Forget chocolate and roses, I’m making it really easy on my husband this Valentine’s day by ordering this rug for our master bedroom:

I quickly threw our bedroom together when we moved in and am now getting around to making some changes–starting with the rug and paint (exact color still to be determined). Since taking this photograph last year, I have slowly picked this room apart. The rug went to the office, the nightstands went to the living room and one of the lamps is in our hallway while the other sits in my closet.
After debating on a real versus faux cowhide (and getting some advice from my friend Sherry), I ended up going the synthetic route. Not that I’m anti-cheeseburgers, but something about the real ones just weirded me out–at least for our bedroom. I know there’s been alot of debate about this on the web, but on this day of “love,” let’s just agree to disagree :)
Here are a few bedrooms where I think hide rugs work perfectly:

Love them all! They definitely add a sense of warmth to all the rooms. Is there really a big difference between fake and real??
And saves the husband from running around trying to find the perfect gift – win/win!
Loving your room and the rug will make it even more beautiful. Where did you get the black rug? That rug would be perfect in my loft…
It’s going to be perfect! You have such gorgeous spaces in your home and I can’t wait to see how this looks!
abby
I’ve been thinking about getting a cowhide for our bedroom as well.
You will have to let us know how yours holds up.
The rug is going to look great. Love that last room~so pretty.
I’ll be very curious what you think of your faux version. I had a cowhide in my last home’s master bedroom and it started to bother me, especially when my children decided they were vegetarians!
Love the look, I think it will add a lot to your design…Janell
These are gorgeous! You need to check out Ikea in Charlotte. I bought an amazing Cow skin there. Affordable and looks luxe! Check it out!
I love all the rooms, but I think the first two are my favorite.
My inlaws had a real cowhide rug in the living room of their vacation home. It looked nice, but touching it creeped me out….I couldn’t get over the feeling of “I’m stepping on a dead cow.” It felt like a dead cow, too.
I bet the synthetic will look lovely.
I think it is going to loook great and I can’t wait to see it in the room.
Great choice. I’m in love with cowhides. Just put one in my son’s nursery and wanting one for our master as well. Can’t wait to see pics.
YOur inspirations pics look wonderful. Can’t wait to see yours. Hugs, Marty
I’ve never felt the synthetic, but I will say that stepping on real hide in the middle of the night is creepy. Whenever I stay at my mom’s there are hides from some animal they shot in Africa laying next to the bed. I always move it before I go to bed now, I’ve gotten creeped out one too many times.
I have to ask where your bed came from. I just saw a picture of a Laurie Smith design book and she has a bed so similar to that in it that I just fell in love with, but the picture doesn’t give details.
Okay, I’m still on the picture of your bedroom as it was, which was gorgeous, never mind the cowhide debate! I’d go for fake, too, and if this was the old room, I can’t imagine what you’ll do with a new version! Can’t wait to see it. You are so completely talented. :)
You are so funny! I’m glad I’m not the only one who picks apart rooms. My living room is CONSTANTLY getting the shaft – coffee table ottoman moved to bedroom, club chairs moved to wine room, blah blah blah.
I love the shot from Pure Style Home with the dog peeking out from behind a pillow. :) I think it will look great in your room!
Can’t wait to see the “after” photos!
I’m with you on the fake…I have a couple of Ikea’s sheepskins…and they still weird me out if I touch the back side (twss)
Can’t wait to see the changes you’re making to your bedroom…I do love the drapes tho!
Love cow hide rugs! I want one so bad for my living room!! Never thought to put them in the bedroom too!
That’s so funny, when my husband asked me what I wanted for vday he added that it couldn’t be anything for the home but something only for me to enjoy… I can’t help it, i’d rather have a new rug or pillows or furniture instead of some jewelery!
happy vday!
your bedroom does not look thrown together! but I love all of the new ideas
I think it’s going to look great! Can’t wait to see it in your room!
In LOVE with your blog :)
I’ve been debating putting down a cowhide in our bedroom as well. I was afraid it would get torn up quickly but after seeing these posts I’m convinced again that it’s a great idea!
I love them. I saw one the other day and wondered if it would look good in our bedroom. Can’t wait to see your updates. I love your bed.
Okay was that first shot your bedroom? Cause it looks pretty darn close to amazing to me! However, I have toyed with the idea of a cowhide rug and just can’t figure out where to fit one in unless it’s our kitchen and it just seems a bit wrong to eat a burger will staring at a cowhide rug.
SO funny wrote a L-O-N-G post about this issue last week, the day 6 weeks of blog posts disappeared. I could retrieve all articles via google cache expect that one. Thank You for writing about this. I’m always promoting faux alternatives. However on the cowhides I gave in, thinking I can’t stop people from eating meat, so I’m reluctantly telling myself that perhaps we respect the animal from making use of their beautiful hides instead of trashing them…I don’t know…
Oh yeah…so dreamy! I have to agree though, forget the jewelry, chocolates and roses…I want fabric or second hand clothes! Happy Valentine’s Day! xx Danielle
Your bedroom looks so gorgeous that I can’t believe you are taking it apart. It looks like a magazine shot. Love the hide rug as well and I think they work in any room.
@Rachel Our bed is made by Zocalo:
http://www.zocalousa.com/collections/coll_main.aspx?page=1&itemid=4&t=MADISON&type=Bedroom
crazy, crazy for an all white one. on the hunt now!
donna
Best post title EVER!!!
Im vegan, my son is vegetarian and my hubs is an omnivore =) So..great choice on the faux! they look just like the real thing and are normally half the price! I was in Charlotte over the wk n and got to go to Garden Ridge. I got a gorgeous 2×8 runner for 12.49. thanks to you!! I would have never had known about GR!
I love the rug! I can’t wait to see what you do with the room. Isn’t it fun to move furniture around to different rooms?! Love it (:
Your “thrown together” room looks about a million times better than my “carefully put together.” :)
Love cowhides!! I definitely want one for our master too, a nice surprise touch to the room :)