Jess’ Living Room MOTO Rug/Coffee Table Agony

Was I inspired to get my act together after reading Caitlin’s post last week? Yes, yes I was. So here we are. Things are getting almost done in my head! That honestly is the longest part. The lead time of my “idea brain” is long and the client (me) is annoyed. But today I’m taking you on a journey to find the perfect rug/coffee table combo. To be clear I LOVE the rug I have. It’s kinda become the “EHD rug” since it’s so versatile and has been in so many projects. And it was perfect in my last apartment. But for this place, it’s just not “the one”.

OK, LET’S TALK RUGS

As you may remember, I have already made one mishap in my quest to find this room’s perfect rug…

Was the intention good? Sure. I thought, “Ah! What if I brought in A TON of texture to help balance the formalness that’s inherent in the apartment’s architecture/ how I’ve already decorated?” So off to Etsy I went and bought this long pile flokati rug for just under $400. I thought, “what a deal for a large rug!” But as you can see…it wasn’t right. As of now it’s in my bedroom and looks pretty great. Very cloud-like but TBD on it staying long term.

What I actually wanted from the jump was a Moroccan Berber Rug with a large abstract design. My issue with the checkered one I have is that the pattern feels too small scale for this space and how I want it to feel. So not only would a Moroccan Berber solve my need for texture, since they are typically plush, the large-scale pattern/design want would be solved as well. Below are my top contenders. I only want black and white or black and “natural” colors so that the art/decor I get can be the colorful moments. Plus don’t forget I already have beautiful pink curtains and while I love color, I don’t want too much;)

1. Handmade Wool Berber Carpet | 2. Balance | 3. Berber White and Black Rug

Hubba Hubba! Gimme big and gimme bold. I love the simple statement these options make. Still interesting but not too busy. I think that’s what I want so that there’s more “visual room” for decor and art. I don’t want the room to look too busy. While the design is different, I still want that same calming feeling I got every time I walked into my last apartment. Having my larger pieces be simple and less patterned is my go-to way to achieve that.

I definitely love this rug. And while those shapes are similar to the art behind it, it doesn’t bother me. It’s simple and bold…but maybe it is too similar to the art and one of the other ones would contrast slightly better.

Buuuuuut since I’m choosing black and white, maybe I could go a little “wilder” with a larger scale pattern…

1. Trio | 2. Berber White And Black Rug | 3. Nomad | 4. Simple Object 18 | 5. Moroccan Berber Checkered Rug | 6. Berber Groove Rug

Don’t laugh. I know these aren’t wildly patterned but they are “the most” I want to go IF I choose this route. I’m actually pretty into #2 and #5. They are the “busiest” of the bunch but I think they are fun and cool. Of course, I don’t want anything too trendy but I honestly don’t think these are. #3, on the other hand, is extremely fun but I do worry about its longevity with my ever-changing style evolution. But for the right person, it’s so freaking cool. As a fun exercise, I decided to do a little mood board photoshopping.

I am a check gal through and through so, OF COURSE, I love how this looks on the left. But do I really want to switch a small-scale check for a medium-scale check? Do I not want to try something else? Then on the right, I do love that rug. Lea has it in her basement now too! But I don’t think it’s right and is also matchy-matchy with the art, like the option in the first category.

An option that I’m highly considering, per Emily Bowser’s suggestion, is designing my own rug. I don’t plan to reinvent the wheel but it is a way to potentially get exactly what I want and feel even more connected to it. I’ll keep you posted.

Ok enough about rugs, it’s time to bring in the coffee tables.

THE COFFEE TABLE OPTIONS

You likely don’t remember the coffee table saga of my last apartment. Honestly, I’ve tried to block it out. I just remember thinking, if I never have to look at another coffee table again I will live a happy life. Luckily, I found the perfect duo to work both size-wise and functionally for my itty bitty living room (please see above). Now, these more or less work in my new space but they don’t feel totally right either. So I’ve been toying between a handful of options. Let’s talk about them.

1. Plinth Table Low in Various Colors | 2. Alvar Coffee Table | 3. Hera Coffee Table

All three of these are modern, chic, and have a bigger surface area than my old ones. They would also look great with everything I have (and plan to get). Let’s see them on the mood board:

I really love the two-level, sleek design of the one on the left. It’s simple but still interesting. Plus who doesn’t love marble??? What I love about the black one on the right is that it’s sneakily a two-level coffee table but has that VERY cool shape. Both modern. Both very pretty.

This one lacks a second level but the contrast and movement of that marble are stunning! It even has some pink in there to tie in with my pink curtains:) The main bummer with this one is it’s only 10″ high (very low) and $$$$.

So again, these are all beautiful but I really want my home to feel welcoming, not precious, and have a hefty amount of warm natural materials. I don’t want my home to feel like a museum and I’m afraid going this route would push me more in that direction. Naturally, I then went on the hunt for wood coffee tables…

1. Peagan Indoor / Outdoor Round Coffee Table | 2. Vintage Brown and Saltman Coffee Table | 3. Spezza Coffee Table | 4. Miri Coffee Table | 5. Column Legs Coffee Table | 6. Noir Tiered Coffee Table

Don’t these just have a slightly friendlier vibe because of the wood material?? At first, I thought that I wanted to go all black to help contrast the pink curtains and light-toned desk. Then I thought, maybe a white one like #3 would actually help tie in the light desk area with my dark sofa area. BUT then I really liked the idea of a darker two-toned option that would “talk” to my desk chair (the one below I refuse to never let go of:))

Here is how the light and a dark coffee table would look:

They both look great, right? I like the white and oak one but I really want the space to feel earthier and grounded and this says, “light and airy” to me. I actually really love that square beauty (and might be good for kids since there aren’t sharp corners). However, ultimately my heart was with the two-toned look so earlier this week I decided to just go for it!

SURPRISE! I BOUGHT ONE OF THOSE COFFEE TABLES

I had been looking at this little cutie on Craigslist for months but at the time it was out of my price range (then they finally were willing to come down to $375 so I was thrilled). Look that’s still not cheap but it had been on my mind for a long time and for the same table in a larger size on 1stDibs it goes for over $1k. I just loved the interesting shape, the two-toned colors and materials, and that little line detail on the bottom. Also, I realized that I don’t have any vintage furniture in my living room yet. That’s really what was truly missing…SOME SOUL! But buying vintage is very nerve wreaking since there isn’t a return policy. Happy and relieved that I love it. It’s not only going to tie in my chair but also my cabinet/bench design plan🙂

Here are some real shots of my picking it up and thanks to Caitlin who came with me to make sure it was worth the money and that I didn’t get murdered. The buddy system is the only system! Also the guys I bought it from were extremely nice.

Here it is pre-oiled in the warehouse (on the left) and post-oiled in my car (on the right). The guy was sweet enough to make it sparkle before I left and told me to oil it every couple of months with this brand of conditioner. Now, as you might have noticed it’s not huge. It’s about 25″x15″. My sofa is 84″ which means this little pumpkin needs a friend or two to help make her longer (coffee table rules here). Basically, I will need to do the same idea as my nesting table and pouf in my last place. If you are wondering if I can use one of the old pieces I might. The black table is the only one that fits with it since it’s taller but I’m not sure if I love the look. My other idea was to get a couple of floor cushions made to stack and nest under the new table. This way I can add a couple more comfortable seats, color, and pattern. Win-win-win, right?

TIME TO BRING IN COLOR (AND MORE SEATING)

1. Thalassa | 2. Commune Malmo Check | 3. Oyo | 4. Janas | 5. Cintamani | 6. Noos | 7. Cintamani | 8. Zuri | 9. Ephesus

Above are the fabrics I am currently thinking about. I’m pretty sure I want two different colors (maybe a third to put in the corner). Most of these are from Zak + Fox because I love love their selection for the style I’m going for and I know their quality because I saw it first hand in the canopy Emily had made for their kid’s bedroom in LA. Let’s take a look at some combos, shall we?

OPTION 1 AND 2

For option one, I like the happy medium tone of the colors and the slight scale difference between them. I also love that the yellow fabric has some pink in it to tie in with the pink curtains. Then for option two, I love the moodiness of these colors and the pattern of the blue fabric A LOT. Just not sure either of these combos are right though.

OPTION 3 AND 4

Here we are on the left with that blue fabric again but with a much lighter (and colorful) option as the second pillow fabric. The blue might be too dark. Thoughts? Then on the right, we have the same pattern as the blue but in a different color. I honestly kind of like this but again it doesn’t feel perfect yet. I would love y’alls thoughts on that too! Let me know in the comments:)

So that’s where I am at! Moving forward and feeling very inspired which is A RELIEF!!!!!!

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Jess Bunge | Styled by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Moto Reveal: Jess’ Home Office