Currently in the middle of remodeling our master bedroom... to update it from the original 1969 carpeting (yes, for real!). Turns out that carpeting was covering some stunning original (well preserved thanks to the carpeting) maple hardwood flooring from when the house was built in 1957. This find was wonderful but we wanted to find a way to preserve the floor from any damage caused by our bed frame. An area rug was the answer. So the search began.After three weeks of steady Amazon hunting, er, shopping, I finally zeroed in on this 8x10 beauty. There were some mixed reviews on this area rug (I'll touch on that in a minute, keep reading), but I decided to give it a shot because it checked off all the right boxes. It arrived as promised, thought the packaging of the rug in a single thick piece of plastic left a little to be desired (some spots were ripped open on delivery).Overall I was aiming for a relaxed "country/farmhouse" vibe for our new look. Nothing in carpeting says "country" more clearly than a braided rug! I was thrilled to find one that was more authentic-- in that this area rug is constructed of 100% cotton whereas many many others I looked at were constructed of "polypropelene" (a fancy word for plastic). This area rug is sewn together, *not* glued together, so that was a bonus also.I found this carpet to be true to size. Others have commented that upon unwrapping the rug there was a musty-like smell. I did experience this as well, but it faded very quickly- less than a few hours (and if it's found offensive a little fabric refresher would take care of that on a cotton braided rug).Some reviews have mentioned that the carpet did not lay flat. Well, of course it isn't going to.... Initially the rug I received did lay a little wrinkled, but that was to be expected given how it was packaged for delivery. It is *not* rolled up on a cardboard carpeting tube but rather folded (very nicely I thought) instead and then wrapped in heavy plastic for shipping. Instructions/notes included in the rug mention to expect the carpet to not lay flat for a few days until the fibers relax and acclimate to your home's climate. Being that this area rug is constructed of cotton I literally only had to smooth out wrinkly spots twice and they disappeared practically overnight.The thickness of this carpet is spot on and better than expected for an area rug at this price point. It's not too thick to be cumbersome for vacuuming but not to thin that it's a waste of money. This rug gives our beautiful hardwood the protection it needs without being an overstatement and puts just enough space between the floor and our feet in the morning! It's not lushish soft (not that any braided rugs are), but it feels comfortable under my bare feet.Another reviewer talked about the area rug's color, commenting it was blue and not gray. The area rug I received is definitively gray & off white (which is what I wanted) but could lend itself to a very very subtle hint of light blue if you look at it long enough. For our room it was the perfect complement to the greenish-blusih paint we chose for an accent wall and I thought it was just feminine enough for me and not too feminine for the military man I married ;)I have vacuumed the rug once so far and it cleaned up nicely. We do have cats that I expect will soon enough find a place to make a mess of, but that has not happened yet so I cannot really speak to how it went with spot cleaning or washing in the washer.Overall, this rug was a great find at this price point! It works great in our room, feels nice underfoot, vacuums up nicely, & protects the hardwood underneath our bed perfectly. Highly recommend this product!
