Protecting floors

Even though I know it is not the best thing for a good rug or the floor underneath, I put this Persian directly on the floor just inside my front door. I had the idea that a rug pad would be too thick and either make the door hit it or a tripping hazard.

Years ago, when I was in my first few apartments I bought inexpensive latex pads and by the time I moved my floor looked like this. The material sort of melts a bit and is like hardened chewing gum. I knew I did not want to make that mistake again.

 Last year I bought this "as seen on TV" product to prevent slipping and the result is laughable.

I got a superior-lock low profile pad from RugPadUSA.com and it fixed the slippage problem without being too thick it is made from felt and 100% natural rubber.

 

I was surprised to see the variety of rug pads available. Everything from super cushy to a thin natural rubber non-skid pad.

Did you know natural rubber is the safest material to use on all floors. While pvc pads“Stick” to floors, natural rubber will“grip” floors. Natural rubber has very low VOC’s and comes directly from
real rubber trees, thus out-gassing and floor staining is never an issue.

RugpadUSA is super affordable but you can get an extra 10% off if you sign up for their email list.

Go here to check it out.

This was a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.

So wonderful

Were you ever just browsing and fell in love with something that you can't use?

This Kilim is a perfect example. I love everything about it including the price tag but the 11.5 x 4 foot dimensions make it a no-go in my house.

I just can't stop wanting it and concocting preposterous and impractical spots for it in my house.

What's a girl to do?

I lost a little sleep over these two also.

3 trendy classics that I will never tire of...

How can something be a "trendy classic"? Well, I simply mean that there are classics that happen to be getting a lot of attention right now. I won't tire of them and keep buying them.

The first on my list is Oriental rugs.

Since I was very little I loved them, imaging romantic flying adventures on them and the inside of a genie's bottle filled with layers of the carpets.

I inherited a small Persian and have been slowly collecting my own.

I just bought this one on eBay and I am anxiously awaiting its arrival.

The second thing on my list is blue and white porcelain.

I have much of my great-grandmother's collection and I have been adding to it with antiques and new pieces as I find them.

My latest and yet to be delivered eBay buy

A recent auction find

Trumpet vases from The Pink Pagoda

I am not new to loving this color palette. In my first house everything in my kitchen had to be blue or white or blue and white!

The third on my list will be no surprise. It is abstract art. But not just what I paint.

A small mixed media that I bought for my living room

Linda Monfort

This abstract by Linda Monfort was my very first Etsy purchase and inspired my painting "Into elan" which hangs in my daughter's room and is not for sale.

"Into elan"

She likes to touch it because "The good dreams are in there"

I will not tire of this...ever!

Do you have anything to add to my list?

Fool proof floor covering for the indesicsive

Sometimes in decorating, when I am stumped as to what would look best once other choices have been made, I choose the safest, neutral route. Its part laziness, part fear.

The only category that this does not apply to is rugs. While I like a good seagrass floor covering, the ones I gravitate towards are not so much neutral as versatile.

I love Persian rugs because they seemingly go with everything.

They are an obvious choice in a traditional room.

 I have Hamadan like this in my entryway that is very trad.

One of my favorite places to see them is in a kitchen. They are super durable and add a bit of padding for the weary feet of the home chef. I love the way they warm up and soften all of the hard surfaces in a kitchen and in my case, help to hide ugly flooring to a small degree.

Persian rugs look like they belong even in the most modern and contemporary styled rooms.

I have been seeing them lately in nurseries and I love how they keep things from being too sweet but still cozy.

I generally prefer Persian rugs that have an orangey-red as the main color but the wonderful thing about them is the variety of colors in each make it hard to go wrong.

Newly-made versions can be had at almost every home store but if you are a snob, like me and must have the real thing, eBay is a budget friendly choice albeit with risk.

This rug still had a low bid as of Sunday morning.

My tips for buying rugs on eBay are first to only buy from a seller with a very good (99.8-100%) rating and ask lots of question about color and condition.