When it comes to living room rugs, choosing the right one can often make or break your interior space — the wrong size can ruin a room’s “flow”, and the wrong colour can create chaos rather than comfort.
Before purchasing a rug, you will need to consider the area it’ll cover, the maintenance required, it’s material, and of course, your own style and colour preferences. Some home decorators prefer to start with the rug and then design and configure the room around it, and others aim for a seamless integration with their existing furniture, lighting, and furnishings.
There are a huge variety of rugs available that add comfort, style, and personality to the most lived-in and laidback area of a home. The options are virtually endless, from classic Persian rugs to bold contemporary alternatives featuring strong geometrics, vibrant palettes, and traditional checks. Here are five striking rug designs to inspire a living room change-up … from the ground up!
With a backdrop of lush greenery, this open-plan living room has an inviting monotone lounge that blends seamlessly with the blue geometric accents of the neutral-coloured rug. Its size is large enough to cover the “conversation area,” with its front legs placed strategically on the edge of the rug to anchor it to the space. The light, airy palette enhances the size of the room, smooth timber floors add a contemporary touch, and the matching hints of colour in the sink-into cushions creates an oasis that invites all-day relaxation.
There’s no doubt what the attention seeker in this living room is — it is literally an under-foot work of art! With a mishmash of greens and blues and overlapping circular and checked patterning, it brings this room to vibrant life. The sofa’s soft aqua hues exude a calming quality, and the mid-grey tones of the walls blend seamlessly with the rug’s secondary grey/black palette. The yellow cushions and verdant plant life add a final pop of clashing colour and add aesthetic interest and a stylish, contemporary twist.
The owners of this room certainly aren’t shy about using pattern and colour to create a bold hello-look-at-me statement. The graphic kaleidoscopic design exudes creativity and personality, and the rich, dark colouring helps define a more intimate space. The muted tones of the sofa take a back seat, however still maintain some of the limelight with the addition of colour-matched cushions in brown, burnt orange and a retro-inspired print. Splashes of additional colour are evident in the wall art, and the marble-look tiles add a definitive touch of modern luxury.
Light, airy, and oh-so inviting, this room exudes refined, contemporary comfort. Bathed in sun-dappled light, it is a beautiful combination of the old and the new with modern fixtures and furniture and the ornate patterning of the oriental rug. Expansive and eye-catching, it acts as a beautiful boundary to the rest of the open-plan living area. Its multitude of colours is enhanced further with the neutral tones of the couch and walls, and furnishings like the forest green cushions and bright yellow throw. What a showpiece!
In terms of living room rug ideas, neutral-loving home decorators can’t go past a grey, brown, black and white palette. This rug’s chequerboard pattern adds visual interest and blends back seamlessly with the soft beige of the sofa. Texture and colour accents are added with the cushions and throw, and the timber-and-glass table creates a modern, contemporary feel. A splash of potted plant colour completes the look. It’s the perfect chill-out nook for a lazy magazine-reading afternoon or a cosy evening of TV bingeing.
References
- Patricia Palermo, How to choose the right rug, Ballard Designs
- Lauren Flanagan, How to choose the right area rug, The Spruce
