Here is a close-up of the rug.

I don't really have any advice. In the first picture, the general field reads a little navy to me. I like the idea of the off-white sofa. So, could the chairs be in other neutrals that work with the sofa? If you have warm wood tones in your new house, maybe the fabrics could be other warm tones? Mostly, I'm just interested in hearing the responses from people who have had Persian rugs. I'm hoping for a style and design lesson from Pal. Seriously.

The world is your oyster. I think any pattern could be used with that rug. Large print, small print, stripes, floral, geometric, anything. This rug seems to be a great example of neutral. It contains every primary color allowing you to decorate with whatever your heart desires including the tertiary (sp?) colors. Wait! No yellow in it? Just kidding. Find a fabric you love and take home a sample to see if your rug plays well by draping it on a chair. Take a look at Pal's room and see if he asked his rug's permission.

Oh! Just saw the Persian Rug as Neutral link. That contains the "lessons" I was asking for. :-)

I too, am hoping for a style and design lesson from Pal!

I love your rug Zoe, it has so many beautiful colors in it.

I think you blur your eyes and look at the color and use prints that are compatible with the color you see when your eyes are blurred (remember crossing your eyes as a kid). The pattern looks small which means you can go with big prints. You can then add stripes, checks, plaids or whatever you like as long as you feel good about it when you see it together. This is a pretty neutral looking rug when I blur my eyes except a big but cute white curly spot in the middle and I think that can be easily removed.

When adding prints, go with a much larger or much smaller size, same with checks, stripes and pin dots, etc.

I think you have a wide range of options with this beautiful rug. Don't think about individual colors; think about what you see with blurred eyes.

http://www.iluvfabrix.com/products/antiquefabric/13092/1/
http://www.iluvfabrix.com/products/antiquefabric/13095/2/

I would love either of these fabrics with an off-white sofa and your rug, but would like to see, other than the black piano, what you have in the room.

http://www.iluvfabrix.com/products/antiquefabric/9448/5/

This would also be a lovely fabric for your room, even for another chair or for draperies. Please enlarge all these fabrics to see their true beauty.

I am not sure this fabric would go as I don't know your other colors or wall paint, but someone needs to buy this.

http://www.iluvfabrix.com/products/antiquefabric/12577/12/

Ok this is the last. There are many, many others, but I just feel these are things I would try.

http://www.iluvfabrix.com/products/damaskfabric/13163/3/

How about something like the fabric on these pillows, then pull a solid color from your rug for the chairs.

Another view showing rug.

I have the same rug pattern but in different colors. The rug has fought with every piece of fabric I've put in the room! When people say buy furniture after you buy the persian rug, it's what you should do. I would bring home bolts of cloth from Calico Corners that "should" have worked and drape them over the sofa only to find instant antipathy between the two. I tried using a solid color from the rug, but as someone above said, that won't necessarily work. I finally settled on a white damask sofa, and the wing chairs are about the same white but with small embroidered blue dots to give a bit of color (the room is mainly blue accents). The rug really wants to be the main attraction, so look at low key fabric patterns for your chairs.

I am not afraid of pattern but I still believe this is the best I have found.
http://www.iluvfabrix.com/products/antiquefabric/13092/1/

The OP does not want a lot of pattern and seems to want elegance and simplicity which I think she can find in the above-noted fabric. It's fresh, it's a pattern, it is not too complicated.

Just love the cut velvet floral damask patricia posted above. Unless you are reupholstering chairs, you need to go to a furniture store and look at their fabrics. You can look at furniture manufacturers web sites and see what they offer, look at fabric selections on some and even try out fabrics on the pieces and choose the leg color (fruitwood to white or black & all between), but you will grow very old and weary. BTDT. Go to the place you will buy your chairs and look at the wall of fabrics, take some home and try them. I think a medium yellow with black legs might be fun. Or go zebra, who knows? See if the store can print out a picture of the fabric on the chair so you understand what it would look like when done.

This is a Hickory White chair, which is not inexpensive, but can show you that you do not have to choose the color from the rug.

Softer yellow/ gold, Ethan Allen.

I second andee's recommendation to keep all the upholstery very light and neutral. You can add small bits of color and pattern with pillows, but in general I would keep all the upholstery white or off white.

Gray would be nice and neutral, Jessica Charles, the fabric manufacture subsidiary of Hancock and Moore.

I see your point kswl, but then why would OP ask for help with fabric if she was going all white? It is more difficult to add pattern. I went a little over board on purpose to show her pattern that may not really clash with the rug And not be boring. I do think yellow or gray may be nice. I always think OP may be 30 years younger than me and not so boring :P You have fabulous taste, and I respect your views.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! This is going to be put in a new LR in our new home that we will be building this summer. I have an idea for my side chairs, but don't like the fabric on them in the picture. Not sure about the painted design either but really like the shape of the chair. So I will be looking for an updated wing chair like the one I have posted. I figured I could always find a couple chairs and have it recovered with any fabric if I don't like the fabric currently on it. The couch will be an off white with some kind of textured fabric. I have attached a picture of the type chair I am looking for in general.

Pat, I REALLY LOVE the blue prints! I am a blue gal at heart and they made my heart sing! Thank you all for your help.

As for the room we will be buying all new furniture with the exception of the upright piano. It will be center stage, though in order to center it on one wall.

I am in my 60's so I do not want anything to harsh on the eyes. We are looking for a comfortable, traditional but leaning more transitional and simple look for the room.

So the paint will be chosen after everything else is picked out. The room will be visible at the end of my main entry hall. There will be a french door with an arched transom that leads outside. I believe this is the room that will have a barrel ceiling, but not sure. The rug fits perfectly in the room. We have already figured out which rugs will go where in the house. Unfortunately, our couch will have to go up against the wall in order to balance piano. As the room is fairly narrow. We will be picking out all new furniture with the exception of the rug and the piano. So only need a couple of end tables perhaps and a coffee table and all new lamps. So for all purposes the rug is the first item to design around.

This post was edited by zoe52 on Tue, May 6, 14 at 15:42

I will bet you will do a fabulous job and we want to see the finished product....please.

That is a fun style for your chairs. Have you been able to sit in them? What will your sofa look like? So exciting to build a new house! Send us pics often.

These are what I was thinking of, completely neutral upholstery. I don't think the rug needs one more pattern, actually, even with a more traditional sofa and chairs :-)

[Asian Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/asian-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2102) by New York Architects & Designers Bernard Marson, Architect

[Contemporary Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2103) by San Francisco Architects & Designers Feldman Architecture, Inc.