MAGIC CARPET
Cindy Maddera
I hate this rug. Hate might be too strong of a word. I don’t really hate it; I just really dislike it. It is old and some of the braiding has come unstitched. It’s dirty and faded and doesn’t really fit in with the rest of my color schemes. I have this rug because it was free and not free as in came out of the dumpster free. This rug came from the house I grew up in and as far as I know it is at least as old as I am. That rug was either the center piece in the den or the anchor to the dining room table. I have zero memories of the inside of that house without this rug being present. Maybe that is why I have held on to it for so long. When I was little, I used to spread out my Strawberry Shortcake blanket on this rug right in front of the fireplace and often fall asleep while watching The Muppets or Hee-Haw or the old black and white Tarzan show. The old blue rug was a witness to countless family gatherings and birthday parties. It was a witness to my life growing up in that house.
Despite the sentimental value of the rug, I had been wanting to replace it for years. I just kept putting it off. I’m cheap and I don’t want to spend the money. Nor did I want to spend the time making a decision about colors and patterns. Except the internet reads minds and has been plaguing me with advertisements for over a year. One company stood out and that is Ruggable. Every time I opened a browser of anything, I was met with a woman ripping her rug up from the floor and stuffing it into the washing machine. It was like this company knew my very soul. That first advertisement looped me with its lasso, slowly tugging me in until I finally just gave in. I did some research first. The biggest complaint seemed to be the amount of time it takes to dry the rug after it goes through the washer. This does not bother me. Some one complained about the edges curling and I was concerned about that. It did not do this out of the box, but I still haven’t washed it. This may be concern later down the line. I’ll let keep you posted. I did get a bit of sticker shock over the price, but you are paying for the washable top and the grippy pad it attaches too. If later on I decide I no longer like the looks of this rug, I can just order a new topper for half the price.
Now, let’s talk pattern. The new rug goes way way way outside of my comfort zone. I love it. I love the bright colors and I am surprised how much I love the floral print, but I had to push, really actually shove, myself to purchase this particular pattern. This is the kind of rug that I would admire and look wistfully at in the store, but would have never ever purchased because I have let myself believe that I do not deserve nice and pretty things. I let myself believe that pretty cannot be practical or durable and that if I’m going to drop some dimes on something, it better be both of those things. This rug feels like it belongs in the home of a woman who has her shit together, a woman who is not afraid of bold, bright colors. This is a woman who owns and wears beautiful but painful high heeled shoes on the daily. The woman who owns this knows something about design and is often featured in Apartment Therapy or Real Simple. I am not that woman, but I am deserving of nice and pretty things.
Of course, only if those things are washable in the washing machine.