So lately I’ve been getting a lot of requests for “cozy, comfy rugs.”  Ever noticed that when you buy a new car, all of a sudden it seems everywhere on the road?  Well, it’s kind of like that….. now I’m seeing all these bad ass “cozy, comfy rugs” all over the place.  Yes, I mean badass.cozy.comfy.

Check this out, for one…..

We all know a true badass is the strong, silent type.  He doesn’t need to draw attention to himself, you just feel his presence. These are the Chuck Norris and Jackie Chans of the rug world baby! Whether neutral or accented with color, their presence enlivens a room with warm and comfort underfoot.

Whether braided or woven, these (generally) natural fiber rugs provide the comfort and warmth of a favored winter sweater. Besides the comfort they bring your toes, they bring an essence of nature indoors.

The soft tones of the above  Restoration Hardware  rugs lend themselves to the warm and inviting, yet casual elegance found in European homes. The rugs pair easily with multiple fabrics and furnishings in the home, lending themselves well to multiple aesthetics.

For those who want to kick it up another notch, there are options available such as the West Elm rug pictured above done in a chevron pattern – a hot trend right now.   Keeping the colors neutral will make this rug outlast the trend, adding classic longevity.

Cozy, comfy wool rugs can also incorporate the flavor of other cultures. The soft hues, as in the pattern above, create a sophistication in global and eclectic homes.

A perennial favorite is the silky shag, like my client Lauren’s above…..  You can get these through yours truly for a wholesale deal (they are also available in abundance at your local furniture stores).

These rugs are just so darned yummy. They make toes happy.  So kick off your shoes, relax, and squish your toes in their plushy goodness.  You can just feel your blood pressure lower…

So, whether mixed with felted ribbon, like the West Elm rug pictured directly above…

or the pairing of this thick hand-knitted Masland rug constructed of New Zealand wool yarn and soft, silk yarn…

or these fun, delectable West Elm treats of recycled cotton jersey for your bathroom…

You just know these rugs don’t need to be anything other than what they are. They know it. You know it. That’s why they’re badass.cozy.comfy.
- marcelle

1.  Via google.com

2.  Via keltainentalorannalla.blogspot.com.es

3.  Via restorationhardware.com

4.  Via westelm.com

5.  Via westelm.com

6.  Master Bedroom by Marcelle Guilbeau, photograph by Ashley Segroves

7.  Via westelm.com

8.  Via maslandcarpets.com

9.  Via westelm.com

Whenever people ask me, “What’s your style?” I say, “My style is cool.  I help you find your own style – your own cool.” People give me a hard time for being enamored of the word “cool” – try to get me to replace it with – “hip” or “trendy” (ack!) or – some word more du jour.  But I keep coming back to the world “cool”…..

I was intrigued when I came across this Time article on the “Coolest Person of the Year”.  Even though I don’t know who Ryan Gosling is (if Netflix doesn’t pick it for me, I don’t know it), I could tell he had that “cool factor” – at least for a guy…..

(notice the article defines “cool” as the “Marlon Brando way – an unshakable calm mixed with a confidence that comes from not needing others”…..

Although the basic insight is there, I don’t think that is the cool I aspire to…..

…..I think of my sexy, bold, wild-haired philosophy professor Yifat, whom I admired, and all the boys were in love with…..

This cool chick kind reminds me of her.  And she reminds me of what I endeavor to find in my clients, and help them express in their home interiors…..

So I take this New Years moment to ponder the meaning of the word “cool” as it relates to interiors…..

Henry Winkler put his finger on it when he said, “Cool is being comfortable in your own skin.  Everything stems from that.”  So let’s look at a few “cool spaces” – and see how they’re cool…..

…..This built-in window seat looks like it could be Yifat’s:  The huge view outdoors streaming into this library nook is unexpectedly exciting.  The window seat is so natural feeling, the slouchy pillows sexy and inviting…..Perfect for reading philosophical books and contemplating the New Year…..

…..but coolness doesn’t just come in casual forms.  Understated glam is cool, especially if it doesn’t sacrifice luxury or utility…..

To me it is harder to be cool and be “dressy” at the same time.  But this living room, although it is fancy and dressy, presents itself as cool…..I think it’s the disheveled pink velvet couch…..

…..Spontaneity and ease is always present in coolness, as with this outdoor lounge…..

…..But coolness – and its requisite spontaneity – can come in a highly “designed” form – as with this utterly cool shower, with (I would imagine) a gorgeous view of the Alps or something, an inviting wooden bench offsetting the pale blue arabesque tile, handsome spa-like cabinetry, and a luxurious oriental rug…..You could really take a long, comfy shower in here (and I am a bath person) and watch the sun set over the Alps or something…..

Adaptive reuse of cool buildings is way cool…..as with this 50′s era ferry converted into a spa in Montreal…..

…..or this 60′s waterfront restaurant converted into a chic clothing store…..

But adaptive reuse can be very simple, and still be way cool – as with this turn-of-the century warehouse window serving as a headboard.  The yellow trunk  and bedspread and blue lamp are playfully offset by this “chill” glassy backdrop…..

And “chill” is probably the definition of cool…..

1.  Via Time Magazine

2.  Via theimpossiblecool.tumblr.com

3.  Via thesartorialist.blogspot.com

4.  Via safdierabines.com

5.  Via retropolitanstyle.blogspot.com

6.  Via littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com

7.  Via browndresswithwhitedots.tum

8.  Via browndresswithwhitedots.tum

9 & 10.  Via Contract Magazine

11.  Via my “design inspiration file”.  If you know of its source, please leave it in the comments.