Some lovely clients of mine had the sweetest, tidiest house. But there was no front hall; you walked directly into a tiny area that the clients charmingly used for playing games.
I’m sorry I don’t have a “before” picture, but the poor little space needed help. The chairs were mismatched, and the corner fireplace – excellent, functional – made the room a challenging shape.
It just wasn’t working.
The first step was dragging in these 2 matching mid-century orange chairs from the living room, where they were acting as a sofa.
And step two was a fake zebra rug.
A rectangular rug would have emphasized the odd shape of the room. And size was an issue: we couldn’t have gotten one big enough to go under the chairs and not bump into the opposite wall.
A round rug might have worked, I suppose, but it couldn’t have been centered under the chairs.
An oval rug? Well, this isn’t Little House on the Prairie. If there are nice oval rugs that aren’t those braided rag things, please let me know.
No, this oddly shaped rug was the perfect solution. Its limbs reach out into corners, giving the illusion that it’s bigger than it is. The curvy border de-emphasizes the not-right-angled walls. And I love the black and white graphic pattern with those orange chairs.
Works, don’t you think?
If you like this look be sure and check out Jonathan Adler’s rug collection. It’s delightful.
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She’s also the creator of the “bossy basic,” a one-time service to jump-start the interior design process in your home.