apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The rug is the least of their worries. You walk in the front door and immediately trip over the coffee table, under which the toddler has entrapped herself.

Why is the curtain rod a foot above the window?

Personally I am not crazy about that rug. The stripes kind of give me a headache. What about some FLOR tiles? There are so many color schemes to choose from. One thing that would help your living room seem more open would be to get a canvas tote to put in the corner for all the stuffed animals cluttering up the couch. Replace them with a couple of cool pillows (Urban Outfitters has a lot of fun ones) in colors that go with whatever rug you end up getting. And if it were my place, I'd paint the walls a bolder color. Good luck!

Mother of God-please, please,please invest in a new pair of drapes-lose the tab tops, and get yourselves a rod that extends past the window at least 6 inches on either side...the window is such a lovely feature and it's lost behind those insipid drapes. The pb rug is fun, but then ditch the pink walls and go for something more neutral. Big, bold pillows that pick up the red and white of the rug and the black from the armoire, coordinate with your new drapes and you're good to go...

The pink walls are great! I think a black or dark chocolate rug would pull it together nicely--then lower the curtain rod change the tab curtains to bright white sheers.

I think a cream/white and black rug would look fabulous. Pottery Barn has a new bold floral rug called the Bold Floral Rug that would add some great depth and dimension to your room. I would then simply add some color through some great pillows and art. I love pink walls but I would consider going slightly deeper to - again - add some depth as well as color. Add a few baskets or canvas tote as mentioned previously for the toys and you'll be rockin' a sophisticated room.

http://www.yurdan.com/yrdn/ShopByPrice.aspx?CatalogID=YRDN_Kilims&p=2&ppp=51&s=2&sd=1&pr=4

above is a link to kilim rugs, mostly neutral with color sections. below is a link to paint(i think that would solve the beigeness, maybe vert de terre)...i think i've seen this room on apt therapy, but with a different question/view.

http://www.coxpaint.com/store/cart.php?target=category&category_id=276&pageID=1

Interesting Pottery Barn rug (Bold Floral) but it's wool! That would be a disaster with a toddler.

I love those pink walls, but it does need some other color.

This room looks so familiar - Wasn't this posted a few months ago asking if the contrasting wall behind the sofa was OK? (It clearly isn't)

I agree with WendyJ - Flor tiles would be perfect for this room and this family considering the lovely child's propensity for spilling her soymilk. (Just because everything else in the room came from Pottery Barn doesn't mean that the rug needs to come from there too.)

In addition - the furniture arrangement is all wrong and the big black TV Armoire overwhelms the room. I'd place the tiles on the same angle as the fireplace too, move the sofa to the window wall, the chair to beside the fireplace (where the photo is taken from) and I'd replace the armoire with a flatscreen TV on the wall above a console where the sofa is now.

A Chinese oriental (don't know what else to call it) with pinks, blues, beige and other colours in keeping with the feminine feel of the room.

How about a rug with a chocolate brown base color and a neutral pattern on top?

geez, tough crowd.

as for the original posters, i too agree with the FLOR tiles idea. You may want to get samples to see which pattern, feel, and thickness you'd like. I think FLOR tiles are a godsend when it comes to merging style with parenting. Good luck!

I'm joining the FLOR chorus. You need color, but also need versatility and easy maintenance. With a toddler and a metal table, I'd want something flat to minimize tripping so common to toddlers. As for color, pink & taupey brown with a bit of green.

I think you need washable flooring and Flor is a great suggestion. Some vivid color in the rug you can carry though the rest of the room would help zip up the look. Good luck finding color and keeping up after your little sweetie.

I think the living room is adorable, I can't believe all the negative comments here! There was a rug posted today on here from West Elm, it was a round jute rug. You could try that. I wouldn't use the rug as the art focal point, but put more colorful art on the walls instead.
I think the curtains and entertainment chest look fine.

The living room is quite nice and a nice rug would definitely pull it together nicely. Some ATers can be really brutal!! :) The kilim rugs recommended are lovely.

I have two small kids, a dog, and an artist (very messy) husband. In my family room that opens to the backyard I bought a great indoor/outdoor rug from Target. It is reasonable soft and doesn't look like an outdoor rug. Dirt from outside never sticks to it and the inevitable spills never stain. Lots of end of season sales for outdoor rugs right now.

you have to move the couch away from the door - its blocking it.

Lose the drapes, get some FLOR tiles, hide the toys in baskets. Be happy with your baby!

I think you need to buy a more durable stain-hiding rug. The white stripes are probably not going to stay white for too long with a small child there. You need to balance the room with more dark chocolate colors (maybe some throw pillows on the sofa). Lose the light colored drapes and use the chocolate there too. I agree that the curtain rod is too high. Maybe an olive green rug?

I forgot to say... Cool window. Don't cover it up too much.

I love that off-kilter-stripey red and cream rug, too. If it can take some blotting and spot cleaning, get it. It would toughen up the look of your living room and play off what you have.

Do agree the drapes look a trace wimpy -- how about something thicker, like a natural linen? Also would love to see a chunkier, wood tone cocktail table (or old trunk -- get for toys!) instead of the white glass one.

With a few swap-outs, the room can be pizazzy and kiddo-friendly.

I think a nice choclate brown rug would work. It would pull your colour from the entertainment center so it didn't stand out as much. Then add some brown,pink, and white pillows to your couch and chair to tie it all together.

I think I need to be a dissenting voice here, but I had a terrible experience with the FLOR tiles. Granted, my floor is not totally even since it is a very old NYC brownstone, but I found it very difficult to keep the squares in place. They were constantly shifting! I finally got frustrated and tore them all out. But I LOVE Kilims. They make room look so interesting and cozy. I especially love them when everything else is so neutral. You really need something to liven the room up. And I agree with the comments about the coffee table. It almost looks more like an outdoor table to me. You can find many interesting affordable vintage coffee tables on Craigslist. Just do daily searches and the perfect one will show up. Good luck to you!

like the flor idea.

how about one of their gray and white patterns? it will immediately un-beige your room, add a punch of pattern and play well off the pale pink walls, and your black and white furniture. also, flor busy pattern = child friendly.

new crisp white panel curtains, move the couch to the window wall, rotate both rug and coffee table 90 degrees, a few accent pillows. new room.

Garnet Hill has some interesting rugs that would put some color in your cozy & inviting room:


http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=14080&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C7355%2C9896&iProductID=14080

http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=15725&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C7355%2C9896&iProductID=15725

http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=15243&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C7355%2C9896&iProductID=15243

http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=13053&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C7355%2C9896&iProductID=13053

oh, and best wishes to you and your lively, toy-wielding daughter :-)

I agree that this room looks familiar-but I seem to remmeber that it had something to do with the lay out. I had to laugh, though-when I read LIBBY's post rt/t [her] loving the pink walls, since my first thought was, "who cares about the carpet; get rid of the eye-burningly horrible pink walls!"-it just really prove how different everyone's taste can be!

*remember*

baby steps: how about a cowhide rug?

Mean words hurt! Please stay positive. I think your place is cute. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment on your design question.

As for all the unnecessarily cruel & negative comments....
never seek your reflection in a crack'd mirror. ~:o)

Definitely get a Persian rug. They'll withstand traffic and will bring much needed color to the room.

Wow, can't please everyone huh? The curtains are up so high because -- ahem -- last time I asked a question on here, someone told me to get some longer curtains and hang them from close to the ceiling! Yikes! I just followed their advice. Maybe they thought it would add some height to the room? There's no way to change the layout of the furniture. It's hard to explain, but if you saw it in person, you'd understand ... And I have never stepped foot in a Pottery Barn, much less have my entire house's furniture from them. sheez!

The pink looks adorable in person -- not so bubble-gummy -- and I love it ... but anyway, about the RUG ... thank you for the jute suggestions. I actually have been thinking about this yellow-y rug from C&B.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1262&f=27527

We have throw pillows from Etsy (plus our Etsy art as well) that have a kind of chartreuse-y design (as well as pink and red), so I thought that could work as well as the red, but I kind of agree, the red stripes might give me a headache, it's a great rug though .... The Kilin rugs were cute but just not my style. There is also a chocolate brown rug from C&B in our price range, the Hanson one, that I am thinking about too -- but our art on the wall is framed with dark brown frames so there is already more brown to the room than just the media center.

And THANK YOU to the helpful and nice people, who understand that I wouldn't be asking for help if I knew everything already :)

If you are keeping the pink walls, something bold would be great. This rug is HOT!
http://www.atom-designs.com/detail.aspx?ID=637

Buying a rug is always hard to do----I like the one you picked out but not in those colors. Should be shades of colors that are far more close together in tone. Such as a deep tan next to a dark brownish color. Also the drapes need to be a stronger color to work with the rug---also a richer fabric such as a heavy cotton.

I started to recommend a jute rug (Big Lots is carrying some thick, soft ones by Jennifer Farrell in choc brown, garnet red and leaf green; $150 for the 8 x 10) -- but thought that would be rough on your baby's skin.

Somebody here said Persian and somebody else said kilim. Either one would be beautiful and practical.

I love the rug Atom suggested.

yes, as above the bold Atom rug! I think the height of the curtains is ok but the rods needs to be extended about the same width from the frame as the height to give it symmetry.

I think with a Toddler, the Flor suggestion would be really wise. I think this one would completely pull your room together:

Flor Stripes. It brings in a red stripe, but without overwhelming the pink walls (which I really like!).

Whatever carpet you choose, go larger than the existing one. It should extend to the legs of the couch, chair, and armoire, so it pulls the room together.

What if you flipped the furniture arrangement around so that the couch is on the wall where that giant armoire and the giant armoire is further away from the door. Then you'd have room for a landing strip to anchor your front door and give yourself some room to get into the house.

As for the rug, I think the red and white is way too busy. Flor tiles are always a safe bet. Especially if your little one spills something that won't come out, you can always replace one tile at a time.

Lots of good ideas here! Jute or natural fibers are going to be hard to keep up with a baby around - once they get wet, the latex backing shrinks up and creates ripples, so I might steer clear if I were you.

Dash and Albert carry a polyproplyene - the are washable, dryable and bleachable - but on the downside, they are made from plastic. Its a great option if the plastic part doesn't bother you.

http://www.dashandalbert.com/product/view/RDA104
this would look great with the khaki foreground and the red background.

Or

try their cotton which you can dry clean. So many patterns to choose from!
http://www.dashandalbert.com/product/view/PRSBC
http://www.dashandalbert.com/product/view/RDA008

Wool is the best for cleaning in the natural fibers category - just spot clean as you go.
http://www.dashandalbert.com/product/view/RDA014

So many directions you could go!

I agree with re-orienting the furniture - the couch needs to be moved! I think it's okay to have the window hardware above the window, but I'd put it right under the crown moulding. Next I would work on the coffee table and the lighting, but one thing at a time!

Very cute apartment.
But the rug isn't a great one--if you stain the white part, it won't look great. We raised kids with patterned rugs...like kilims or oriental-type patterns--and found they hid a multitude of accidents. Didn't matter that they were wool...they cleaned up fine, and you could hardly see a stain anyway. I'd try a nice modern floral, given your color scheme.
Have to say that I have Flor, and it's not very soft or toddler-friendly.
Outdoor rug is an idea as long as it's nice underfoot.
Whatever you do with the curtains, just be sure they're either out of reach or really firmly anchored...toddlers tend to grab onto things to hold their balance, and the last thing you want is the rod pulling out of the wall.
And I'd highly recommend an ottoman as a coffee table--give you more seating and be truly toddler-friendly. This table can be saved for later...or maybe covered with something safe and used as a side table that's out of the way of harm.
Have fun!

Jute rugs and babies do not go together in any way shape or form----baby has soft skin and most jute rugs are hard and painfull on skin. Baby can get bad rash and come down with a bad infection really fast.
I agree with the ottoman for a coffee table---glass can brake and hurt baby really bad---also an adult who might trip on the rug when coming in the door and not watching what they are doing or drinking :-)
You need to avoid that corner of the rug near the door, so I would also get one that runs under the sofa. Rug corners are really bad for tripping on.

The best thing we ever did was buy an old (wool) Persian carpet. Not only did it help add a burst of color to our living room (especially good when you have neutral furniture), but it is great with kids (the pattern hides stains and spills and since it was already broken in when we bought it, our kids could not mess it up any more than it already was).

I must, however, say that I agree with those you have suggested changing your wall color, curtain and curtain rod, furniture placement (though you may have limited options there), and the white coffee table is just wrong for your space and color scheme. Have you considered a wood coffee table covered in a sheet of tempered glass? That would protect the wood (and protect your kids) but still give you a warmer and more cohesive look.

If you look closely at the picture it appears that if you were sitting on the couch you would see a fireplace on an angled wall to the right of the armoire. This would solve the mystery of the couch placement that everyone seems to be up in arms about.

PBandB could you enlighten us?

Also, I did not recommend a Pottery Barn rug because I thought everything else in the room was from there. I recommended it because in my opinion this room could use something heavier and bold to anchor the room and the black of the rug would look amazing with the black armoire. The Bold Flower rug is stunning in person and very playful. I do not have kids so I don't understand why a wool rug isn't a good option. Is it simply for cleaning issues? I have a cream wool rug with two cats who like to urp on it and I just have a good carpet cleaner on hand.

kls,

I believe it was someone else who said something about everything being from pottery barn. I hope I didn't offend you.

I posted a couple more picks on my flickr page of different angles ... if it helps. The fireplace IS at an angle, which is what's keeping me from putting the couch there!

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

The media cabinet is actually a dark wood, not black, as well. I think the bold flower rug was a bit out of my budget :( BUT I would like an opinion on this one from C&B, that's on sale ... red and white-ish. Size 8x10.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1264&f=26704

Okay, with the angled fireplace the couch on that wall WOULD be awkward, however, what if you moved the chair to the fireplace wall, put the couch under the window, and the armoire where the couch is? As though you were to turn everything 1/4 turn...?

I don't know, I just think that the layout of the room will greatly influence what size of rug you ultimately end up getting.

OR... just swap the chair and the couch. Is this room centered on the armoire because it holds the tv?

I stand behind my admiration of your pink walls, and I maintain that a dark brown (and perhaps shaggy) rug, plus white sheers for curtains, plus a couple of dark brown (or perhaps even a pinker pink?) cushy accent pillows would look soooo great. In any case, the room is lovely--have fun with it!

or yes--a red shaggy rug!

Sorry PBandB...I know it wasn't you who made the PB comment. I wanted your enlightenment on the existence of a firepace in the room to get a better sense of it. I do like the CB Nina rug - very bright and cute. I think it would look great in your place. I really like how you want to bring red into the room! It is going to be so happy and cheerful!

I think for curtains you should layer two different white curtains of different textures. A fun patterned sheer behind and a slubby, heavier white in front.