rug options

Since our ever-so-brief attempt to go with an oriental rug in our living room, I've noticed that my inspiration images almost always feature a natural area rug.  I absolutely love the neutral palette and casualness that the rugs bring into a room.

Jeff, on the other hand, is not the biggest fan of the sisal rug in our living room.  We purchased it with gift cards from our wedding almost two and a half years ago, and I've been so impressed with how well it's held up.  It started off under the kitchen table and then moved into our living room... the two heaviest traffic areas of our home.

I love it, but the hubby feels like it's not soft enough for the living room.  Our compromise is now to move it off to the sunroom, and find something softer for the living area. 

So I've been scouring the internets for something that is soft but has the neutral color palette and the ability to hold up as well as natural rugs like sisal or seagrass.  Luckily, Lauren from Pure Style Home has an incredibly comprehensive post on the pros and cons of different rugs.

My favorite option (as of right now) is to find a wool rug that looks like sisal, and have it cut to size and bound, like Lauren did in her own family room... 

Here are a few of my favorite options so far:

{Granada}

{Kalahari}

{Mirage}

{Softer than Sisal}



I think this seems like a pretty solid compromise.  According to Lauren, wool rugs are pretty low maintenance (and work with her family of two little ones).  Have you ever used a wool sisal look-alike in a high traffic area?  What did you think?