doesn't look scrappy to me, chris!

i would go for a short pile oval rug - a solid, neutral color for now (since you're still on the fence about rugs) and then graduate to something more bold (stripes?). or buy both and switch them out once in a while.

Yes - I love Flor carpet tiles - they would look great in your space.

I see a nice fluffy white flokati or something like:
http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODr297&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1RUGRUG&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1RUGRUG

I would say yes... But a solid color or very muted pattern, though.

No one but you can answer that Chris.
Do you NEED a rug?

From just that one picture, it's hard to say if you need a rug or not. Is the living room part of a larger open space? If so, a rug may help define the living space a separate from dining space, etc.

In looking for a rug, I'd suggest (1) determining what size you need (2) look for a color or neutral that goes with the room's overall color pallate and (3) don't be afraid to buy several rugs and try them out in the space, and take back whichever ones don't work (if you're really lost) - just be sure you can return them!

While I agree that only you can answer the question whether you really need a rug or not, I shall be as forward as to observe that from how you've phrased the question, it sounds like you really don't want one.

As for the object -- long enough to be a bit wider than the sofa and wide enough to comfortably float the coffee table. Uncharacteristically, I'm not going to suggest something tribal, but rather something modern, but colorful, the hues relating to the colors in the painting.

You could do one. Somethinq quirky patterned and medium-to bright color. Urban Outfitters. I'm thinking yellow.

Do your downstairs neighbors think you need a rug?

In your photo, the room looks great without one, but that's only one angle.

There are two basic routes to go here:

1. Textural neutral, largely for the warmth and sound protection of the rug. Flotaki is one option but not the easiest to keep clean.

2. Rug as art for the floor. You have an eye for art, so you'll do best by getting to know the rug world and holding out for something you love.

Yes, but not really.

As a big fan of rugs I will say yes, you need a rug.

Someone mentioned Flor. I've been trying out some of their samples and taking note of them in other people's houses and I'm getting the impression they start to look dirty and old very soon. Has anyone here found that to be the case?

Does a boat need an anchor?

Yes. Yes. YES.

You've got an eclectic look and a good eye. Just go rug shopping. You'll solve it.

I don't think you *need* one. From my perspective a rug in a sitting area not only looks more comfortable, but also helps to achor the space. However if you don't prefer them for whatever reason then a rug may just have the opposite effect.

If you put a rug down I would start off with something mostly solid colored, round and on the smaller side. Something like this angela adams rug would look nice

http://kumaridesign.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/1952__dp.jpg

or if you want something more neutral this rug at C&B could work

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1269&f=12089

Great art. Yes, you can choose your own rug, and keep to rectangular : )

i had the same dilemna a while back. i'd say go for an el cheapo one to start with. do a test run, if you will. and then see whether it makes a huge diff to you. I went with an IKEA for $40 and it's holding up pretty well.

My favorite source for rugs these days is Madeline Weinrib Atelier. Several from her line would work here.

No, you do not NEED a rug if you don't want one. I will admit that I personally prefer area rugs. They're cozy. But area rugs need to be vaccumed & can stain. If you don't want to deal with the maintenance of a rug, then you don't need tp get one.

Check your rental agreement. You may, indeed, NEED one.

Chris - what kind of stain did you use on your floors to get that color? They're beautiful. Also, who did you use?

I don't think that you need a rug if you do not want one. However, it's a great way to define the space adn I think that it adds a comforting texture in contrast to the wood floors...

i'm with p2 and some others: yes, yes, yes. need rug. to define, warm, anchor your great space.

angela adams has a couple of new rugs that are pretty lovely. not sure if these colors are exactly right, but kind of feeling this:

http://angelaadams.com/individual_woolrugs.php?cw=50&ptrn=120

I say no! Your floors look really nice--revel in them. I'm personally not a rug fan. They're a pain to keep clean because lint settles on them so quickly. We have a couple of kilim-style ones, and they're a pain to vacuum because they shift around.

To answer someone's Flor question above: We have Flor tiles in our home office. Can't remember what they were called, but they're a very low-profile, no-pile style with a felt-like look. We've had them about a year and a half, and they're definitely showing wear. And again, I find them really hard to clean--dust and lint sticks like crazy and is really hard to vacuum up. (Maybe I need a fancier vacuum...) I think there stuff looks great in the catalog (great room stylists!) but I'm not convinced that the synthetic materials they use hold up so well...

I can not bear the thought of bare feet hitting bare floor when you are lounging on the sofa.

Brooklynnina--
The "vaccumability" of Flor tiles greatly depends on which style you choose.

and also, i really like surya's moderately priced rugs. there's plenty of cheese in the collection, but also some cool beauties. i have one that i love. to sift: http://www.absolutehome.com/web/catalog/ethumbs.aspx?manufid=1043&N=102 2207866

Two small sheepskin pelts (Ikea has 'em cheap) or one large pelt (DWR) would bring out the red in the pic above the couch and make your place cosier and more mod, while still showing off your floor. Accentuate apt. with silver pieces and you're set.

Thanks for the Flor response.

For those who say area rugs are hard to vacuum, I say "Huh?" Granted, I don't have any that are flokatis or otherwise wild & wooly, but to vacuum an area rug you just make sure something is holding down one part of it (a furniture or person leg) and then push away from that. If you have rug pads underneath (which is a good thing to do for many reasons) that also limits shift.

I'm a rug kind of gal, so I'd say yes, but all I wanted to mention is that I'd steer you AWAY from the Felted West Elm one suziegoombs recommended...not because of the aesthetics but because I saw some posts here where many different people swore it shed like crazy! Scared me off!

I think you need a rug. I have a similar situation. My room works, but something is missing. A rug could anchor the accent color or the main color. It can add texture too. Go for a rug. I really like the West Elm rugs this year, but don't know anything about how they stand up over time.

I also think the rug would keep the wood table top from competing with the floor tone, which I think it does somewhat now.

Your room is lovely, but I agree that the lack of a rug makes it feel unfinished and .... temporary. I would look for something yellow to pull out the color in the painting and keep things light. Maybe The Festival rug from Anthropologie in gold, 8 x 10?

I would say generally having an area rug in the living area or dining area is a great way to anchor a space and to define it, but it isn't essential.

However, that said, as others have already said, if you have one large space that serves as both living and dining spaces and don't have anything to divide the space, such as a two sided bookcase, an area rug is a great option to define the space.

I would say, based on the style of your apartment as shown in the pic, something solid in a medium pile may well work here. I'd not go too wild on color but perhaps something in the white family, but not strictly white, like say a parchment may work well here as it'll add contrast to the darker furnishings and the floor to give it a sense of definition and some warmth.

Just so you know, I love hardwood floors but I do think they often do benefit from some occasional rugs to add interest to larger spaces.

Regarding Flor, I would stay away from the solid felt-y ones (House Pet, Solid Ground, Fedora) which tend to collect lint, can be difficult to vacuum, and don't seem to hold up well. I went with Toy Poodle which seems to have enough texture (very tight short loops) to hide a bit of dirt between vacuumings and which is (so far) holding up as well as I'd hoped.

I also bought some used Toy Poodle tiles from someone on Craigslist to carpet a closet. When I picked them up, they looked dirty and awful. They had been used as a hallway runner and must have seen a lot of traffic. I took them home, washed them in the laundry room sink, hung them out to dry and now they look as good as new.

Good tip, RichardinLA. I was thinking the same exact thing.