Differences in texture and pattern can add interest, especially if your space is large. If the colors harmonize, it should work fine. If you are hesitant, ask the merchant to let you take a rug home to try it out. Most Oriental carpet dealers let you do that, because the colors are so complex it's sometimes hard to predict what will work.

When we refurnished our living room recently, we got 4 Oriental carpets: a 6 by 9 in front of the sofa; a runner behind the sofa (traffic route to the dining room and kitchen); a 4 by 6 in the entrance; and a 3 by 5 in front of the French doors that go to the dining room. The carpet in the dining room and the runner in the hall to the bedrooms is also visible. Their colors differ, but somehow they work and in fact look stunning.

If a carpet dealer will not let you take something home on approval, go to another one. You should feel free to experiment until you get it right.

haus proud, thank you so much for your response! I actually did talk to a rug dealer today who was willing to bring some rugs to my house but I'm still uncertain as to what route to go. When you selected your rugs did you stay with one type - soumak for example? Or do your carpets differ in terms of style but have similar colors? Thanks again for your response!

I like flat weaves better than pile or knotted, but I don't think there's anything wrong with mixing them. I have a Sumak on the floor and a Navajo on the wall above it and various kilims in other rooms, all within pretty much the same color families. I don't care for those Chinese carved rugs, and I wouldn't throw one into the mix.

I have a sisal in my sitting room and a persian in my foyer which is all open to each other. I love the mix......

We have an open floor plan with the breakfast area being the central area and we have a sisal rug under the table. From this space you can see the surrounding rooms and the other area rugs. There are Oriental and patterned rugs in the different rooms . Though none are alike, the patterned rugs have touches in them that allow them to flow visually from room to room. I like the fact that the sisal rug acts like the neutral in the middle of the patterns.

In my experience, the mix and match approach can work fine, but it does take some trial and error. Carpets can work together even if they are very different if they sort of define different areas in a space, for example, a seating arrangement here, and a traffic pattern there, versus an entrance foyer, etc.

In our case, nearly all the carpets are variations of earth tones. For example, an unusual "camel" background color with accents of rose, green and other muted shades in our area rug in front of the sofa blends well with our beige sofa and green chairs and a red chair. But then, not very far away, in our very small entry foyer we have a 4 by 6 rug with a strong navy blue background with patterns in reds, tourqoise and amber. I'm sure you think these two would clash. I thought so too until I tried it. But they "define" separate areas and work together.

But you can't just combine colors haphazardly. For instance, the color of the rug you choose for under or in front of the sofa should definitely blend with the color(s)of you upholstered furniture. Otherwise it will look out of place. But then, in a separate area even in the same room, you can have a rug with a different color, texture, or pattern. That's where the mix and match comes in. But you still have to try it to make sure it will work.

By the time you're finished you'll probably be tired of lugging carpets back and forth, and wondering if you'll ever get it right. But you'll know when you got it right.

Thanks, everyone, for all of your help! You've given me the confidence to combine. I think my plan will be to do a large 9 X 12 sisal/wool blend in the family room. Since that is the center of our large open space I'll have the solid one color rug there. I think I'm leaning toward the one I posted the link to below with the honey border. Because the sisal is much, much less expensive than the beautiful persians I can certainly justify a nice 6X9 in the breakfast room and a 4X6 in the entry. I'll post pictures as I start pulling it together!

Here is a link that might be useful: Rugs