2nd and Strand

We certainly have been talking about rugs a lot this week!  I know they've been on my mind a lot lately. I have been ignoring/fixating on a problem in our living room for over a month.  Every time I'd enter the room I would cringe and think, "If only I were more like my Mom".  Because my Mom made sure this never happened in my childhood home.   Red kool-aid was outlawed, banished to the yard; along with play-doh and silly putty.  

I had tried all my usual tricks on this beast of a stain and as a last ditch effort I scheduled an appointment with a green carpet cleaner.  They came and cleaned my rug, and it looked pretty good, except for the red kool-aid stain that remained.  I had all but resigned myself to the fact that our nicest accessory was marred.  Well, my friend Mindy told me not to give up hope.  She sent me a link to an article about how to remove kool-aid from white carpet, and this morning I woke up determined to give it a go.  In typical Andrea fashion it had to be done right then.  So I just used what I had on hand.  

1. Blue Windex, even an off brand.  I assumed that because the rug was slightly blue itself this wouldn't be a problem.  If I had this to do over again I would use a mixture of water and ammonia in place of the windex.
2. The only white towel we have in the house.  I pretty sure it will have to be cut up and used as rags from now on.
3. An iron; filled with water, on steam setting, and set to the cotton/linen selection.  

I started with the least conspicuous spot, and got more aggressive as my confidence in the process grew!  I sprayed the spot with the windex and immediately put a single layer of the towel on top and set the iron on top of that.  I waited three minutes and lifted up the iron to see that pink from the stain had transferred to the towel.  Not only had pink transferred, but so had some brown dye from the rug.  I immediately pulled up the towel and looked at the rug. At this point I judged that I couldn't tell that any of the original colors of the rug had lightened, so I kept going.  In the picture below you can see pink, blue, and brown colors having transferred to the rug.  Pink=kool-aid; Blue=windex; Brown=original rug color. 

Tips to consider:  

1. Be as precise as possible with the windex, I tried really hard to keep it to the stained area. 
   
2. Check to make sure your iron is not too hot while it sits on the stain for those three minutes, I would hate for you to burn your rug!
3. I cleared the area of people while I did this project.  I didn't want my kids to burn themselves on the iron, but I also didn't want anyone breathing the fumes of the heated windex.  I did try to go green :)
4. Soak the stain with the solution.  The iron should make that sizzling sound.  
5. I had to repeat this process at least three times per spot.  But check out my results!

Beautiful as ever!  

                                                                                                                     -Andrea

**If you'd like to submit an area of your home that you've made work we'd love to highlight your space.  Just click on the button below **

Rugs are an amazing thing. It's a single item that can totally transform a space and help define specific areas of your home. A great rug can unify a place while adding comfort, beauty, texture and balance. Its a great way to add a bold pattern or color while helping to move your eyes around the room. Ahh, I really do love a good rug.

Andrea did a great post called Rug Basics. If you haven't read it yet, you definitely should. Just like a rug can anchor and unify a space, a rug can also make a room look awkward and mismatched if its not sized properly to your space. There are various "rug rules" that sometimes contradict themselves depending on who you talk to, but a general good rule is that (at least) the front legs of your furniture should sit on the rug (some say the entire sofa, or piece of furniture should be on the rug). If a rug is too small it can look like its floating in the middle of your space which doesn't help to make the room feel anchored. But really, just read Andrea's post (linked to above) for great general rules and favorite online sources for rugs.

I've had my eye on a Madeline Weinrib rug for a couple years now (similar pattern to the top middle rug shown below). I know I wont ever buy it because I can't justify the price tag. Luckily for my conscience and my wallet, there are some great inexpensive options for us out there. I've pulled some of my favorite rugs from Rugs USA that are all under the $300 price mark (some are under $200!), based on a 5x8 size rug size.  

These options are pretty, right? I really love them all and could have easily kept adding more and more to my group. Most of the options found below have different color options as well, so keep that in mind if you see a pattern you like but don't love the color, click the close up images below to see other color options!

And here they are close up - 

Damask Trellis Green Rug

Homespun Inspire Navy Rug

Trellis Taupe

Santa Ana Verden Ikat Smoke Rug

Tuscan Woven Suzani

Safavieh Thom Filicia

Radiante Hearts Beige Rug

Beach Boardwalk Stripe

Moroccan Trellis Rug

Santa Ana Bold Paisleys

My usual go-to online retailers for rugs are Rugs USA and Overstock. Sometimes these carry the same rugs, so check both sites to see if there are any price differences! 

As a side note, having two kids myself, it's important to consider cleaning methods. I've had too many things on my rugs/carpet that weren't supposed to be there... like, my 2 year old's adventures in taking off his diapers to see what happens... you know where I'm going with this. We have a no food and shoes rule in the living room (which is room you walk straight into from the front door) but of course things always happen. I bought Natures Miracle Stain and Odor Remover a while back from Amazon, and have been amazed at what it's gotten out of my rug (for example, a berry smoothie on the white part of my rug) and am seriously happy with that purchase. I used Scotch Guard on my couch with great results, and am thinking that could be another way to protect your rug from stains. Have any of you tried it? I'd love to hear your opinions.

Where are your favorite places, whether online or in stores, to find beautiful rugs? And do you have any helpful rug tips to share?

-Megan

I wanted to share an image today that I think is fresh, balanced, and tailored; all things I love in good design.  This image is of a house in Megan's neck of the woods, specifically Venice, CA.  Anything goes in Venice, and this house is bold in all the right ways.  

There are so many things to love about this room.  I love the balance between the very linear sectional and the curved wings of the blue velvet chair.  I love the campaign style sideboard, and in emerald green no less!  There is just enough black to really ground the room and keep the eye from resting too much on the black box of a TV.  I like the contrast between the bright, glossy, pink backed storage piece and the lacquered carpentry. I appreciate the clean white wall space that helps keep the room feeling fresh and organized. I like the shape and combination of the ottoman and pouf, and don't forget the gold edged side tables that carry just the right amount of visual weight.  I think the wood detail along the ceiling as well as the door add a much needed organic element that keeps the room from feeling too modern.  I would say what makes the room though is that rug!  The rug is not only the color palette for the whole room, but adds so much movement and interest.  Well done to the designers from Turquoise who created this beautiful home.  

I have to throw a picture of the master bedroom up here as well, because it is SO fantastic.  

Can you believe how skillfully these patterns are layered?  Wallpaper, drapery, headboard, euro shams, blanket, not to mention the art.  I am really glad they went with a subtle chevron, I feel like that will give the headboard a much longer life.  

What do you think?  Would you move right in?  I think Megan should!

                                                                                                                               -Andrea