As we mentioned here, the bedroom is “still looking rough and we’re not sure about a lot of things — just waiting for inspiration to strike — which might involve repainting and rearranging furniture along with refinishing the floors.” We even clarified in the comments when readers asked if we hated the current color: “We love the paint color but something is off about the bedroom and we’re not sure we can rule anything out — including the paint color. Everything is a suspect until proven innocent. Haha. Something is limiting us, so we’re not opposed to changing that thing once we pin it down (it might be the curtains or the art or something else!) just to get things to ‘click’ for us. Who knows where we’ll end up!”
You know that vague feeling when something in a room doesn’t sit right but you can’t put your finger on it? That’s exactly where we were. Moving the art above the bed on Friday helped, but we have several changes planned this week to try and turn “that room where we sleep” into “that room that we love.” Big transformations take time, but small updates and a few swaps often cure that persistent “hmm, something’s off” feeling — a sensation we’ve encountered many times over five years of DIY projects. The only reliable way to find what works is to experiment: try things, live with them, and tweak until it feels right. So here’s the first change, which already happened and was a pretty major one. It all began when we spotted a rug at an outlet liquidation sale…
We weren’t actively hunting for a bedroom rug, though we weren’t ruling anything out (remember, everything in that room was guilty until proven innocent). I had even suggested moving the jute rug from the bedroom to the dining room when we add a natural fiber rug under the table. So when we checked out a big tent sale at our favorite lighting outlet (The Decorating Outlet), which also sells rugs (it’s where we bought the thick wool rug in Clara’s room and other fixtures), we had to look around.
That’s when we spotted the patterned blue rug. We loved the palette — gray, navy, teal, white — and the geometric pattern really spoke to us. If you’re familiar with our style, you know geometric rugs send us a little weak at the knees.
They energize a space in a way that feels fresh and intentional. But being realistic, it was a thick 9 x 12 wool rug and we assumed the sale price would still be out of reach. So when we checked the tag and read “was $1287.00, now: $250,” we were floored. That wasn’t a typical sale percentage — it was an extreme markdown.
We asked why it was so discounted and the tag said “soiled.” We hoped it might be a small stain we could hide under the bed or clean out, but the salesperson explained it was actually ripped — a hole through the rug. Yikes. Fortunately, the damage was in a corner. When you picked the rug up, you could see the rip, but when it was laid out on the floor, the dense pile hid the damage almost completely.
Because the rip was discreet when the rug was in place, we couldn’t resist the deal. Getting a $1,287 rug for $250 felt like a small stroke of luck. We hurried it into the car and brought it home, happy as could be.
To save you scrolling, here’s a reminder of the old rug (we’re still missing some major furnishings, like something in that nook and more art on the walls):
We pulled the old rug out, imagining it moving into the dining room under the table someday. The yellowed floor felt a little exposed without a rug, and the new blue patterned piece was ready to change that.
John quickly vacuumed the rug to remove any tent-sale dust. Then we carefully shimmied it beneath the bed, taking time to center it just right. It took some patient inching, but we got there.
We absolutely love it. As Tim Gunn might say, it’s “a lotta look,” but it brings the room to life. Previously, the bedroom almost felt like anyone’s bedroom — neutral and impersonal. The new rug injects personality and happiness, which was exactly what the room needed. A bolder, patterned rug isn’t for everyone, but for us it solved the main problem: the room didn’t feel like us. Now it does.
A room that reflects your personality can feel unique; it becomes unmistakably yours. We decided when we moved into this house that we wanted a playful, cheerful bedroom for our family — a place that makes us smile when we wake up. Other rooms in the house, like the living room and guest room, already echo that vibe with colorful geometric rugs and bright accents, so this was a natural fit.
Yes, the bedroom still looks unfinished — the nook is empty and the walls are bare — but that’s often the case when you’re mid-refresh. It sometimes takes many small adjustments before everything clicks: pillows, curtains, lamps and art will all get their turns. For now, the rug has reawakened our excitement and given us momentum to try more swaps and tweaks over the coming days. Some ideas will stick, others will be lessons, but experimenting is the only way to land on a space that truly feels right.
One more thing: this rug is incredibly plush. It’s a luxurious underfoot experience — thick and cushy — and even Burger, who used to lounge exclusively on the bed, now sprawls on the rug. His approval is a good sign.
How was your weekend? Any bargain hunting, rug rolling-out, or speedy vacuuming? John ran the James River Scramble, a rocky trail 10K, and we cheered him on. We also enjoyed a walk around the art museum (Clara loves the VMFA) and popped into a new doughnut shop. It was a simple, satisfying weekend. What did you do?