Make a Statement With a Bold, Artistic Rug
A rug with a strong image or pattern paints a picture on your floor while boosting your room’s style
Jo Simmons
April 21, 2015
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More
Patterned rugs featuring neat repeats, smart stripes or graphic geometrics are only one part of the rich and varied story of rugs. It’s also possible to find rugs that paint a picture, depict a scene or simply create a huge splash with a wild, unfettered design. These give you the opportunity to treat your floor as you would your walls — as a large expanse that’s ripe for displaying images. Check out this roundup of picture-perfect rugs to help you step in style.
Lay a riddle. Is it cracked glass? The center of a flower? A map? This beautiful rug with its intriguing pattern leaves you guessing but brings lots of sensuality, movement and interest to this floor.
Rug: Coral Flower by Shayna Blaze, The Rug Collection
Rug: Coral Flower by Shayna Blaze, The Rug Collection
Use color confidently. Bold, linear designs like this one owe a lot to the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, who worked in the early 20th century and favored a combination of white background, black lines and three primary colors in his paintings. This rug is a busier version of that idea, creating a strong patchwork underfoot.
Stay symmetrical. An abstract butterfly design walks the line between pattern and image on this beautiful rug and lends a wonderful sense of symmetry to the space. The two chairs reflect this idea and seem to be mirror images of each other, while pale walls are the perfect neutral accompaniment.
Choose an icon. Laying Jimi Hendrix on the hallway floor may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this rug shows how even a face, when produced in an abstract way with a limited palette, can create a pleasing pattern.
Illustrate the space. A children’s playroom or bedroom is the perfect place for playful, pictorial design. Choose a rug that features a creature they love or reflects an activity they enjoy to personalize their space and introduce color.
Go wild. This rug can be read as a witty take on safari-lodge style, or a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Empire-era fashion for laying cheetah, tiger or leopard skins across the floor, as proof of hunting prowess. Of course, this leopard is simply woven into the rug and, thanks to the silver poufs and bubble chairs, has been taken in more of an Austin Powers direction.
Define a space. Looking like a piece of abstract 20th-century art, this beautiful rug brilliantly defines the dining area in this open-plan space. When using a rug beneath a dining table, it’s vital to choose one that’s really generous, so it can be seen beyond the tabletop, but also so that each chair’s back legs remain on the rug when the seat is pushed out.
How to Combine Area Rugs in an Open Floor Plan
How to Combine Area Rugs in an Open Floor Plan
Make it big. Any simple, familiar pattern, such as leaves or flowers, looks more abstract and makes a bigger splash when blown up in size. Rendered in just two colors, this huge design of flower heads and leaves looks graphic and arresting.
Take art underfoot. A large picture woven into a rug becomes a piece of floor-level art, and while this is striking, there is a risk it can draw the eye down and leave other details in the space overlooked. This living room shows how to avoid that. When you choose a rug in tones that perfectly match the rest of the scheme, it acts as a harmonious detail without dominating.
Reinvent the everyday. Some familiar items from everyday life lend themselves perfectly to life as a rug. A postage stamp, for example, is the ideal rectangular shape and has already been designed to look clear, clean and iconic. It easily makes the leap from postal necessity to cool floor covering.
Stamp Rug 50p: Floor_Story
Tell us: Do you favor a bold, artistic rug over a plain or patterned design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
More:
17 Gorgeous Ways to Work In a Patterned Area Rug
Prevent Slips and Floor Damage With the Right Rug Pad
Stamp Rug 50p: Floor_Story
Tell us: Do you favor a bold, artistic rug over a plain or patterned design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
More:
17 Gorgeous Ways to Work In a Patterned Area Rug
Prevent Slips and Floor Damage With the Right Rug Pad
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Am I the only one who finds it too busy to have a bold rug? I find it competes too much with the rest of the room and my eyes don't know where to focus. Maybe it is just me...........
I love the first and the last one too! I also believe that art doesn't necessarily mean a symbol, it can also be a mix of colors that blend well. For eg. I am a fan of this one. Fairtrade wool rugs - website
Nice