Listen to your home!

I finally did it! I wanted to purchase an animal skin rug for my family room for years but wasn’t ready to commit until now. As an avid animal lover I was torn between my desire for beautiful design and my loyalty to my furry friends. So I did a little research and found that most cow hide rugs come from South America – huge exporters of beef. However, in the past these manufactures did not know what to do with the leftover skins. Now with the popularity of cow hides used for decorating purposes there is much less waste. And as I’ve learned when the manufacturing is done property, the process is eco-friendly as well. I think my Indian ancestors would be proud.

So you may wonder why I began looking into animal skin rugs in the first place. It’s because my house told me too, of course. OK, not literally but I do believe every house has a personality – the location, the fixed elements, the outside environment, the textures, age, colors, architecture and feel. All this determines how to decorate it. The design can be adjusted to fit different taste and styles, but if you go too far in the wrong direction, it will never feel quite right. Like people, if someone wanted to be a dancer, but ended up in law school instead – they might learn to be a decent attorney but they missed out on the chance to be a GREAT dancer!

I wanted that perfect fit and looked for a rug that wasn’t too cowboy, too colorful, too big, too little or too furry. So for my earth toned color palette and slightly rustic home, I (or it) chose this light colored, very durable cow hide rug that pops on my wood floors.

And I think my fur babies are OK with it –

Now about those white lacquer animal heads.  I know they are trendy but I just haven’t yet seen a blank wall in a home that screamed – “I need a Moose head!”  Anyone else have an opinion on the unique, wild kingdom wall art?