What did the RUG say to the FLOOR?

Don't move. I've got you covered! 

Hahaha! Shouldn't everything start with a classic Laffy Taffy joke? I think so :) 

Since last summer, when we painted all of the brown trim in the foyer and up to the second floor white, this is your view upon walking into our home:

Uber attractive isn't it? 

On a happier note, I'm still 100% head-over-heels in LOVE with our black and white banister! That's partially why the rest of the stairs are killing me. The old carpet with the icky brown color lurking from behind is NOT what a dead sexy banister deserves as it's counterpart. It deserves glamour! style! a completed paint job!

With this new found ambition, and the fact that we haven't tackled any major house projects in months, I am DETERMINED to find a runner rug and scratch this task off the to-do list. Knowing this is not something we'll be able to bring with us if/when we move, I have to take into consideration the taste of future buyers. So when my addiction to anything animal print lead me to drool-worthy images like these:

Source/Source/Source

Eric had to gently pull my hand away from the computer mouse, and remind me that although these homes look unquestionably stunning, leopard may not be the best option for us....

HA! JK, his exact words were "HELL NO!"

A few of the more practical ideas had similar themes of neutral colors, and a geometric pattern. 

Source/Source/Source

Currently I'm leaning towards either a grey, or black and white pattern. My only reservation for the black, is how easily hair, lint, and dirt shows. I had a black rug in my room all through college, and I can't begin to guess how many lint rollers I went through trying to keep that dang thing clean. Yes I used lint rollers instead of a vacuum. I was young and lazy, so sue me. With the stairs being a decently "high traffic" area, I'd hate to deck it out with black carpet, and then curse my brains out when I'm sweeping it for the 20th time that week. But you GUYS!!!! How absolutely sharp would these black and white stripes look?! Jenny from Little Green Notebook used these IKEA rugs on her stairs ages ago, and as low the cost for the rugs are, that's how high the level of style is. Of course I had to Photoshop my own stairs to see how they'd look in a similar fashion. 

Totally digging it. 

At $25 a pop, we could get the whole stair case done for around $150. I think that's pretty reasonable, considering some of the other options I was looking at started at $150 for ONE RUG. 

Then there is this guy. Another geometric pattern, but in a lighter grey that could maybe hide dirt and grime a bit better. Plus with the sale Overstock is currently running, and our in-store credit, this option would actually be cheaper. 

I'm so torn. 

I feel like it's going to be almost impossible to make a decision without a sample or something to physically see in the house. We could always order one of each, and just lay them in the foyer for a while to see how we like them after a few days. 

What do YOU think? 
A) Can't go wrong with classic black and white! 

B) Go the sensible route with a grey! 

C) Ignore Eric and give leopard print a try!!!