I had a gal write me recently when she spied this triple rug action on our blog from the La-Z-Boy event. Danielle asked:
I love your spaces. The La-Z-Boy space was amazing and I have to get my hands on that sofa. Heck, give me the whole room. But I was wondering if you have any tips for layered rugs? I love the look but I’m afraid to mess it up. I’ll do it wrong and everyone will look at me funny. Any advice you can give would be soooooo appreciated. Thank you!
Our lazboy design dash room, here.
My cute shoes {with a little toe cleavage, so I’m no longer sure how I feel about them} here.
There’s lots of reasons to try it, and lots of ways to pull the layered rug look off. The good news? It’s kind of easy to do. You just have to let go of preconceived rule following notions… in fact, throw them out the window entirely. Just decide if you love it or not. The rest from there… is gravy.
When said La-Z-Boy sofa arrived at our little home, we weren’t sure what to do with it. You know when you introduce a new element and it throws everything off? We thought we’d known exactly where it was going… in your home is sometimes a different thing, entirely. Said sofa was so amazing, after meandering about for a bit, we knew just the right space.
Eventually, I decided to throw in another rug for our homeschool room, because I absolutely fell in love with this composition one from The Land of Nod. Like, died twice and had to have it for the space. I mean, who doesn’t want a giant piece of notebook paper in the form of a rug? Duh. The only thing was, we already had a pretty good natural woven rug in the space, and I hated to mix things up, because it was a nice contrast to our {Icky} carpet. Also? If I’d gone too large and in charge, I think the pattern would be lost in this particular space. So I decided to layer, instead. Oh, and bonus? I saved about 100 smacks by going with a smaller size. It’s just the right hit of character, without paying major moolah. Hashtag overthinkingandlayeredrugsforthewin.
We love the look so much, we’re hooked. So there’s lots of reasons to do it… from covering up a gross floor, to adding character and anchoring a piece. Here’s a few examples of some looks we love.
We’ve found that one of our fave looks is a natural woven rug with the base and a fun pattern on top, to maximize your impact. And provide a handsome contrast.
But as you can see, that’s certainly not an exclusive rule. Have an unsightly floor? Or want to cover a big space and make it instantly cozier? How about some major character? Hello. this is kind of gorgeous, with lots of rugs in similar tones…
Or this: the great contrast between sharp geometric and an organic animal skin. A super interesting neutral space!
Even with a bed, this isn’t your usual approach to rugs, and I love the off kilter, generous application they used to provide cozy warmth. I also love that it’s not completely covered by the bed.
Again, major money saver in smaller sizes and stretching your square space with a larger rug on the bottom… is sometimes all the statement you need.
I adore this look.
I can’t seem to locate this original source (if you know please tell us)! Great contrasting patterns that don’t clash… they kind of go – especially in a fun space that looks perfect for a young gal. Playful fun! – updated by a fabulous reader – here! via
I think it all depends n the space, so honestly? Don’t stick to any rules. Go with what works. Consider the space and the feeling you want to communicate and then play with it. You’ll find your configuration, know what feels right, and love your space all the more for it.
Even threadbare antiques can be repurposed again with a nice sturdy natural woven piece underneath.
And who wouldn’t want to mix woven vintage patterns and colors? This is one of my favorite spaces, ever.
The black and white is such a fun contrast with the leather and metallic accents.
This super funky rug was toned down a bit with natural elements. Use more than one to create and contain zones in a larger space.
So how do you feel about layered rugs? They’re certainly not for every space, or every style. But we say if you love it… then go for it. It’s a great way to make a stiffer space feel a little more fluid, take care of those floor issues, or anchor just about anything with shape, color and contrast. You never know what awesome combos you’ll come back with, after playing for a while!
Curious about some of our favorite rug sources? Be sure to check out this post, here!
Have an inspired day!
Layla K says
This is just perfect. Thank you for the beautiful eye candy! And for the record, me likes your shoes 🙂
Amber says
Love your home and posts! 🙂 About the layering rugs, though … it looks really cute, but wouldn’t be practical in our kid and pet filled home! I think we’d be tripping all the time and vacuuming would be a nightmare … it’s already tricky to vacuum just one traditional rug on our hardwood floors without sucking up the edges. LOL. I prefer simplicity with our lifestyle. I’ll have to leave this one to the blogs and pros and generally folks who are better at housekeeping than I! Thanks for the post.
Amber says
P.S. Your shoes look darling! 🙂
ashley @ the handmade home says
HAHA! Well, we don’t have hardwoods… yet… so there’s that for us. {#Ihidedoghairunderneathandnooneknows} ;}
Emma says
I love all of these looks! We have wall-to-wall carpeting in our bedrooms and I like it because my feet aren’t cold when I get out of bed in the morning, but it’s not the prettiest stuff! It’s a neutral, generic tan color. Any suggestions for layering over that?
Thanks!!
ashley @ the handmade home says
I do too, Emma! We started with a natural woven in our home school room with our neutral carpet and it still stands out nicely. There’s a good example in that first photo (la-z-boy) of how you could start with a nice basic pattern with muted colors {stripes} and then do something bolder on top… there’s actually lots of possibilities and I think it depends on the space!
Julie says
Love your posts! Love the look of the layered rugs, but in all honesty, I can barely afford one nice rug, let alone two. Looks beautiful, though….a girl can dream…
ashley @ the handmade home says
I agree! It can be pricey. For me, its a great way to save on hardwoods, though… and if you do it over time… {which has definitely been the case with us} it’s not too bad! ;}
marie says
You sold me… I love it! MY husband is beyond traditional (think all dark woods, oriental rugs only, heavy, dark drapes with tie-backs… it’s hard to agree on anything….), so I don’t know how I’ll sneak it in. Maybe the baby girl’s room. I’ve claimed that space as light and modern. I love the woven with a pattern on top!
Jen says
Hi! Love the layers!
The room you couldn’t find the source for is Lesli DeVito’s daughter’s room. It is SO beautiful! 🙂
http://myoldcountryhouse.com/navy-pink-teen-girls-bedroom/
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thank you SO much, Jen! Updating now!
Old New House says
Totally love it! Especially the second to last – the composition with layered rugs is totally amazing!