Surya Elixir EXI-1002 Area Rug - Clearance

This 6x9” Elixir (EXI-1002) from Surya is a gorgeous upgrade from the polypropylene monstrosity of my previous apartment. It complements our still-in-progress Yellow Book or 1890s-lite decor draping a midcentury-mod-IKEA base. Diagonal placement of the rug is maybe frowned upon by people with larger homes, but allows us to divide our open plan living shoebox into two nooks while giving the cook in the kitchen a more “pointed“ view.

The vendor’s photo looks a shade lighter, while my cameraphone pics look a shade darker. Up close and personal, I would describe the rug's base color as more of a dijon than beach sand; the yellow, white, and cornflower accents online are more of a mustardy-olive, sand, and stormy blue verging on blue-violet to my eyes. That said, the colors do lighten depending on your angle, distance, and ambient light. You will get the most oomph from this rug if you have already have vibrant golds, coppers, cobalts, dark greens, purples in your decor. We bought the rug thinking it would look good with our dark wood floors and mustard curtains. We were right. I love how soft and luxurious this rugs feels under my socked feet, but wouldn't recommend if you have pets. This particular model is inaccurately listed on Surya's website as 100% wool made in India, but the label actually says 95% wool, 5% viscose, which may explain why this model is slightly more affordable than some of Surya's more expensive rugs.

Depending on when you place your order in the week, you may experience a 1-2 day gap of silence, but by the time Incredible Rugs sent order confirmation, the vendor had already shipped the rug from the warehouse and I received it free shipping earlier than expected. The rug came in a very snug and tightly taped plastic tarp tube thingy and once you opened that there were additional cellophane bands and silica gel packets preventing the rug from unspooling during transport and keeping the rug dry. No complaints on quality or delivery. IR's customer service (Steve and Dilene) seemed very personable and responsive throughout the transaction.

Lastly, a note to younger buyers. Save your pandemic pennies. A hand-knotted rug is a high-quality splurge worth investing in once you’ve outgrown your first salaried job and landed your second. Don’t be fooled by jack of all trades like Wayfair. Buy a rug from a rug distributor like Incredible Rugs that will last a lifetime. Scout 6 months in advance, monitor stock on manufacturers website, wait for a holiday sale, and buy on installment if you have good credit.