Our Rug Saga

Oh, friends... I am so happy to tell you that we FINALLY found a rug for our Family Room!
You'll have to wait until Friday to see our final choice (with lots of pictures), but for today I'm going to reminisce over the long and bumpy road that got us here.

I've been thinking about area rugs for the Family room since this post over the summer, but I started seriously obsessing over shopping for area rugs once we painted the family room at the beginning of January.

The Original Plan

If you remember, the rug we had been using was just way too small. It just floated in the middle of the floor, and once we took out the coffee table, it was constantly shifting around.

After taking some measurements and doing some research, I determined we needed at least a 9'x12' rug to fit the space.  Since the room is a pretty high-traffic area, I thought that an indoor/outdoor rug would be a good choice.
Armed with that information, I started browsing online (unfortunately, brick-and-mortar stores don't really carry rugs larger than 8x10'), and found a few that I thought would work. I had my heart set on a simple geometric pattern in navy or dark blue, but I knew that meant I had some convincing to do for the man in the house. After sending hubby a few options, we picked one we both liked.

Taking a Test Drive.

The only problem is that Hubby didn't want to shell out a few hundred dollars for a rug he'd never seen or touched in person, especially since it would be expensive to return it if it didn't work in the space. 
Tip: If you're unsure about buying a large area rug online, order the smallest size available to use as a sample.

Thankfully, the rug came in several sizes and shapes. For about $20, we were able to order a 2'x3' 7" rug to use as a sample, with the plan to keep it for our foyer. We definitely had peace of mind knowing that we'd only be out a few dollars to return it if we didn't like it.

I was so excited to receive it withing 48 hours! Way to go, Overstock, with the fast shipping! However, as soon as I got up close and personal with it, I knew it wasn't right.

The rug was thinner and rougher than I expected. Since kiddo and hubby love to sprawl out on the floor to play with blocks or roughhouse, we want something that would be comfortable underfoot. This rug was a bit scratchy and very thin.
There were a few other issues, too. After seeing it in person, I think the pattern would have been a bit too busy in our space. Also, as you can see from the picture above, the rug wasn't completely bound. It was just folded over and sewn on the shorter sides. After a brief discussion, Hubby and I decided to return it and eat the roughly $3 for shipping. We were so thankful we hadn't bitten the bullet and gotten the big rug!

Back to the Drawing Board... Again.

After that, I found a very cute and well-priced Moroccan Trellis rug in a dark blue. The reviews said it was soft underfoot, so I was sold!

There were two problems, though:
First, there wasn't a small size for a test drive, so I knew there was no way Hubby would sign off on it. Second, they were all sold out of the dark blue. I was so frustrated! I was disgusted that I had wasted hour upon hour looking at rugs online only to come up empty. At that point I just gave up...

Until I mentioned my plight to a friend, and she gave me some amazing advice. Come back Friday, and I'll share with you how we got a cozy, over-sized rug for a STEAL!