Area Rug Inspiration

A new living room area rug is providing me with a fresh and fun combination of neutral colors to work with ... one that combines gray AND tan.

 (Note:  I was not compensated in any way for this post - 

the opinions expressed are my own and reflect personal experience.)

With a transitional design, the background is warm smoky gray, and the pattern is soft tan, creamy white, and deep charcoal.

The interior walls throughout our home are Sherwin Williams Softer Tan and this rug's subtle use of tan in the design ties our basic color palette in with gray --- a color I've not yet used in decor. 

Sherwin Williams Softer Tan

I like that I don't have to choose between gray and tan, and can have both!

It comes in other size options as well, including a runner.

Home Depot - Anniston Brindle Area Rug

However, actually choosing an area rug posed a bit of a challenge thanks to these three loveable and furry family members:

 

(L to R)  Baby, Mia and Shelby

While there are many beautiful area rugs available in unlimited textures, materials, patterns and colors, our rug has to be invincible.  

It has to endure paw traffic, has to camouflage multicolored pet hair, withstand daily vacuuming and ... accomplish all this while continuing to look fresh, clean and inviting!  Oh, and before I forget ... it has to also be super budget-friendly.

Yes, we do expect a lot from a simple area rug.  :)

In addition to the daily pet parade and pet hair, there is an even bigger challenge.  One of the beasts in the photo above (I won't mention names, but here's a hint ... it's not the one on the left nor the one on the right!) can't resist the temptation of super fuzzy rugs and likes to pull fibers out when no one is watching.

Fortunately, this trio doesn't have accidents on our rugs (knock on wood) and they don't scratch or dig in them.  See .. they do have some redeeming qualities! 

With this list of seemingly impossible criteria in hand, the search was on for an 8' x 10' area rug that would somehow meet most of our requirements and yet be visually appealing.     

It was so much fun to browse through all the awesome area rugs at Home Goods, Tuesday Morning, At Home, Home Depot, Target and Lowe's.

The beauties below were immediately eliminated as contenders but I'll share them with you in the event you can use them in your more "civilized" home.  

Lowe's

Lowe's

Tuesday Morning

In my desperation, I even considered an indoor/outdoor patio rug, but it was woven and the one on display actually had several pulled loops which gave me a realistic view of how it might hold up with our pack.

 

Lowe's

Then I spotted the Anniston Brindle area rug, part of the Home Decorators Collection at Home Depot.  

I was immediately drawn to the contrast between the warm smoky gray background and the light, fresh pattern.  The online specifications describe the light area as "yellow," but in our home it reads a soft tan.  

Unlike the chenille, shag and natural fiber rugs of my dreams, it is 100% polyester but is a practical low pile and paw-friendly with no loops.

We've had it for a few weeks and I'm still thrilled with the pattern and color palette. 

 

More importantly, I'm happy to report no attempted fiber removal efforts have occurred. :)

I'm really thankful that at this time I didn't give in to a super plush or natural woven looped version that would have been exhaustingly impractical for us ... standing guard constantly to protect an area rug from a mischievous set of teeth wouldn't have been my idea of fun! 

Do you have furry family members that pose decorating challenges?  Have you tried a color scheme that combines gray and tan?  

Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting!  

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