apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think I prefer the layout "under chairs, in front of sofa" better. Bigger investment, but way more impact

I'd also like to say that this newspaper layout thingy you've come up with is great. If this isn't living proof that mock ups are worth it, I don't know what is!

whoa, 7x9 is definitely the right size but I would NOT get a flokati that large, particularly since it looks like you have pets? Flokatis shed and also attract dirt, a smaller rug can be tossed in the washing machine but clearly that won't work with a 7x9. And you do not want to be combing any pet mess out of those long fibers.

Look into a shag rug instead, maybe in a beige, and use a sheepskin as a throw on either the chair or the couch if you want the fuzzy effect of a flokati. And please do not leave that folding chair in the same room as a Ligne Roset couch! ;-)

I think you should go with the bigger rug - it will make the space look a lot warmer and cozier than a smaller rug would. but, that's me, i am not a fan of uptight, cold spaces. your sofas are gorgeous. do you love them? can you talk about the whether mutiple seat cushions are an issue?

Another vote for the bigger rug.

Sadie your sofas are beautiful and a womb chair as an addition will be gorgeous. I'd agree with eeeck regarding the flokati. I have had a couple for about 5 years now, I'm over them and they haven't kept that well. I'd definately go for a shag rug. Another alternative for something with a great soft texture would be a tibetan lambs wool throw pillow. BTW, I'm curious, what are your plans for coffee tables?

Without question the bigger rug is definitely the way to go! Love the mock-up newspaper idea too!

Nth-ing the larger rug. And if I may be so bold as to suggest an option other than shag or flokati, how about a Paul Smith stripe rug? They were featured here earlier this summer:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/rugs-carpets/paul-smith-rugs-for-the-rug-company-028496

8 x 10 and have it go under the sofa a bit.

What Anne Said...Larger...I think I read somewhere that it's good to have it under the front legs of the sofa. I don't think it will kill the lines of it...

Nice place and those expensive furnitures! Although the view shown in the first picture reminds me of doctor's office, with both couches lining too snugly with the walls, especially the love seat. Is it possible to free it out of its tight hiding alcove somehow?

I'm not sure what size rug, but you really need to move some furniture away from the walls. That room looks stiff and uncomfortable, and will continue to do so unless at least one of those (very nice looking) sofas gets shifted. You need to add some depth and perspective to the room. Right now it looks like you cleared the floor for a ho-down.

Though she wasn't asking: what if the entertainment center and small couch/end table were switched? The small couch could be pulled away from the wall, so you could get to the books. Plus you could put a big plant behind the couch by the window. Or not.

blueprint magazine this months has a nice guide to help you decide what size rug you should get to go with your furniture placement. Unfortunately i don't have it infront of me or else I would just tell you what they say.

as for getting a shag over a flokati because flokatis shed, I had a shag that left tumbleweed all over my apartment all of the time. It drove me nuts, but I do miss it.

Bigger rug. I like the Paul Smith idea, but you might also look into a tribal rug.

I think a bigger rug that goes at slightly under the sofa, also. But I'm also curious why no one has suggested there be a glass coffee table on top of whatever new rug comes?

Because if you love, love, love the rug you get, you'd be able to see it. But seriously, I think that may help that cleared-to-the-edges-for-a-hoedown concern mentioned above.

I think I'd also want to paint that TV-and-window nook dark so that the TV situation has a built-in feel, and I'd put some blinds on the windows so that some darkness could be created to help with being able to see the screen, and which would contribute to an overall clean lines of the entertainment center idea.

I have a flokati (under my chairs but NOT under my couch, believe it or not!) and I really like it, but yesterday I was in Crate and Barrel and I was totally grooving on the Orleans rug:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1264&f=24239

It comes in a lovely natural white and has a really cool pattern of raised round bumps. The texture is gorgeous and unusual-- I think it would give the room a similar feeling as a flokati but without all the shedding.

I love flokati, and they are nice contrast with this severe looking style of couch. You can order a really good one from a million places in Greece and Turkey and I think even India now. The best flokati I've ever seen are made in Northern Greece, where the wool is not over processed before the rug is made (instead it is spun into very thick strands, which become shaggy when the finished rug is washed; this also makes the base of the rug shrink and brings it together giving it that overstuffed look). if the wool is not overprocessed, the natural oils remain and it is very easy to clean up spills on these high quality rugs. Also, traditional rug makers do not wash the flokati in chemicals, so while it will yellow over time (like, 30 years), and it will still have a slightly oily feel, it will also be rough, too. According to my father, new zealand wool does not fee the same. Most inexpensive flokati are made from new zealand wool (even hand made in greece from NZ wool).

My siblings and I used to love the touch of my parents rugs under our feet - like a massage after a hard day.

I think you need a 5x7ish one.

Another vote for the larger rug, and I agree with Anne about tucking it under the sofa. If *not* a flokati, those sexy legs will still shine. I like the idea of a REALLY nubby Berber.

I'd also consider some of the suggestions for a layout rethink, and while I LOVE Womb chairs, not sure it will "play nice" with that second arm chair...

Thanks for all of your great comments!

To answer some of your questions above:

- the Ligne Roset couch - we went with the armless versions of the stricto sensu so that we could get it in that particular corner (facing the windows). I was a bit nervous about how it would look with the separate cushions but was thrilled when it arrived. The seat cushions are semi-attached, so they don't move around at all - they are firm but soft (like a nice futon) and the couch is not good for taking long naps but super comfortable for sitting. The back cushions also work really well being smaller than the back of the couch. they are the perfect size for draping your arm over and they are down - so very comfy.

-what about a coffee table?- I'm thinking about a florence knoll coffee table in the corner. my husband wants marble top but I like the idea of walnut because it is warmer and also to match the vintage knoll walnut slipper chair that is opposite the couch (recovered in maharam). I want to find a more organic shape for a center coffee table - something curvy and small (for putting down a drink, not a magazine). I like mixing new with vintage so I will hold out until the perfect table presents itself. I'm unlikely to go for glass because I have kids!

-the build in- while it might have been really cool to paint the wall, when the Vitsoe shelves arrived we were in flux with the couch and so just stuck with off-white. Anyone who wants to read about my couch saga (which started with a custom mitchell gold from ABC which had to be returned) can go to my flikr page (sadiejane).

-the "hoe-down" effect. As much as I'd like all the furniture off the walls, I was working with an approx 11x12 foot space with pillars (which are not even the symetric). To put the couch off the walls would have meant a postage stamp space in the center of the space with absolutely no room for my 7 year old to play soccer ; { also - the chairs are really in the center of the space so not all the furniture is against or near walls. Behind those chairs is an upright piano, home office and around the corner a dining area and galley kitchen!

-rug - I love the idea of a bold pattern but not sure how brave I am in picking one that won't clash with the maharam on the knoll chair. I've had many flokati and never had a problem with the shedding (my blond cockapoo also does not have a shedding problem). I'm going to investigate the leads in the comments above and also probably will go to ligne roset to look at their rugs (they have some lovely looking textural shags). The flokati would be cheaper!

thanks to all for the comments-sadie

I think I'm the only one who prefers the smaller rug. I think the big one, especially in a light color, would just overpower and "run" into furniture on either end. I have a BIG flokati and it is a pain in the ass to clean but I love it otherwise. To me, a smaller rug would make the bolder impact - frame the coffee table, the front legs of the chairs would rest on it. Good job on all the stuff Sadie!

To me small rugs don't function well. Rugs, visually, give a softer appearance which understandably isn't as effective with a small perimeter. Secondly, and most importantly, they add comfort. If your rug is so small that your coffee table takes the majority, then there is no room for stretching out on it after dinner in front of the TV. I think more comfort usually equals better and longer time with friends/family.

a big huuge rug.
like this www.indib.com

cheers

I'm late on this, but... I would absolutely get a larger rug.

Not sure which corner you're intending for the end table...between the two sofas (which are great btw)? I personally would opt for walnut. A small, organically shaped coffee table is a good choice. What about a Kagan (or Kagan knockoff)? A lot of his coffee tables are marble-topped, incorporating your husband's idea. One of those would look gorgeous sitting in the middle of the room, atop a flokati.

A "ho" down Yoddeller, gosh you are SO clever, you are the "ho" that needs to go down baby-doll. :)