Awhile back, Bridget gave us the scoop about the fresh woven rug she found for her kitchen. I was absolutely smitten with the gorgeous runner she purchased, and I’ve wanted to find my own fabulous runner ever since.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a rug-in-the-kitchen kinda girl. A swoon-worthy striped runner brought B to the other side, but I’ve been cheering on this team for a long time! It’s nice to have something cushy under your feet when you’re chopping away (or doing dishes) and if you have hardwood floors, then a rug can definitely break up all of the wood going on in a kitchen (cabinets, floor, etc.)

Unfortunately, the rug that we’ve had in our Chicago apartment left much to be desired…

Yeah…not much excitement going on here. The rug was way too small for the space, the colors were a bit dishwater dingy, and it had seen a few too many spills and stains.

Clearly this little guy had seen better days.  It was bringing the upbeat vibe of our kitchen waaaay down, and who wants to see old stains from last month’s dinner every time you head to the fridge for a snack? No thank you.

Time for a little shopping. I headed to World Market because I remembered a gorgeous blue runner had caught my eye the last time I was in there browsing. Lucky for me, they still had this Indian rug on hand. I scooped it up, brought it home, and tried it out in our space.

Then a funny thing happened, I didn’t like it. At all. Just looking at the runner by itself, I was sold. The geometric design, blue pattern, and unique look were spot on. The style is so on trend, and to me it screamed “a cool, stylish, laid-back girl should own this!” But when I put the runner down and checked it out…it just did not work. I wanted to love it, I really really did. I took pictures, I moved things around, I fluffed it, I smoothed it down…but it was still not right.

So I sucked it up, headed back to World Market, and came home with a different rug…

This jute rug with its thick gray border was much more me. Of course it isn’t as hip and worldly as the first rug, but it’s clean, classic, and just right for the space.

The size (2.5′ x 8′) fits the space perfectly. No more dinky rug here. It covers the entire span of the kitchen and island, and I think it makes that area look much more complete.

It feels very substantial underfoot and has a nice cushioning built right in. We did have to get a rug pad to put underneath, so it doesn’t slide around and now it stays in place easily.

Now I know what you’re thinking…”Casey what about spills? This is a kitchen after all!” I totally hear ya. But the nice thing about jute is that spills and dirt don’t really cling to it. Instead they just rest loosely in the weave. We have a jute rug in our family room, and it doesn’t show dirt or stains at all. All it requires is some weekly action with the vacuum. I am looking into finding a Scotchguard type product for a little more protection on this bad boy. Let me know if you’ve ever used anything that works well for jute rugs.

The gray and natural colors blend right in with the other colors of the room. Lots of whites, grays, and blues. It just seems to naturally flow with all of the other accessories in our home…and I love that!

So that’s my tale of stepping way outside my comfort zone, only to be escorted right back in. I tried to be a little dangerous, but it just didn’t work this time around.  Even though my brave attempt at something new didn’t work with rug shopping, I’m still going to evolve my taste and try out new pieces for our home…because that’s what keeps home decorating fun!