How To Layer Rugs

I will be the first to admit that I am extremely skeptical of modern design trends. I highly encourage both my team and my clients to veer from the norms, and to design with a character and personality that reflects their own. However, I will also be the first to admit how pleasing it is to walk into an open-concept space with beautiful hardwood floors (and how this is one trend I have succumb to). I owe my life to the person who woke up one day and decided interiors no longer needed walls or carpeting. 

While I am a firm believer that wall-to-wall carpeting should be outlawed altogether, rugs are still a huge necessity. They serve to section off different areas in open-concept spaces (which is practically all of them) and add important elements to the overall design. But there is so much more that you can do with rugs than lay them out in the center of a room. One of my personal favorite design tricks is to layer rugs on top of one another (I even did this with the rugs in my office).

Keep reading to see how I make layered rugs work in any space.

I layered the rugs in this design to tie together the black tones that recur throughout the space. By perfectly matching the corners of the top rug to the edges of the bottom one, the pieces read as one unit. Cohesion is key. 

Layering with skins is one of my go-tos, and I adore any client who gives me the creative freedom to do so. The mixture of black, gray, and brown tones in the zebra stripes compliments the color palette of this entire space.

Sisal rugs are a major staple for their durability, but they're not always the most pleasant surface to walk on. I aligned a softer, cotton rug perfectly on top of the sisal in this design for added comfort and style alike.

This design was all about color, and what better way to add pops of color to a room than with a Persian rug? The natural-colored rug it's layered on top of emphasizes it's vibrancy, and makes it the focal point of this space. 

Living rooms can come in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes it's size may not accommodate the standard 8'10' or 9'x12' rug. To solve that issue in this space, I used a neutral skin to extend the surface area of the rug a couple of extra feet where needed. It gets the job done and looks great while doing it.

When designing your space, it's the minor details always end up making a major difference. This not only goes for the rug you choose, but also how you choose to apply it. It's time to stop going by the books, and to start being just as bold in your decorating as you are in your life.