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Thursday, November 1, 2012

THE {SMOOTHIE} THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK


I have a love/hate relationship with my kitchen rugs.

I showed them to you not long ago, and how I cut and pieced an extra one together to make them the perfect size for my kitchen.



Love the black and white.
Hate that they looked dirty five seconds after I cleaned them, and I had to throw them in the washer more often than I wanted to.
Love the bold graphic statement.
Hate that they wrinkle up and get pushed around easily, even with a rug pad underneath.


For the past week or so I've been thinking about looking for something different.  I hunted for the striped ones forever to find the right size, so I wasn't looking too forward to that prospect.

After cruising through Target, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Pier 1, I found nothing that was the right color or size.

I started looking around online and had these up on my screen for a day:



and spotted this one in Emily A. Clark's kitchen.  She was nice enough to tell me it was from Ballard Designs:



They are all indoor/outdoor rugs made of synthetic material.  Not what I would particularly want in the family room, but perfect for the abuse that they would get in the kitchen (easier to vacuum than the others or to hose off if needed!).


And then, while cleaning out the fridge that evening, this happened:



That's what I get for trying to clean out the fridge. :)

I took it as confirmation that it was time for the striped rugs to move on.  They will most likely find another home, they just weren't right for the kitchen.  Live and learn!  That's definitely my decorating motto...although I'm really trying to get things right the first time around!

Last night I was {this} close to ordering the Ballard rugs when I thought I'd hop on eBay to make sure there was nothing there for a better deal...I was so surprised at what I found!  These are all indoor/outdoor versions of nicer quality rugs I've seen around the web:







They are all actually from Overstock but were listed on eBay.  The price was slightly better than the Ballard rug that I wanted, I ordered directly from Overstock so I could use a coupon, and the shipping was WAY better (I can't stand to spend a lot of $$ on shipping!).  I love eBay and have bought a huge variety of items over the years, and have always been happy! Well, except for once, but eBay was good to right the wrong.

Which one do you think I picked?  I'll show you when they come in!
 

Would you like to comment?

  1. AHHH! Just when I saw the rugs in your kitchen before reading your post I was thinking, "how do people have rugs in their kitchens and keep them clean?!" Well, obviously you answered that question! I'm in LOVE with the idea of indoor/outdoor options and can't WAIT to see what you chose!!!

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  2. They are all adorable - I'm guessing number one?? I love them all! Thanks for sharing your source - and Emily's - just another thing I love about the blogging community - the sharing of great sources! :)

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  3. Love the stripes but totally understand your cons. I like the second one. In fact going to check how much oneline!:)

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  4. I like them all, but I'm guessing the second one!

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  5. I love finding something cheaper and using a coupon! I think you ordered the third style. Love the post! We are putting down hardwood in Kitchen and I will "need" ;) rugs to break up the cabinet and floor color- thx for the inspiration & leads on great style at a good price!

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  6. Hmmm #1 or 2. Thanks for the source, will definitely check it out, I need a new kitchen rug! Can't decide if I should paint one. :)

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  7. Can't wait to see which one you picked! Love the black and white too but I've had those rugs that look dirty and they are no fun at all.

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  8. just to let you know, not sure if you've ever heard of rugs usa. they are an online company and shipping is free. i got the same rug that you mentioned from emily a. clark in a 5x7 for $42 shipped. i'm sure it's not as good quality wise as the ballard, but still a smoking good deal.

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    1. Hi Amanda! Love looking at RugsUSA (but never ordered from them). I did check their site but couldn't find the smaller sized rugs that I was looking for. They seem to just carry the larger sizes. Thanks for the tip!

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  9. My pick would be the second one from the top! Can't wait to see which you got!

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  10. I so love the black & white stripes but I can only imagine how difficult they would be to keep clean. I love rug #2! The first one and the chevron would make me dizzy I think. :) The stripes and the plaid are pretty too. I hate to pay shipping too. Love having coupons!

    Can't wait to see your selection ~
    xo
    Pat

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  11. FYI you can tea dye the smoothie rugs if the stain is stubborn & use them somewhere else. Was crazy about that gigham rug when I saw it on Dash & Albert

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  12. I love the plaid but I love the quatrifoil too! Decisions, decisions!

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  13. Christina @ Floridays MomNovember 1, 2012 at 11:31 PM

    Well if you're anything like me and you have a love for Chevron (looks like it from that original ballard rug) I'm guessing you went for it!

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  14. I'm guessing #2 or #3....those are my favorite :) I've been wanting a new rug for the kitchen too....thanks for sharing the Ebay and Overstock inspiration.

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  15. I'm so glad I don't have to choose -- I like them all! Your kitchen is lovely, by-the-way.

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