Google+ House Revivals: How to Layer Rugs

Saturday, September 22, 2012

How to Layer Rugs

Maybe it's the cooler temperatures, but I have been thinking a lot about rugs lately.  Rugs are a great way to add warmth, texture and acoustic comfort to a room. 


From a space planner's perspective, we use rugs to anchor, "pull together", and define a space, as well. Rugs are definitely workhorses!  Lately, I've been thinking quite a bit about layering rugs --  *LOVE* the look!




Even outdoor spaces can be enhanced with layered rugs!


The muted tones of a hide rug over sisal allow the colors in the room to pop, while still adding texture and warmth.


Layering a less expensive sisal rug under a collector rug can visually enlarge the collector rug.  In the room below, the smaller rug would have been lost in the space. By layering the sisal rug underneath it, the collector rug feels larger and richer, the space is well anchored, and the lighter tones of the sisal help balance the darker walls.


Here is another example of a rug that would have been "lost" on it's own.  The larger rug underneath is used to anchor the entire space, while the plush wool rug is used to add "wow" factor to the room.


The eclectic space below might have felt a bit jumbled, with so any floral patterns. The designer reinforced the bohemian feel by overlapping rugs.  Carefully controlling the color palette and editing scale, keeps the space from feeling chaotic.


Now, I want to know what you think!  Do you layer your rugs?  Love the look?  Hate the look?

**An important note about collector/ investment rugs:  always check with a rug expert before layering these rugs, to avoid inadvertently damaging rug fibers.