Two Rugs

This is one of those "do as I say, not as I do" posts. 

Because...

The Rule: When decorating a bedroom, choose neutral bedding, preferably white. 

All-white bedding creates a soothing palette, which is perfect for getting a restful night's sleep. All-white bedding is the choice of fine hotels because it always looks good. No need to fear white; white can be bleached! 

This rule can work in ANY bedroom, even and maybe especially, a child's bedroom where the design grows with the child. 

The Reality: I bought my daughter this pretty duvet cover when she was five or six, and the above was her bedroom then. At the time, I loved the unique colors (aqua and rusty pink/dusty rose) as well as the sweet bird motif. The name (Anabel) also struck me since my daughter's name is Bela.  

This is what the room looked like when I decorated it for the spring 2015 One Room Challenge. In the photo above, I had folded the duvet at the end of the bed because I felt that the pattern never really worked with the daybed effect I was going for. Eventually, too, I found that it was difficult to make the aqua and rusty pink coordinate with other colors, especially the ones that my daughter is drawn to.

Fast forward 18 months and the headboard is long gone, the wallpaper has come painfully down, the walls have been painted light purple thanks to my BFF, and we now have this duvet cover. Pretty much nothing remains of that One Room Challenge...

This is why a civilized society needs rules, people! If I had just bought a simple white duvet cover in the first place, none of this would be an issue. Not only would I have saved myself a lot of money, but also the headache of trying to make.it.work. 

But, this post is not ultimately about how I broke my own rule -- twice. It's about what kind of rug to pair with the new duvet cover.

Here are today's options:

Rug #1 is a colorful shag from here. 

I love it first and foremost because it's a shag and would feel so soft underfoot. It also has the bohemian flair of the duvet cover with lots of geometric shapes so I think they pair well. I love all of the happy colors. Not only does the rug pick up the purples, yellows, and oranges that are in the duvet cover but also brings in the electric blue that my daughter loves but hasn't been incorporated into the new design. And because the background is white, the rug feels bright.
 

Rug #2 is from here and has a more traditional feel. I like it for that reason. The traditionalness of it grounds the bohemianness of the duvet cover, which I think can be a very good thing in a room. It feels more grown up. The colors work together. I think??? Like rug #1, it has the purple, orange, and yellow that are in the duvet cover but which are not as representative in my daughter's things. Coral and pink are already quite well-represented in the room so I didn't want to find a rug that highlighted those colors. The shapes and patterns on this rug feel more organic, which corresponds with the geometric shapes and lines on the duvet cover.

The floor in my daughter's room is hardwood that has not been maintained. Lately she has been asking for wall-to-wall carpeting like we have in our other bedrooms (the fourth bedroom is also hardwood but is currently being used as an exercise room/library). A rug is a less expensive choice than refinishing the hardwood, and will protect the hardwood if we choose to later refinish it. I'm also concerned that leaving the hardwood uncovered could result in a splinter or lead to damage that will be more difficult to repair in the future. 

Whether we will actually purchase a rug right now, though, is still to be determined, because she has a lot on her Christmas wish list. Although her decorating tastes have become more in line with her age, she still likes dolls and toys, for which I am very grateful. Let them stay little for as long as possible...