Mistake-Turned-Great: Kitchen Update

Can you spot the change in our kitchen?

What’s that?  Oh, we’ve accidentally added an 8×10  rug to the space!

Yes, you read that right.  Accidentally.

Did I just fall into a store and have money tumble out of my wallet? Not exactly.  Although I should have tried to convince Ryan that’s what happened.

This rug is a perfect example of the old Jane style of decorating.  Impulse purchases, not well thought-out.  Thought I’d kicked that habit.

*Rambling story alert*

A few weeks ago I wandered into the Crate and Barrel Outlet.  I’ve gotta stay away from that store.  It is to me what Ikea or Target is to others . . . I can’t get out without spending money.   So I wandered in, “just to look,” and spied the recycled rag rugs on sale.  Only $50 for an 8×10.  Now if you’ve EVER done rug shopping, you know that $50 for an 8×10 rug is A HUGE FREAKIN’ STEAL.   Once I saw that price tag, I was determined to get one for the living room.  Because I’d been eyeing a teal / green one anyway.   They didn’t have the green or teal one, so I chose this.

Long story short, after living with it for a few days, it drove us both crazy in the living room.  By then it was totally dog-ified, and thus un-returnable.  I was so annoyed at myself for the impulse buy that I decided to try and make it work somewhere else in the house before cutting my losses and selling it on CL.

We moved it into the kitchen, where the cold tiled floor begged for a covering.  It fit perfectly!  I was a bit relieved.  Because I have chosen C&B rugs several times, only to have them sell out of the size I need before I can purchase them.

Now how about a little before-n-after action for this gorgeous Friday?

This is how the kitchen looked shortly after moving in:

Now, with the simple addition of the rag rug, the thrifted window valance, and some coordinating dish towels, it’s much more cozy without being cluttered!

A decorator might tell me that the orange tones in the rug aren’t ideal because they accentuate the orange tones of the wood cabinetry, whereas a cool color would have complemented it while keeping it toned down.  But I like it.  And so does Ryan (a big plus).

So in conclusion, the impulse purchase has worked out ok after all.  I wasn’t going to force myself to live with it, because I’ve learned that sometimes you should cut your losses and move on, but in this case it worked out.

Have you had any mistakes turn out for the better  lately?

PS:  Want to know more about my kitchen?  See the introduction, then peek at how I hide my dish rack, and how I faked a custom valance.