about Design on a Dime... Laying the Groundwork: NIBA Rug Collection.

Cubist

Although the design process preparing for Design on a Dime is a bit unconventional, there are some happy parallels to how I typically put together an interior project. I often suggest that clients build a room from the floor up, and start with a beautiful rug. It's an area where I am quick to encourage an investment, if not a real splurge.

So I was delighted at the generosity of NIBA Rug Collections, providing me with a selection of plush and stylish wool and viscose rugs on which to build my room vignette. This is the second time CEO Beth Arrowood has extended her generosity (the first was when she hosted a design industry screening of our "It Gets Better: NYC Designing Men" video).

Marrakech Express

I am, as many know, a sucker for chocolate (in color and Kit-Kat form), so the Marrakech Express was a quick frontrunner, and once I received wool samples, I realized the color would be a perfect match to a wallcovering I was considering (stay tuned!).

But then again, with its room-filling size, relaxed geometry, and cachet of the Doug and Gene Meyer design, the Cubist rug (pictured at top) seemed too good to pass on.

Gumbo Limbo

Then there's the Gumbo Limbo, deep, rich and exotic, with a name that reminds me of my native South Florida and trips to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens (I am also a sucker for an evocatively named product). Hmmm. I'll admit, this is a nice problem to have. Maybe the answer lies in my upholstery options...

Which rug would you choose? And which artwork by Babette Herschberger would you pair with it?