carpet isn't a bad word

say the c-word to anyone looking for an apartment and you're instantly met with a big ol' "helllllll noooooo".  come on, we've all been there: you're hunting for that perfect 2 bedroom in the latest up-and-coming neighborhood...and then you find a place that almost has it all!  high ceilings, tons of natural light, original tile floor in the bathroom, a kitchen with all the mod cons, a backyard, a great stoop...but the owners just installed brand new CARPET in the whole dang place.  deal breaker?  it is to me.  

but carpet doesn't always have to be a bad thing.  sure when it's prefaced with "wall-to-wall" it's usually not ideal, but when we're talking carpet remnants, well...that's a horse of a different color.  

remnants are inexpensive, come in a kajillion colors & patterns, and are a great way to achieve the look of a fancy rug without the fancy rug price.  remnants are tagged with bargain-basement prices, but keep in mind that everything else is extra (cutting to size and binding the edges, delivery, padding).  though in my experience, it never hurts to be super nice and ask for a better price or free delivery.  also, Disney Eyes can go a long way when haggling.  

when I was picking out the remnant for Veronica's office, I snapped photos of a few others that I thought would be kinda rad in the right space.  shall we?

an 8 x 8 for $50??  nope, you're not seeing things.  I love the modern pattern, the primary colors, and it would give such great rhythm to any room.  I'm seeing this in a bright, open office paired with modern furniture that has clean lines.  or what about in a sexy den, painted a rich navy?  hell, for fifty bucks, I'm tempted to buy it for the unforeseeable future.  yes, along with chairs and lamps, rugs are also fun to stockpile!  

I am in looooooove with this rug.  like, big-time love.  it's a totally weird size at 6'6" x 30', but it would be amaaaaaaazing as a runner in a hallway and especially fabulous going up the stairs.  I adore the buttercream background and the lavender diamond pattern.  it's very 5th Avenue meets Beni Ourain, no?  if it were wider, I'd lay this thing down in a bedroom without thinking twice.  uh, I didn't mean for that to sound dirty.  there's no price, but I'm sure it wouldn't be over $150.  good lord, the things I would do with this rug.  I also didn't mean for that to sound dirty.  moving on!

okay, this could go two ways.  in the wrong setting, it could look like movie theatre carpet.  but in the right setting, it could be way more modern-ikat-ish, which is obviously what I like about it.  I'm digging the grey background and the autumnal palate...the butterscotch and coral-red could be really fun in a dining room.  I'd paint the walls a lighter grey in the same tone as the background and then go bold with black & white wide horizontal striped curtains.  imagine some big fiddle-leaf fig trees, some walnut mid-century furniture pieces, and an unexpected chandelier and VOILA!  too much?  no such thing.

oh, hello, Jonathan Adler-y rug for basically nothing.  want to come live with my ivory linen chesterfield sofa, a pair of canary-yellow ginger jar lamps, and lots of bamboo and chrome and glass?  you do?  oh we will be so happy together.  

this one is weird.  it's not really my normal taste, but I was really fascinated with it.  it's so....whimsical and it reminds me of that Daydream wallpaper by Julia Rothman that everyone is so nuts about (and with good reason!).  I think it'd be super fun in a kid's room with white walls, white built-in bunk beds, and some really fun window treatments and bedding.  love the orange and blues together.  it's very Hayao Miyazaki and reminds me of one of my favorite animated movies, Ponyo.

such a great neutral weave!  this crazy-mazey pattern would be pretty subtle once it's underfoot and would give any large room a polished, elegant feel.  it's large enough to use in a den, with a well-styled sectional and would stand up to lots of foot-traffic.  that's another great thing about carpet remnants-- they're almost always more durable than regular rugs.  BONUS.  

someone pleeeeeeaaaaaseee let me put this in your home.  please.  pretty please.  I promise even your husband would like it!  okay, YES, it's pink and blue leopard, but it's also such a great scale and would look soooo coooool in the right space.  say, in a bedroom with an ivory-painted canopy bed (wait, does IKEA not make the Edlund anymore?!?!) flanked by alabaster lamps.  I'd throw in lots of brass accents, a pair of beat-up leather club chairs, heavy velvet curtains, and neutral, luxe bedding.  yes, there would definitely be a fig tree in this bedroom.  it would be super sexy and I would probably not ever want to leave.   

also, it'd be really fun going up a staircase.  just sayin'.

I still can't decide if I like or dislike this carpet.  it's got quite a pattern and it's not really my style.  and that shade of purple?  hmmm.  but I was into the flowers and it just seemed like it could be pretty rad and unexpected in the right space.  would you use this in your home? 

so...did I convince all of your carpet-haters out there to give it a chance?   anyone heading out to a remnant warehouse this afternoon?  it's fun, I promise.