When I moved out of my parents’ house as a full adult two years ago, I was absolutely shocked at the cost of two (to me) household essentials: area rugs and trash cans. Of course moving in to a new place requires other exorbitant costs like first and last month’s rent, pet deposits, and thousands to furnish the home even in the most simple and basic ways. I didn’t realize though that something as simple as a rug—what seemed to be just one long patch of fabric—could cost upwards of $200 depending on the size, shape, and collection of fibers. I purchased my first home area rug in 2021 from Amazon (their prices were all I could afford on my modest salary), which was heavily inspired by Julia Berolzheimer’s home style: feminine, pastel-focused, and slightly cottagecore-esque. The 9×11 rug was pale pink with a Parisian design showcasing antique shapes and yellow, white, blue, and jade green flowers and cost a whopping $280. I loved that rug, but eventually it was difficult to match all of my home decor to such a limited color palette. As my own style has developed and I invite all colors to flow in and out of my apartment, I started searching for a new colorful rug to match the other pieces and shades around me. I scoured Amazon, Rugs USA, and Etsy for the past several months, but none of the colorful rug options I liked were even in the same ballpark as my budget. I wanted a rug that incorporated loads of bright and fun colors with no preference for design, and after speaking with my mom about where she purchased her home rugs, I ended up at Lowe’s (can you imagine?)! I found a few colorful rug alternatives among different brands I liked, but immediately fell in love with the above featured Unique Loom Destin Chromatic Industrial Area Rug! As an 8×10 rug, the Unique Loom only cost me $150 with tax and shipping to my house and it has every color I’d ever want! I love the wavy pattern, rainbow style, and how each strip of color is actually two shades blended together. This rug matches my personal style far more than my previous one did and I’m even happier that it didn’t break the bank!
