skirt will you pair with it? Would you wear a green, yellow, red, beige jacket with a pink, orange, white floral skirt? No? I kind of hope not. That just sounds scary.

It doesn't have to look like a suit that you bought together, but you'd kind of like the patterns and colors to be complementary.

You can set up a photo album on Flickr.com, it's free and if I can do it, anyone can do it. You can post pictures of your new place, or of the art piece specifically. Then we can go look for rugs that will work. Or we can pick out a rug for the hall and look for art that will work, while using the current art piece in a different room.

Check here:
http://tinyurl.com/khalz

Live with what you love. An overall "theme" of colors...and of fruits. You'd remember that room as being colorful...but all the color comes from the objects. The walls, furniture, shelves, all white.

Perhaps you have other items in the same color family? Think about similar colored items when packing/unpacking.

The Mary Kate & Ashley rugs are available in great colors and affordable, however, they are nylon and not wool. I've found that rugs in the patterns and colors that I like tend to be much more expensive.

People, thank you! It's great to read your responses. I called Angela Adams in Maine and all the other stores Should Be Working mentioned. That rug is gone. It might be on some random shelf, but I think I'd be lucky to find it. I *am* attached to wool but appreciate Kathryn's suggestions. The Crate and Barrel rug is nice, but you're right, Heather; I want to turn up the brightness dial. I need a preschooler's level of color.

I'm glad you tried the Maine store - keep on trying, there is bound to be ONE left on this planet in good condition. Scan eBay daily. You never know...

Holly

Oh, Sara, by the way, I HAVE been doing this kind of thing for several years now, over on the Better Homes and Gardens site in Decorating, Kitchen and Bath, etc.

The best thing I can hear from folks is "I was dreading doing this and now I can't wait to get started". Not just directed at me, either, it's wonderful to hear people get enthusiastic about whatever it is they are doing.

Maybe it's because *I* get so enthusiastic. Wanna see?
http://tinyurl.com/j388g

That's a bunch of kitchens I did for someone. You can click on each one to see the larger picture. Here's one for another kitchen:
http://tinyurl.com/mhpf7

Nothing can give me greater joy than coming up with a solution for what someone thought was a problem. Seeing it in a new light. Making a stumbling block a step up.

Especially if it's working with what you've got. Most of the time I never get to find out what folks do after they get the info, I never see the after pictures. But that's okay. I just kind of hope they got their places together, and are now living a wonderful life, enjoying their homes.

Well, let's see what we can find. The rug you wanted was 2.5 x 8. It's wool. And it's bright, saturated colors in the warm range.

One of my fav sites for rug browsing, is:
http://www.rugs-direct.com

Why? Because they have all sorts of search items to add or subtract, like the main color, the size, the shape, the style, the material. Then you can pull up ONLY the rugs you're interested in with things you want the most. It's heartbreaking to lose one rug, then spot another only to find the NEW rug is the wrong size, wrong material, etc.

Blocks overlaid, brights:
Brand: Safavieh
Collection: Rodeo Drive
Style: Cosmopolitan
Color: Multi (RD639A)
Made In: China
Material: 100% Wool
http://tinyurl.com/gdq5q

And an art idea to go with that rug:
http://tinyurl.com/fsptl

Look at the overlaid squares of color on the wall, there it's done in pink. You could do it in the rug brights.

Another rug idea:
http://tinyurl.com/f9lx9

More towards tropical brights. Some of the brighter Kim Parker items would be swell with that rug:
http://tinyurl.com/env5d

They have some of them at Cost Plus/World Market ready to go, for much less than the above site.

I don't know what else you have or where the runner is going, so I just envisioned an empty hall in need of happy colors. But I HAD to add some art. Even if you don't. :)

Halls, by themselves, are often seen as just a passageway...to get from here to there. The hall is rarely a destination in and of itself. I think that's a shame. We're all paying for that hall, we use it everyday, and we don't think of it at all. Maybe "darn, better put down a runner, people are tracking up and down the hall" but rarely "I want to design the hall to be an attractive and rewarding space."

Just because you can't sit in the hall or sleep in the hall, doesn't mean it can't be beautiful. Show of hands...how many people HAVE decorated their hallways as a destination? How many hallways have you been in that caused you to pause for a moment to admire the art or runner or other decor?

Holly, how many halls have you been consulted on? Really!

Anyway, check out the couple of rugs above, and play around at the Rugs Direct site, specifying "wool" and "runner" and then just browse. Select colors if you want. Styles. Let us know more details on where the rug is going and what other things you have (obviously neither rug above is going to work if you have an orange and pink room).

I have a gazillion more sites I can browse, I just love looking at rugs and imagining the room that could be created just from the rug colors and styles!

I'm still browsing, and came across this, which is just too cute:
http://tinyurl.com/hykhv

It looks like 4 different round rugs laid over each other. Happy colors. More like Swedish Country, rather than mod.

And yet another style for you to glance at:
http://www.novica.com/itemdetail/index.cfm?pID=96565

I like Novica. You get to read the story about the person who is making the specific item you're ordering. It makes a connection with the person in a far away place, and it's handmade by that person. For you. For other like you.

You know you are making a difference in someone's life by buying those items. Oh, I'm sure he's not getting the full profits, but he probably IS getting a lot more than he would if he were selling in his local area.

Every one of your neighbors isn't going to have one. You won't see it at all the stores. Unless you travel to the areas that have similar items, you won't see them at all. My dad did some traveling for business in South America, so we got a smattering of textiles, furniture, and other objects.

Like carved/burnt gourds. Oh, I tossed them around at my mom's house, tried to learn to juggle with them (failed miserably). Then I saw them in some ritzy import shop, and they wanted something like $100.00 each. YIKES. I never again tried to juggle the gourds.

Like anything so far? I'm just browsing some links I have and checking out others. I lost all my links a few months ago when my hard drive died, so I need to rebuild my rug links anyway.

Andree, The Rugs Direct site is FABULOUS. I already have a wish list ten items long. There's nothing in the hallway now: you go up a flight of stairs and down this hall that goes past the master bath and right into the bedroom. I was going to start with the rug then do the bedroom with it in mind. It's hard for me to describe what I like. I can't abide anything too symmetrical, and stripes and solids bore me silly.

Here are some of the ones I've liked so far. Am I all over the place? I seem to be mostly wanting something girly. I also seem to be stuck in the Surya collection. Do you know anything about their rugs?

Now that I made the wish list, my browser won't connect me to the links. Here are the names. If it's too much trouble to look 'em up, don't worry about it. You've helped me enough!

Trans Ocean, Collection: Gallia, Pom Pom
Surya Carpet, Collection: Goa, G-85
Surya Carpet, Collection: Sea, SEA - 143
Surya Carpet, Goa, G-57
Surya Carpet, Dazzle , DAZ-6516
Surya Carpet, Naya, NY-5061

No problem, Sara. Glad to see you found some things you liked!
Trans Ocean, Collection: Gallia, Pom Pom
http://tinyurl.com/gdfrf

Surya Carpet, Collection: Goa, G-85
http://tinyurl.com/fc5mw

Surya Carpet, Collection: Sea, SEA - 143
http://tinyurl.com/kqqex

Surya Carpet, Goa, G-57
http://tinyurl.com/p2mar

Surya Carpet, Dazzle , DAZ-6516
http://tinyurl.com/rgmnu

Surya Carpet, Naya, NY-5061
http://tinyurl.com/r3ufb

I wanted to get those up right away for you, so you could compare them side by side. I like that you're making the hall into the grand entrance to the bedroom...an extension of the bedroom, a preview of coming attractions!

Next step, we know we can match paint to any of the colors. Forget about the paint step. We need to know what textiles are available that will complement the colors in the rug.

Solids, reversible, cardinal/sienna, goes kind of with NY-5061: http://tinyurl.com/gdshc

Or something like this with the G-85:
http://tinyurl.com/f2hd7

You don't need to do EVERYTHING in matching items. Mix 'em up, solids and patterns. Since the rug will outlast the bedding colors/styles, pick up the items in the closest colors now. You can mix in solids in the most neutral tones in the rugs, and they all have a neutral tone in there somewhere.

You can use the KILAN in brown with the SEA-143:
http://tinyurl.com/gszox

Or something like this with that same rug, an assortment of greens:
http://tinyurl.com/eeps5

You have LOTS of colors to choose from in the various rugs. How's the lighting in the hallway? Pick up a couple of paint chips in colors that look close to some of the main colors of the various rugs and throw them down on the hall floor.

You might lose all the differences in color, like in the Dazzle 6516, if the hallway is dark. Besides, that rug makes me nauseated, it's too undulating.

Other rugs that have a big difference between colors, you'd still see the difference in a darker hall.

I'm so excited for you. I'm really glad you found some you like!

Wild Lime blanket:
http://tinyurl.com/z9bnp

Use ideas from pricier bedding to create a look you like:
http://www.pillowsandthrows.com/inhnrgodc.html

Then go to Target, two patterns, same color:
http://tinyurl.com/h6zmn
http://tinyurl.com/fgv6z

Check out the throw pillows, in the Blues and Greens area:
http://tinyurl.com/gc9qn

Lots of bright greens in there, various patterns, again, to mix and match with the brown KILAN or the Bog Green items. I'm working on just that green, brown, cream rug, because I thought it might be hard to find that shade. Not that I know exactly what color the rug will actually BE, but it's good to know that there ARE some colors somewhere in the same family.

If you get down your wish list to just one or the other, of any of the rugs, let me know, and I can go look for other items that might work. Now is a GOOD time to look for brighter colors, as real soon they will be clearancing the "summer" stuff to make sure we have our winter items available for those chilly months of July. ;)

Someone, stop me now!

Scroll down here to the Butterfly and Floral print pillows to go with the Goa G-57:
http://www.stretchandcover.com/decorative-pillows.php

No, they aren't an exact match. They may also go with the Goa G-85.

Heishi leaf might work with Goa G-85 too, in the rust/green and orange/natural combo.

Andree, this is too much fun! I just put up photos of the hallway and the art on Flickr. I'm not sure how you're gonna find it, but my username is saragayle. (Can you tell I'm a technophobe? It was an achievement to do Flickr. Now I want to learn how you're making those tiny urls.)

I understand what you're saying about how to pull things together with color. And now I'm very curious to know which of the rugs you think might work, or what else you'll find. Obviously the orange pom poms are out!

Thanks again for doing this with me. You're an inspiration!

I did a search, but there are no pictures under "saragayle":
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39266029@N00/

Uh, as far as the tinyurl goes, you just go to
http://www.tinyurl.com

I used the "Make a toolbar button" link so I have a link to go right there and have those nice little addresses made instantly. Someone here on AT got on me for my jumbo links and then gave me a solution with TinyUrl and I've used it ever since.

Do you know how to copy and paste? Can you go to your photos and come back here and paste in the address? It will look like the one that I found for saragayle. Maybe that is you. I don't remember if the photos were available right away or not when I started.

I use the Flickr area to show people what I mean when I play around with their room arrangements or colors, here's mine:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96179754@N00/

All those loft pictures are for someone on AT-LA.

When you get to my page, you can click on "add Andreediane as a contact" that will then send me an email and will give me a link to your actual site. Then I can be sure I'm in the right place!!

And I can start looking for rugs again. ;)

I'm really glad you're having fun with this. Because it SHOULD be fun.

Thanks for your patience. I hadn't registered a url. So here it is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/saragl/

Now I'm going to go look at your pics!

Okay, found the pictures, and now I'm looking for new ideas. Is the background of the skates a shade of grey?
How about this?
http://tinyurl.com/nr4q6

Yeah, I know you weren't crazy about boxy geometrics, but check it anyway.

Completely different look:
http://tinyurl.com/pxblt

I love the track lighting. I've always loved track lighting. Just being able to focus the lights on different things gives you a different look.

It's a very stark hallway, very art galleryish. And the art you want to hang in their is also stark...except for the colorful skates, which are off-center. It's very "winter"...the happy colored skates, ready to brave and conquer the coldest rink.

I don't want to put serious florals there, with the stark gallery and winter skates. In fact, I'd kind of like to see the whole area stark, and the only color coming from the skates.

Of course, the bookshelves will add color and pattern. What are your thoughts? After all, it IS your place. ;)

Hmmmmmm... I gotta think. I can see how the Kaleen green
rug would pick up on the green of the skates in a cool way. But I'm not sure I can live with THAT much green. And I don't want green in the bedroom, so I worry I'd get the "right" rug but be committing to a color scheme that feels all wrong.

The other rug is too traditional for me.

The background on the skates is almost putty-colored. (What the heck is putty-colored?) Sort of green gray light brown.

Level with me: do you think the Surya, Naya, NY-5061 is all wrong? I'm telling myself it's not sooooo floral. But maybe the colors are off. I always know what I like separately, but have trouble visualizing what things look like TOGETHER.

Ya know, that might work, lemme try to do a picture of it.

Yeah, it looks GOOD Sara! Go back to my photos, see where I tried to make the rug you liked. I also tried to do the green rug that I thought might work, but I don't think it looks as nice as the one you picked. The one you chose is much more cheery.

I told you I have a problem with "matchy-matchy" and the green rug is probably too matchy-matchy. However, if they ever have a buy one, get one free sale on both those rugs, then get one as a spare. ;)

Oh! How cool to be able to see the rug and the picture together in the actual space! Wow wow wow! Thank you so much. I'm going to order that rug tomorrow.... and then start hounding you about how to redo our bathroom!! But seriously, thanks a bunch. Without you, I would have ordered the GOA G-85 and then been mortified and tried hawking it the next day on Craig's List. Plus I learned about color. I am a happy camper.

That's terrific!

I wholeheartedly encourage folks to try to learn part of some kind of photo/paint program. I know how to use maybe 1 percent of the old program I have. Maybe less than that. There's so much stuff I don't know what it all does.

But even just copying and pasting part of a rug and part of something else into the hall gives you a much better idea. Or drawing it out by hand, like I did, using the colors that are shown in the rug and in your art.

Just getting the vaguest idea of how it might look can make the difference between ordering one thing or another.

Since they don't really have "message boards" here, I think you can email via Flickr. Somehow. I haven't tried that. I don't know how Flickr all works either. All I want to do is upload and delete.

And I can check back here in this thread too, for updates on your new place.

Here are some contemporary runner area rugs at http://www.boldrugs.com/