Hello friends and Happy Friday! We’re back with a bit of a fun topic today and it’s a question I get a lot: Where do you find your rugs?
While their links are dispersed in the www version of The Handmade Home, I thought it would be great to have them all in one place for anyone who was curious.
To me, rugs are one of the best elements of the room, but they can also be one of the most forgotten and overlooked. They’re great polish for that final effect – like icing on a cake. Or, can be one of the key elements in a room for a real showcase piece. Their possibilities are kind of endless.
In a home like ours, we haven’t looked at (until recently with our bathroom demo drama) replacing the floors… It’s one of those things we’d gone back and forth with forever… and our carpet is pretty tired. But we knew this wasn’t our forever home, and replacing the floor is a lot of work. Also, we had perfectly good flooring. Maybe it wasn’t what we loved but it worked. We’ve taken our budget elsewhere, til now.
Rugs are a great solution for that. They’re big on impact and a wise way to spend your money if you’re looking to buy yourself a little time in the home improvement/budget killer department. Sometimes, you can knock off a pattern but I’ve found that where budgets are concerned, I’d rather DIY something I can build or revamp… and put a little money into the rug because of the potential it holds. Because last I checked, I don’t own a weaving loom and they make a gorgeous, unique addition. If you design a space with rugs and colors you truly love, they’re versatile for years to come. I’ve found that switching them around can breathe new life into a tired space, so even if you move, their uses can still be refreshed just by using them differently in ways never considered before. They’re a great solution, for everyone – especially renters, too.
That being said, rugs can be considered an investment piece. If you’ve shopped around seriously then you know what I mean. The key is, having your sources and being patient: For sales (usually around every holiday) coupons and shopping around for the best price. To each his own, but I usually have a rule {unless the rug is super huge/one of a kind/amazing} that I always stay in the 100-300 range. 300 is usually pushing it, and only when it’s worth it – but so far… so good.
Our foyer rug is from West Elm and we’ve had it For. Ev.Ver. I think this rug is going on seven years, and it’s held up wonderfully in our entry way. They no longer sell it, but I’m mentioning West Elm because we’ve probably owned three of their rugs in our marriage {Remember the Zebra on the Veranda? } and we love their rugs. We’ve waited for sales in the past, but their quality is worth it. Always include West Elm in your rug search if you’ve never considered them. You’ll love their options.
Overstock. One of the first places we look, and a great source for woven natural fiber rugs at great prices. Our dining rom/home school room rug came from there.
One of the few things we own from Pottery Barn : Their color bound sea grass rug. We actually got this one at an amazing price for the size, and it’s held up beautifully with all that traffic over the years. I may just always own a variety of sea grass rugs. They’re not so soft, because they’re natural fiber, so it’s something to consider if you have young children. But I actually love the way it feels on my feet. They hold up wonderfully. We’ve had toddler and dog pee on this rug (amongst other catastrophes)… and you’d never know it. Great water repellant clean up and high traffic take-a-beating resistant. One of my favorite pieces, by far. Also? I’m really glad I went with a neutral color for the bound rug part. Someone recommended that when I ordered it, and I’ve never gotten tired of it because of that. It’s a great staple piece.
Target. Because you never know what you’ll find at target. I know it may seem like a common sense kinda thing… but a lot of people don’t really consider Target for a great source. I’m pretty sure they don’t still sell this one… and this was just a casual mat I grabbed off the shelf. They have great options online, and good prices. Keep your eyes peeled + your mind open.
Rugs USA is a great source. I linked this rug up here. It’s a great place for rugs, but wait for their sales.
I actually originally found Emerson’s rug at a flash sale {Either Joss and Main or One Kings Lane} and then re-found it at Rugs USA to link it up. Flash sale sites are great places for rugs at lower prices.
Our playroom rug was found at Zinc Door in a sale. You can search their rugs by color, and I love their assortment with unique finds.
This kilim rug was a find on Ebay. If you know you want a genuine rug like Kilim or Ikat, (Turkish, Persian, Dhurrie or Hand Woven-search places like Ebay first using those words for genuine shots at a find). Not the reproductions. If you love a repro, great. I think it all depends on what you want, the style of the room, budget, etc. But I’ve found that prices are actually better from the genuine sources.
And they’re one of a kind finds.
The boys rug was a plain jane sale find from World Market.
I simply painted stripes on it and they’ve loved it for years. It’s been a great little mat – perfect for Lego Star Wars battles + cars adventures.
The closet rug is from World Market, as well. Another great source for rugs!
A few more of our favorite sources:
One of a kind finds: • Esale Rugs • New York Rug Gallery – Great dependable sources with fun results: • Urban Outfitters • Land of Nod • Crate and Barrel
Here’s a few more tips I like to follow when looking for a new source:
• Use Pinterest as an image search. It’s like Google, but in general, for people with good taste. ;} In other words, they’re not pushing the most-searched-for thing to the top with key words and clicks, but rather, the ones that people love the most that have been added to Pinterest for a reason. You never know what you’ll find by entering a few key words into their search engine. I use it more for that now, than actual pinning. Between that and the humor section late at night… call me a renegade. I’m wild like that.
• If you find one that you love that’s pricey… figure out the real name of the rug. Sometimes sites (like the ones with flash sales, or other sites) will rename the product and it’s hard to locate to do a price check. Figure out the name by searching its description on Google, and you never know what will pop up. I saved a couple hundred dollars on a rug before by doing just that.
• If links in Pinterest don’t work (it takes you to another random site) or you can’t find the original name of the rug (as mentioned above) use Google Image search to locate the original image. Save/drag the image over to your desktop. Simply go to Google’s home page, and under search, you’ll see the option for image. Click on the camera icon and upload that image. A plethora of new options should be available. It’s how I locate lost images when we want to feature them here.
• More of a money saving/stylist tip: If you love a rug, but can’t afford the next size up, consider layering a few, like a nice hand woven one with a natural fiber rug (that you may already own). You may save money if the price is outrageous (but still worth the buy) and end up preferring that look.
Rugs are a great investment for any space – something we truly love for our home – and we’ve found most of them on the www. We hope these sources and tips help – maybe for more than just a rug search! What are your favorite sources for rugs? Your best tip for shopping? Let’s spill it – We’d love to hear!
Have an inspired day!
Alexis says
Thank you for this post. I’ve been searching for some rugs for some time now and never know where to look. I was ready to give up! I can’t wait to check these sources out.
Janna says
I’ve been waiting for this post! Great tips! Thank you for those sources. I love your rugs in your home.
Dana at Happy Little Lovelies says
This is fantastic! We are in the same boat with carpeting we don’t like but aren’t ready to redo the floors. Any tips for layering rugs over carpet?
Nicole L says
Thanks you for all the sources in one post! I recently made my first online rug purchase (West Elm) and had such a hard time deciding – so hard to tell about the texture/quality of a rug online, and being in Canada it is not easy/cheap to return imported online purchases.
Catherine says
I am in the market for a rug right now so this is a great resource, thank you!!
Celia says
Great post! I would also love tips for rugs on carpet! I really would love to buy some for the kids’ rooms but have hesitated because of what I imagine being a “bunching” factor. But it looks great in your home!
Ashley says
Hi! Great post and thanks for the sources!! We would love to know how the rugs work out with your dog. We have a large dog (a boxer), and even though she is well behaved, her hair sheds and her paws seem to stick to rugs, causing them to snag. We also have a cat with claws. We’ve tended to steer clear of too many rugs in the house to avoid having to deal with the extra wear and tear. We would love suggestions, though, of rugs that are good with animals. Thank you!!!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Ashley! We have our dog groomed pretty regularly – maybe every six weeks? We live in a warmer climate and she’s indoors most of the time. So because of her shedding, we have her shaved (she doesn’t mind) and her nails are filed down as well when she goes in. So this has helped immensely with our home and my sanity. ;} It’s a splurge, but one of those things I’ll (hopefully) never not do. With three kids, it’s just something that makes my life easier ;} It’s just great to have to help with the messes and make our situation doable so Chloe can stay indoors with all of us. I hope that helps.
Jenn says
I found your link through Pinterest, and love your home’s style! The oversized Funny Girl poster in your daughter’s room? Adore!! That was one of my favorite movies as a girl, and such a unique idea for a kids room. I can’t wait to look more through your site!
I’ve also been searching and searching for the perfect rug for my apartment, so this really helps!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thanks so much, Jenn! ;}
joesmith says
What a wonderful post! The same goes for rugs on carpet! For the kids’ bedroom, I’d want to have several, but I’ve been hesitant due of the “bunching” aspect. The only problem is that it looks wonderful in your house!
Presenthem says
Thank you so much sharing this post.
Wonderful!