Since our family room is now complete the first layer of decoration has been added. We bought a rug. I knew I wanted neutral. This room will eventually be filled with lots of fabric in the form of pillows and accessories. Choosing a neutral rug keeps you from limiting color choices. I also knew I wanted some form of natural material such as jute or sisal. I narrowed down my choices to the following two rugs…

CHUNKY WOOL and NATURAL JUTE RUG via Pottery Barn JUTE Chenille Herringbone RUG in Natural/Ivory via West elm I had looked at countless rugs at places like Home Goods, Overstock.com and even Target. The Pottery Barn rug actually has a similar version at Target. The price difference reflect the quality of the rug. The Target version is a very loose weave which will be a mess of just rope within a year. I’ve never done this before but I actually ordered the samples for the rugs.  I brought them home and let the people who truly know what they are talking about test them for me. My children.  I definitely had a favorite and am happy to say that according to a recent survey of a nine year old, a six year old and a slightly less interested 3 year old, the West Elm rug is the softest. I love the pattern of the herringbone and the way it adds texture to the space without adding too much color. It had enough jute to get that natural feel I wanted with an equal amount of chenille for the softness factor. I will not be the one sitting on that rug on movie night. I will not be the one playing a board game with friends on that rug. I will be the one on the sofa. So I laid them out on the floor and literally had my kids lie down on the rugs and tell me which one they liked best. I’m that kind of mother that gives their kids choices that have already been decided upon. They think they are making a decision and everyone is satisfied. The happy day arrived and the rug was delivered.  It got a workout right away. Better that it knows up front what to expect!  Once it was done being a horse/magic carpet/police car, I was allowed to open it up and unroll it. The sofa is not in its’ final resting place, which will be facing the television. The rug fits perfectly between the sofa and built in when the furniture is laid out that way. An added benefit is the fact that the rug samples now look fantastic in my car!