I think the simple answer is throw pillows and table accessories.

Your rug is really cool! I would try to bring out some of the lesser seen colors in the pattern. You could also take a photo to the fabric store to find subtle prints to coordinate. The sky's the limit since your sofa is such a neutral shade.

O my, this is amazing rug and I think it will look gorgeous with white furniture. I agree with earlier comment, that now it's all about accessories. I think metallics would work really nice. And fresh flowers in purple, orange and magenta :)

check out this Swedish apartment and how they integrated their fuschia rug. http://frenchbydesign.blogspot.com/2010/09/house-tour-hanne-and-hans.html

I agree with metallics - and maybe blue/teal throw pillows. Big bold artwork on the walls in shades of blue. Pale pale pale wood framed art with flecks of pink or purple in the artwork.

Is the rug also from Ikea?

It was a horrible idea - you should sell the rug to me :) Great rug - I would do silver, bright red and orange as well as dark woods and mirrors. Look for weird/ outside the box things to hang on the wall as well as artwork to keep things interesting.

It's only

It's only a bad idea if you don't embrace "eclectic", which isn't a guarantee that it'll look good together, just that it has a little of everything. On the other hand, such a bold color/ pattern decision shouldn't be shunned, or matched but embraced and coordinated. Jeweltone accessories are somewhat predictable, but even black and white would work, as long as you mimic something from the rug, either color or shape-wise. It's the crazy but right combinations that make the result special on top of eclectic.

This rug IS fun. It tweaks tradition. You don’t necessarily need more fun.

Rather than thinking about how to make it more eclectic and fun, think about making it more YOU. Anyone can buy some funky purple throw pillows, but making it personal… that is the challenge (and the fun). But you kinda gotta do that on your own. Take your time and develop your own eye. Don’t worry about putting it all together in a week. Good rooms get built over time.

There is no single answer for adding personality to a room. But I think this is a good way to get started:

---Includes some old and some new.
---Include some matte and some shiny (some slick, and some organic).
---Go masculine or feminine, but include a touch of the other.
---Don’t be too matchy.
---Include something black.
---Get the best art you can afford. And if you can only afford posters, invest in good frames.
---Good lighting is essential. You need ambient and task lighting, and it needs to be functional and fantastic.
---Buy only what you love. Don’t buy because it matches or you think it will look good or is functional.

I would go bohemian with a suzani ottoman, pink and purple glass bottles, maybe a mosaic mirror to add some sparkle? and pillows in lots of textures, like sequins, velvet and faux flokati fluff!

I think it's beautiful . I could see it working well with a dark antique sideboard & silver mirrored end tables. Please enjoy it!

The rug will work very nicely with white furniture. If you want to add eclectic and fun add some industrial and kitsch pieces. These will contrast with the dignity and poshness that a persian rug embodies (even if it is pink and purple!). So think plastic or metal, whimsical, vintage and/or found objects.

I think if it's beautiful. It sounds like your taste might be more minimal. If you can paint the walls, I suggest taking them to a light greige and then adding small touches of color from the rug around the room - perhaps a painting in darker neutrals with a splash of orange, and some small, sleek pillows in purple?

Above all, I agree with Arroyo - you have your startng point, now just acquire things slowly that you enjoy and enhace the feeling you've started with this rug. Good luck!

A rug like this is never never a mistake. Just something that will inform all the places you use it for the rest of your life. A great rug becomes part of the family. This is a good thing.
To go with it...think wood and organic things. Look at where it would have lived in Persia. Think color and color and metal and leather as well as wood. Then take some time. If you decide it is not working I think some one here will take it off your hands :)

Wowsa! I'd give my eyeteeth for that rug. (envy, envy, envy)

If you want a more sophisticated feel, try going with the rug's colors in more subdued shades - aubergine/eggplant, deep plum, royal/navy/midnight blue. All woods will work; but cherry, purplewood and other cool-red toned woods will sing. Put those with your white sofas; and your living room will be just this side of eclecto-sophisticated heaven.

For the eclectic and fun feel -
go out and have fun. :)

Specifically, have fun shopping away from the major chain stores (and Ikea, except for their wacky "what-the heck-is-that-thing?" stuff) and instead at import stores, antique shops, and thrift stores. For true eclecticism, choose styles, finishes, & colors that work together but tend not to match exactly. (Oh, and bonus points for anything you have to scrub the dirt of off once you get it home.)

Love the rug, looks overdyed so I bet I could DIY this by buying a cheap-oh version and dying over it... anyone? WOuld it work, as in the pattern still showing through?

I had started to write a response about using silks & velvets in purples/ pinks/ oranges for cushions & bolsters, & adding an item of old painted/ dark wood furniture as a contrast against the white - but then I remembered this tour from Re-nest, which says everything I would suggest & more, in pictures ... http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/green-tours/nancy-davids-restored-ranch-green-tour-155290.

They have mixed & layered strong colours & interesting textures with a fabulous collection of old & new pieces - including lots of gorgeous antique rugs - against a clean white backdrop (& white sofas), to create one of my very favourite tours on this site.

PS - I LOVE the rug too, & am extremely envious! Where did you buy it from?

Please tell us where you got that rug! Was it ABC? Obviously I don't think it was a bad idea....

beautiful rug! i think eclecticism and simplicity don't have to be mutually exclusive. i agree with waiting to find stuff you leave. my ideas: a light gold (or champagne color) Moroccan pouf or cushions, lots of plants and maybe even a big tree plant, and something in a not-too-dark wood (side table, shelves, a big floor mirror, picture frames) just to lend an organic touch and add some diversity in materials.

You need another colour. Or better still, with your plain white sofa, a pair of similar colours - like baby blue & royal blue or lemon yellow & lime-rind green. You might also bring in a teeny bit of pinky red elsewhere in the room to tie in the (beautiful!) rug, but not too much I think.

love it! would look fab with peacock blues and dark aubergine throws and pillows. beautiful choice, definitely do not regret getting it!

a light blue accent wall and throw pillows in deep paprika and purple

I second wonkyone15's suggestion.
Congrats on the rug - very cool!

Where is this rug from??????????

I would actually say forget the pink. What makes this rug interesting and eye-catching is that it is different. If you drown it with a whole bunch of other pink in the room, it will disappear as background. Instead, you should consider using complimentary colors, like lime greens or peacock blues so the pink and purple rug stands out on its own.

Congratulations on having the good taste to choose such a gorgeous Persian.

My parents have a few similar rugs and they have a lot of navy blue accents that go wonderfully with it.

You have a perfect starting point and a strong anchor to go a lot of different ways in the room it's in, red, purple, navy even golds and greens would pop against it.

Have fun with it and you'll create a fun, eclectic room.

Nope it wasn't a mistake. I once saw a zebra rug layered on a rug like this. But that is way over the top and you would really need a good eye to pull it off.

to AmyG/NY: Rug off Ebay from 1-800-RUGS for $399

And thank you everyone for all the great suggestions!!

I'm sorry, 1-800-GETARUG
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350486042417&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:1123