Rugs

Rugs can make such a big impact in a room - which is great when you find the right rug and frustrating when the impact is not a good one! I have bought and returned rugs sooo many times - more than any other decor item. You may think it looks perfect in the store or online but there is a big difference once it is actually in your space. So my advice is to make sure to buy your rugs from a place that you can easily return them to. If you are buying it online try to get free shipping so that if you do have to return it you will only have to pay to ship it back. It can take some time to shop around to find just the right rug but it is worth it. I am always thinking someday I should start with a rug and then decorate a room around it but I always seem to do it the other (harder) way around. Anyway if you are in the market for a rug I am listing here my favorite places to shop.

This rug in my bedroom is from homedecorators.com. I knew I didn't necessarily need this rug to be comfortable or soft - it's primary purpose was simply for decoration. Which means I could get away with an indoor/outdoor rug. The prices are always cheeper for indoor/outdoor rugs but as I said before they are not comfortable so I wouldn't use them in a family room. This rug is a 5x7 and cost $90. Be sure to always measure your space and don't skimp on the size of the rug - it will not look good if it is not big enough. If you find a rug you like but it isn't big enough you can always layer it on top of another larger plain rug (click here for some examples).

I got this rug in black at Ballard Designs in a 4x6 ($50) for my front door mat. They have a lot of beautiful rugs but again their best prices are on their indoor/outdoor ones. Before buying from them check first if overstock.com or homedecorators.com sells the same rug for cheeper (that happens a lot).

As I just mentioned Overstock has a good selection of rugs - almost too many, it can be a little overwhelming but there are hidden jewels there!

Shades of light, West Elm, and World Market are some other favorites of mine.