THERE’S A RUG IN THE LIVING ROOM!

Playtime with Baby has been transformed. My fears of baby splinters and coldness have been quelled. The coffee table is back. The living room that once looked like a hodge podge of unanchored furniture now is starting to come together.

I am pretty sure I have looked at every rug currently being sold before finally pulling the trigger on this one. WHAT A HARD DECISION. Especially for someone who is prone to overthinking before dropping any cash (except that one time I bought a really terrible clearance rug. WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE PAST THAT.)

All the way back in October when the rug search commenced, I wrote a post outlining all of the factors I was considering when shopping. You can read the full post and see round one of contenders here.

Spoiler alert: We didn’t pick any of those rugs. Although I still really like all of them! We went a totally different direction for this super fun, modern, playful rug!

Here’s how it stacks up against the important-to-consider rug factors I talked about in October’s rug post:

Factor 1: Color

What I was looking for: Not too light. I’m into the cream and white rugs that are everywhere, but realize a rug so easily stainable doesn’t belong in our living room right now. It’s a high-traffic area, we have a baby (who will soon be a marker-wielding toddler), and we have been known to spill red wine. I don’t want to be stressed about our rug showing all of this. I tend to like grays/blues, but am open to a more traditional red. Whatever we choose, I would like it to have some blue in it, because that is the color used most in our decorating and I think a home feels more cohesive when a color runs throughout.

What we got: GUYS. I almost blew it here. I had a cream shag rug picked out at Walmart. It started off well-priced and then went on sale(!) around Thanksgiving. I was SO CLOSE to buying it. Husband and Baby and I were actually in our Walmart looking for it. Thankfully, between the time I checked online to make sure it was in stock, and the time we arrived in store, someone else had already bought it. What was I even thinking??

This rug fits the bill in the color department. If it had navy in it, it would be 100% perfect. But I’m willing to sacrifice that because I am into the gray and blue and (surprisingly!) really love the dusty warm yellow and pink and copper. It gives off the coziest rosy glow at night!

Factor 2: Size

What I was looking for: Big! I have found this guide helpful when thinking about rug size. We need at least 8 feet by 10 feet in this room, but preferably 9 feet by 12 feet.

What we got: This rug is 7’10” by 9’10”. I think 8 feet by 10 feet is the most versatile of all rug sizes, which was important to me since we don’t know where we’ll be living next and don’t want to get a rug that is too big. For versatility’s sake, we went with the smaller size.

Factor 3: Pile

What I was looking for: Low to medium. High enough to be soft (have I mentioned I want a soft rug?). I don’t love the feel of woven rugs, so longer than that. Definitely shorter than shag. I am into the shag look, but our living room is too high traffic for a shag rug.

What we got: This rug is basically carpet, which is exactly what I was looking for for this space. It is super soft and good for playtime, but durable enough that I think it will stand up well in a high-traffic area.

Factor 4: Pattern

What I was looking for: I tend to like more traditional, Husband likes more modern. So hopefully a blend of these two?

What we got: If rug shopping has taught me anything, it’s that the venn diagram of my and Husband’s rug tastes is basically two circles. For real, I don’t understand how we both like this rug so much. But we do! Yay!

Factor 5: Price

What I was looking for: Under $500. Finding a rug the size we want for under $500 is a bit of a challenge, but I’m confident we can do it.

What we got: BLEW THIS OUTTA THE WATER. Getting a smaller size definitely helped. I found this rug a couple of different places online, but it was cheapest on Amazon. $179!

Factor 6: Texture

What I was looking for: This is similar to the pile, but a slightly different consideration: We have cats. They have claws. Whatever rug we get can’t be tufted in a way that would be in any way satisfying for a cat to run their claws across.

What we got: As cats are prone to do, they have thoroughly investigated The New Thing in the house. This has involved a couple of inaugural scratches. The rug seems unphased; the cats seem unsatisfied. 10/10 recommend this rug for cat owners.

I can’t get over how much I like this rug: The texture, the colors, the softness! Having it in our living room has drastically improved both the coziness and functionality of the room.

And by the way, ordering an area rug online is one of the best parts about living in 2019. You can order a rug from the comfort of your own home and have it delivered to your front door FOR FREE.

Watch the rug be put in place below

Per usual, the cats felt their participation was an integral part of the process.

Oh, and if I ever get into making exercise videos, they will for sure be about placing rugs.