Short story: we bought a bedroom rug!
Now for the long version. Our new bedroom is huge and needed a large rug to anchor the main pieces, like Ed the Bed and our oversized pendant light from Ikea. A small 4 x 6′ rug with faux sheepskins beside the bed no longer worked for the space. Maybe a 16 x 16′ room (actually 16 x 21′ including the sink nook) doesn’t sound enormous to everyone, but after living in an 11 x 12′ box with a tiny closet and no attached bathroom, this feels gargantuan. Our old room had a 6 x 9′ jute rug:
We decided an 8 x 10′ rug would be the minimum, and taped out the dimensions with painter’s tape to visualize the size before buying. We plan to place the rug horizontally under the bed—more on that in the next post.
Next came the material decision. We prefer natural fibers for rugs: they tend not to off-gas, they’re durable, and they’re relatively easy to clean. That narrowed the choices to either a large white shag wool rug (a kind of giant faux sheepskin feel) or a softer braided jute rug. For practical and aesthetic reasons we leaned toward jute. We’ve used several jute rugs in our last house and still keep a large one in the sunroom. They’re resilient, simple to maintain with a shake or a vacuum, and their natural tones hide dirt and resist stains better than a white wool rug would—important with a dog and a baby in the house.
Cost was another factor: jute is typically much cheaper than wool. A white shag would be plush underfoot, but we worried about visible stains and maintenance. Also, with Ed the Bed being white, a non-white rug would help him stand out more.
Why not choose a bolder or patterned rug? Our bedding and other elements—like the bold pendant light, green-yellow curtain panels, and graphic four-poster bed—already make strong statements. We wanted the rug to play a supporting role and let those pieces remain the focal points.
After searching, we narrowed the selection to three affordable 8 x 10 options (always satisfying to find rugs under $350). The first was from Overstock for $224 with $2.95 shipping:
The second was from West Elm on sale for $229 with $25 shipping (in “flax”):
The third was a Pottery Barn clearance find for $199 plus $25 shipping:
We were most drawn to the Pottery Barn option because of its subtle tone-on-tone diamond pattern, and the price was the lowest before shipping. That pattern made it feel more special than a plain jute rug.
Then I realized there’s a Pottery Barn near us, so I called to see if we could pick one up and avoid shipping. Unfortunately, the clearance price was only online; in-store the same rug rang up at $249. Ordering online would still be cheaper overall, but I noticed an important checkout restriction: the online clearance item wasn’t returnable if the color didn’t match expectations. That mattered because natural fiber rugs can vary slightly between batches.
Then came the big snag: the online estimated delivery timeframe was three months, despite local stores showing inventory:
Three months felt like forever—waiting that long for a rug felt excessive. The local Pottery Barn had two in stock and accepted returns, with no shipping cost or long wait. For the extra $25, instant gratification won out. We borrowed a larger vehicle and picked up the rug in-store for $249.
Bringing it home felt like the right call. The rug is soft—much softer than our previous bedroom rug—and the warm tone and subtle diamond texture pair nicely with our wide plank floors. The Overstock option had seemed potentially too orange in photos, and the West Elm pick looked a little cool-toned, but the Pottery Barn rug is just right in person. It’s half unrolled on the floor now and already makes the room feel cozier. Photos to come!