a little persian rug love

yo. so i am kind of in limbo with the decor in our family room. i have posted before about this room and the fact that it is rectangular and a little hard to arrange and decorate around.  one thing that was giving me some difficulty was our persian rug.  it is lovely and it was a gift, but i had no idea how to decorate around it.  to me, a persian rug dictates that the surrounding decor be traditional and elegant like a lot of persian style homes that i have seen.  the rooms are lovely with the big colorful persian carpets and rich reds, golds and orange coordinating decor, but really that isn't exactly my style.  so i have been kind of stuck.  i always envisioned my living room to incorporate my favorite colors and decor style: calm, relaxing, laid back grays, blues and greens and nice crisp whites.  but, after we got married and the moving in together and merging of the things ensued, we had to make what we had work and gradually purchased some new furniture to go with the stuff we already had.  i had the persian rug, green couch and glass coffee table to work with.

our rug

the rug, couch and chair in one shot

eventually we added an entertainment table and bookcase and later when we got into this house we bought some lamps, end tables and a couple chairs.  now i am trying to finish decorating and furnishing the living room by using what we already have for the main pieces like couch and coffee table and layering in some new pieces to tie it all together.  this includes using the rug we already have.  hubby likes it, it has a nice design and colors, and if i could save money by not buying a new rug that would be ideal.  the colors in the rug include reds, pinks, beige, blue and green, which sounds like every color but actually doesn't look too crazy.  our couch is so comfy and i love it, and although it is green it has gray undertones so it is fairly neutral and plays off the green in the rug nicely.  the chairs i bought are a dusty blue color with gray undertones that actually go quite well with the colors in the rug.  in my head i was wondering if this could all actually work without buying a new rug that just had the grays, blues and greens of our furniture.  initially i had really wanted some white based curtains with a nice print in a dark blue that would complement the carpet rather than compete, but i got scared and settled in a neutral set.  recently i have been looking at pictures on the interwebs and Pinterest and feel more at ease and inspired.  because i want to keep a more contemporary and streamlined look overall i wasn't sure the rug would work, but i actually found a lot of cool modern spaces with more traditional persian or oriental rugs that actually work cohesively!  here are some that i especially liked:

http://www.summerthorntondesign.com/

i heart this!  she brought in blue, green and lilac with a bold red persian rug and it works in a not super matchy, modern way with an ecclectic vibe.  and the curtains are patterned!

here are a few more:

http://caitlinwilson.com/decorating-with-persian-rugs/

http://hepok.com/comfortable-living-room-for-friends-and-family-gathering/

http://www.homedit.com/5-tips-using-patterns-match-oriental-rug/

http://caitlinwilson.com/decorating-with-persian-rugs/

http://bedzandmore.co.za/files/2012/10/Persian-Carpets-Create-a-Classic-Modern-Style-Living-room.jpg

this one above, i initially wanted curtains like those. might have to find some.

http://keltainentalorannalla.blogspot.fi/2013/08/persoonallisia-koteja.html?m=1

http://www.arkpad.com.br/referencias/living

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/inspiration-oriental-rugs-in-a-82441

and actually, i get some great ideas from my sister in law's place because she does such a wonderful job at picking decor that go well with her persian carpet and it is all sleek, fresh and modern looking.  so, with my confidence boosted a bit and my inspiration pictures, i'll be working on getting this room to reflect my style and make it look cohesive and alao be functional.  is hubby going to be upset if i change the curtains after the great curtain debacle??  hope not!  so i am on the lookout for fabric to make pillows, and maybe curtains, gotta get some art and picture frames and a little white ceramic owl and a box for all the stuff on he coffee table and....well, we will see!