Another request for decorating guidance/Hancock Moore chair and sofa

[wintersummer]

I'm seeking some decorating advice guidance.

We will soon be moving into a retirement community and have the chance to update our existing furniture, some of it 30+ years old. We've settled on Hancock and Moore as a brand.

I've been looking at a number of HM pieces and came upon this discontinued chair and ottoman during the weekend. It's a Kennet Chair, in Antelope Rust (doesn't look a thing like rust!). It was on sale. We bought it on the spot!

I've also found this blue rug I just love. Haven't bought it yet - just have my eyes on it. The photos with the blue rug show an older chair (plan to discard this chair), just to show a lighter taupe like upholstery on the carpet. We plan to keep the cherry coffee table. Other living room furniture is cherry. Carpet was out on loan in my existing home, just for a day, long before we bought the HM chair. Thus, there is not a photo of new chair and rug.

So, here's the question: do the Antelope Rust chair and blue carpet work together? I plan to order a Hancock and Moore Metro sofa and need to choose a color. The taupe color fabric being held up to the carpet (along with sample of Antelope Rust) is HM Lewis Wheat. How does that look with the carpet? How does everything go together? I'm looking for honest opinions!

What are the opinions of the experts out here in this community?

Thanks!

[drcollie]

I'm not a huge fan of the burgundy chair on the blue rug, but its not necessarily a design faux pax if you do that combo - just not my personal preference.

Generally you want to buy your large area rug first, then the furniture to go with it. If I were buying that blue rug, I'd use Navy/Greys/Smoke/Blacks to go with it. Blues are cool tones, and I'd keep that look going. Burgundy is an earth tone, so with that I'm more inclined to use the browns (from light tans to darks) and mossy greens.

Also, since your chair is a solid and looks like your sofa is going to be as well, put some KICK into the rug! Get a pattern....some color! Have some fun in the rug. Its boring to walk into a decor where everything is plain.

[organic_smallhome]

LOVE the chair and ottoman--beautiful. Not loving the rug, though. The blue just isn't working with the new furniture. If the Metro sofa is going to be in the solid taupe color--which is very nice--that means both new pieces of furniture will be in a solid color, so I think you'd be better off with a patterned rug. I don't know if you're looking at handknotted or machine-made rugs, but Karastans wear like iron:

http://www.rugstudio.com/KarastanRug...FRd25QodnWW71g

[wintersummer]

Thanks for this input! I still have some options here. We will be furnishing several more rooms, specifically, a den area and a sunroom area (in addition to living space. Note about sunroom - it really doesn't have that much sun). I might take the new chair and put it into one of those other areas. My husband really liked the new burgundy chair - so I might designate it his new reading chair, possibly for the den area.

I've had Karastan rugs in my house for about 30 years and they've worn well. We've been very pleased. However, I can't find a local dealer with a large selection. Our area had more dealers back when I bought originally - I'm not sure where all the dealers went!

Duane - I absolutely agree that rug purchase is a good starting point. I just can't seem to find a rug I love - other than that blue one! I know you're encouraging me to get some KICK into the rug. I think I'll have to go someone dull in the major pieces and add "kick" with art and pillows. Oh, I would like to do one chair in a vibrant/interesting pattern. Still thinking about that one.

Part of my dilemma right now is I'm not sure of the exact size of our unit or the timing. I'd love to go ahead and start buying (or getting sofas and other chairs on order) - but I need to make sure they will fit and that the colors work together. I'm trying to line up possible options, so I can call and order on the day we get offered a specific unit. Expect to hear more questions from me. Thanks!

[organic_smallhome]

One thing to consider: Most people recommend buying the rug first, and I agree with that recommendation (and Duane). Once you know the rug you want, you can then select paint colors and upholstery patterns that complement the rug. So if you really want the blue rug, then moving the H&M chair and ottoman to the den would be a good idea. You can then think about pieces to go with the blue rug. But, yes, do wait until you can measure the size of your unit, to ensure correct size and placement.

[wintersummer]

I'm posting another photo, one I found someplace online, with a blue rug somewhat like the one we like. Any opinions?

I could go with a general look like this, having the new HM sofa covered with a lighter upholstery, and then do something with something a bit bolder on one of the chairs. It doesn't show well in the photo, but if you zoom in on the chair on the left, there is a slight pattern. I'm also attaching photo of a chair, also with some blues, that I like. For some reason, the song "Am I Blue?" is playing in my head right now!

The pictured room is about the size of our new main living area.

Thanks for all the advice and consultation.

[organic_smallhome]

Love it!

[drcollie]

No blue on blue...too much. Grays, blacks, whites, even golds and yellows.

[Monique]

If you're set on this rug, you can make it work just like the room photo you sent. Very striking. In that case, they used the blue rug and then drapery material in the same color. That carried the blue color up the wall. Then they used the same or very similar upholstery and in the same color value on all of the upholstery furnishings except for that one smaller occasional chair. You could then use almost any color for throw pillows, possibly colors you are using in the other rooms to help carry the eye when you're moving from room to room.

If you were using all leather, you could use some of the wonderful textured/patterned leathers that H & M carries and vary them while using the same neutral color.

In this case, as you suggested, you would use the newly purchased chair and ottoman in another room

I agree with other posters that it is better to purchase the rug you want to use first and start there with the decorating scheme.