Interior Design Blog

With temperatures dipping below zero here in the Northeast this week, I've noticed that a lot of my clients are asking for rugs. It makes sense. Rugs warm up a space, absorb sound, and they feel good underfoot! Aside from their utilitarian use, rugs can add a lot more to a room than just function.

Just last week I was talking to one of my clients about choosing a rug that tells a story. I said, imagine that you are 5 years old and you are sitting on the rug. Can you imagine stepping into the story of the rug? Taming the peacock, swimming with the octopus, or climbing those mountains in Japan.

Children are natural storytellers and those vivid memories will stay with you for a lifetime. I want my client to get lost in those stories.

Other rugs just pull together a room through color and texture. Quite often it's the foundation that begins the room. I like rugs to carry as much color as a client can tolerate. I think they have the most longevity. From there, we can choose a neutral sofa or a bold color for the walls. Or maybe we'll add a sassy pillow and some unique artwork that completes the conversation.

Above, we took a bold stripey rug with lots of great color and paired with a couple of bright chairs, fun pillows and great artwork. Then we toned down the room with neutral walls and a neutral couch. The rug is a colorful addition to the neutral walls and serves as a nice anchor for this room.

One of my favorite color tricks for the wall is to seek out the smallest, most insignificant color in the rug and layer that up on the wall. It can be surprising how it all pulls together in a subtle, "Huh, I would never have thought of that combination" kind of way that can make the homeowner say, "Yeah, but I thought of it!"

Below we took that barely noticeable blue/grey tone and splashed it on the walls in this 1850's barn. A color choice that may not seem that obvious, but once it was done, the room sort of went, "ahhhhh, now I get it!"

Don't forget that it's important to consider what kind of traffic your rug is going to need to withstand. If you have kids or animals, you'll want to steer toward wool, sisal or jute rugs that are easy to clean and can hide spills and pet hair.

The bedroom is somewhere that I think a lush, fuzzy rug makes the most sense. While it may not make you spring out of bed, it will soften the blow! Plus, no one wants to wake up to cold floors!

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting a very interesting artist, Jodi Sleeper. She has a background in artistic botany and designs all of the rugs at American Cottage in Gilford, NH. I was so impressed by her terrific designs that I purchased a few to use at one of my projects up north. All of the rugs are handmade in Nepal and are simply stunning.

I also love Luli Sanchez featured by Jaipur. She has sassy, rich designs and you can tell that she is an artist first and foremost. Plus, if I'm being totally honest,  I love the coordinating pillows too!

Of course, one of my favorite stores is Anthropologie. And their rugs don't disappoint. Many of them are so stunning, you could hang them on the wall as art!

There are lots of do's and don'ts for rug décor. Sometimes using two rugs in a room to define a space is the best answer. Lots of times I find that people don't purchase the right size rug for a space. It's either too big and overwhelming or it's too small and looks silly. There are lots of resources online where you can find advice as to what size to purchase. I love this rug guide from Apartment Therapy.

We have lots more rugs and tips with you on our Rugs Pinterest page. Feel free to hop over there and check them out! Click here!