Double Take: Pottery Barn and IKEA Rugs

Do my eyes deceive me, or are these two rugs -- the one on the left from Pottery Barn, the one on the right from IKEA -- actually one in the same? (And if so, who's ripping off whom here?)

Pottery Barn's Pieced Awning Stripe Mat (shown here in blue, though it also comes in black like IKEA's) is 100 percent cotton, and runs $109 for a 5-by-8 and $179 for an 8-by-10.

IKEA's Stockholm Rand Rug (shown here in Nicole Balch of Making It Lovely's dining room) is made from 100 percent wool, and costs $179 for the 5.5-by-(almost)8-foot size and $299 for the 8-by-11.5-foot size.

I can't believe I'm about to write this, but not only is the IKEA version pricier, it sounds like it may actually be the better quality of the two. (God, how often can you say that about an IKEA product versus practically anything else? It's like we're in Bizarro World or something ... )

Anyone seen both of these in person and care to weigh in on their relative appearance and quality?

Trendspotting: Subway Signs

New York City subway roller signs have been all over the design landscape during the last year or so.

Now that Pottery Barn has joined in with its own version (above, $79), I think it's pretty safe to say that the "subway signs as wall art" thing has officially jumped the shark.

Still, if you're hankering for an authentic vintage model, there are a few options. (But be warned -- they'll cost you.)

eBay seller JR's Framed Subway Signs has several restored New York City MTA signs listed for $225 to $1,000 each.

This circa-1940s Chicago streetcar version is $450 from Urban Remains.

1stdibs merchant Metropolis Modern is selling this framed beaut for a mere $1,800.

I don't know about you, but with prices like that, I think I'll just stick with my memories of riding the F train ...

Cool Stuff: PB Teen Lighting

There once was a time when I devoured the Pottery Barn catalog (c'mon, admit it -- you did, too). These days, though, it usually thunks into the recycling bin straight out of the mailbox.

But I do still get excited about the arrival of the latest PB Teen catalog (although I often have to do battle with the kids to get my hands on it). It's modern and fun -- in stark contrast to its ubiquitous parent company's staid, sometimes snooze-inducing tastefulness.

I've been looking for a desk lamp for Austin to illuminate his daily hours-long homework slogfest, and I'm digging PB Teen's selection of task lighting -- so much so that I'm tempted to snap up a lamp or two for myself. The current offerings have an industrial, Machine-Age vibe, but are rendered in glossy, candy colors that make them irresistible. The prices can't be beat, either.

Take a look:

Lumi Accordion Wall Lamp, $69 each or two for $129

Lumi Table Lamp, $59

Hi-Light Floor Lamp, $149

Hi-Light Task Lamp, $69

Spot-On Light, on sale for $10

As Sprockets' Dieter might say, they make me as happy as a little giiirl. (Ah, Sprockets ... good times.)

Who Knew? The Amazing Shedding Shag

About a year ago, I bought the Quinn Felted Shag Rug from Pottery Barn for our family room. (Our old oriental rug had been through house-training with a new puppy and kitten, and alas, had not survived to tell the tale.)

I had lusted after this rug -- with its incredibly thick, nubby plushness and slightly shagadelic vibe -- for ages, and loved the way it looked in the room and felt underfoot. (Our corgi, Bonnie, regularly throws herself down on it and wriggles all around while emitting yelps of pure joy. Our best guess is that she thinks the rug is another animal, and that they're playing together -- or maybe they're doing something a bit more adult, but I don't want to think about that ... ) I even felt a little smug about snagging the brand-new shag for about half of regular retail, from an eBay seller who lived near a Pottery Barn outlet store.

But let me tell you: This rug has become the absolute bane of my existence. It sheds more than our three housepets combined, and I'm regularly scooping up tumbleweeds of shed shag fibers from around the house. Just vacuuming the rug will fill a brand-new vacuum bag to bursting.

Some internet sleuthing led to a message board where owners of the Quinn and similar felted shags (like the Crate+Barrel Pebbles Shag and West Elm's Cable Shag), as well as trendy-again wool flokati rugs, were ranting about the problem. The consensus seemed to be that the shedding would calm down over time. Sadly, a year down the line, that doesn't seem to be the case with ours. Some nights, I dream of giant spheres of soft white rug fibers blowing across the floor ...

Anyway, consider yourself warned.

(And if anyone has a similar tale to tell -- or, even better, a possible solution to the problem -- please feel free to share it!)