Pairing Rugs Like a Pro

Every design choice has implications. Large windows mean plenty of daylight, and also custom treatments for privacy. A king size bed means plenty of space for sleeping, and might also require you to have smaller nightstands. It shouldn't stop you from making the decisions you want, it's just important to consider what each will mean for other design elements. One ramification that catches a lot of people off guard stems from an open floor plan. While open concept homes have tremendous perks, they can give people trouble with rugs. Given you could have 2, 3, even more living areas all flow together, it's critical that your rugs complement one another well. This might be super intimidating, so I'm here to help give you the tips to pair rugs like a pro.

The Rules of Rugs

There are several reasons why rug purchases can cause panic for people. Not only are they large scale and higher priced than most other home goods, they also require a range of decisions in a single purchase. You need to pick color, design, size, shape, pile, and material. Thankfully, the last four tend to be more straightforward, so I'm going to focus on the first two factors. When shopping for the rugs for your open layout, there are a few good "safe bets" to fall back on. When in doubt:

1. Bolder pattern + subtle design + solid (mix any two or all three)


2. Always find a connecting color between your rugs, or stick to the same palette


3. Choose different textures for adjacent rugs to create variation of depth

See It In Action

I'm a visual person, so I always think it's best to bring it to life with some examples! You can shop each combination by clicking the product names under the guide.



 

Products from Left to Right - 1. Loren in Eggplant & Crimson, Marrakesh in Ivory, Moroccan No. Three in Earth Tones || 2. Loren in Silver, Modern Stripe Rug in Gray || 3. Moroccan No. One in Teal , Nomad in Aqua || 4. Emery in Sunset, Caspia in Ivory, Anastasia in Rust || 5. Stella in Red, Annabelle in Soft Blues , Menowin in Red || 6. Farmhouse in Ebony, Turkish Indoor/Outdoor in Ebony

• Rachel Cafferty of Quarter-Life Living

Cover Image Credit: Style by Emily Henderson