3 Unique Ways to Style Your Area Rug

Rugs have been decorating homes for ages. As far back as 1000 A.D., Marco Polo was noted for bringing back rugs from his trips to central Anatolio, modern day Turkey, according to BC Floor Covering Association. Turkish rugs quickly became en vogue amongst European aristocracy. But even before that, in the 8th century, evidence has been found that people used cloth to cover their floors for all kinds of reasons — cleanliness, warmth, and style. 

Flash forward to 2020, and we’re all still at it. The modern day area rug has come a long way, from primitive weaves to elaborate designs, but we’re still using them to make our homes feel warm and cozy. 

Today’s options now feature all kinds of textiles, both synthetic and natural, in a variety of colors and patterns. Depending on your taste, you can choose from ones that are a nod to old world looks, to more abstract, modern takes. 

With changes in fashion have come changes in the ways we style rugs, however. Decorators are getting much more creative with their positioning, their color schemes, and their textures. Here are three unusual ways to style your area rug.

1) Mix and Match

Have a bold wallpaper that just won’t match with any pattern? Then don’t sweat it. More designers are choosing to pair contrasting wallpapers and area rugs for bold statement rooms that make a splash. For instance, a toile wallpaper — often consisting of complex vintage scenes like that of a Regency era woman wandering a garden — might not seem like it could go with a trellis design area rug, like this grey and blue design. But put them together and what have you got? A pop of pattern that’s as disruptive as it is intriguing.

2) Take it High

If you were to walk into a Medieval castle today without any previous history lesson, you might wonder why on earth there are so many rugs on the walls. 

Well, they’re tapestries, actually. A close cousin to the area rug, tapestries, like rugs, were used to both decorate and insulate drafty stone buildings of the period. And while similar techniques are used to create both, today the two depart in that floor rugs are made to be especially sturdy to survive the wear and tear of lots of feet. 

That said, those middle age Kings and Queens were onto something. Sometimes a rug just looks too pretty to simply lie underfoot. And why should it? It’s your house after all. Take a hint from Houzz, a website all about design, that highlighted seven designers and how they achieved rug nirvana by installing the woven pieces on walls. Some are Oriental style, similar to this Luxe Weavers’ Bohemian rug mounted on poles, while others hang from the ceiling, but regardless of the means of securing the fabric, the effect was the same: a major piece of art placed front and center for all to enjoy. 

3) Stack Them Up

Psst. The only rule of design is there are no rules. Take chances. Mix things up. The great thing about interior decor is you can always change things again when you fall out of love with a look you’ve concocted. That might be why some designers are encouraging people to go wild with multiple rugs in the same room.

No, we’re not talking about a dozen little rugs placed all over like a checkerboard. 

Instead, stacking rugs one on top of the other is trending. Country Living reports that the trick is to pick complementary colors and patterns, but the look doesn’t have to be uniform. 

For a rustic style, let one rug gently fall along the hem of another. Or you can be more geometric and line up a smaller rug inside a larger one making it the centerpiece of a room. For example, this Luxe Weavers Gray Square Modern Area Rug would work well with this Elegant Distressed Ivory Oriental Area Rug placed on top. 

Ultimately, the style message here is “more is more”—and with rugs as affordable as Luxe Weavers’, you can go bonkers buying multiple options to fully embrace this fad.

When it comes to styling area rugs, the sky really is the limit — like, why not hang a rug on your ceiling? Just saying. The only obstacle is your imagination and budget. Fortunately even the latter can be overcome thanks to the affordable area rug options on Luxe Weavers. With dozens of rugs to choose from and all at affordable prices, you can try one or all three of the trends mentioned above. 

And if you decide that the look you’ve attempted is no longer working, well, simply shuffle your area rugs around to give another idea. 

Mix up rugs from one room with another. 

Retire an older weave for something fresher, or just say out with the old and in with the new and swap out your entire design. Just remember, fashions may change, but affordable home furnishings never go out of style.