6 innovative ways to layer rugs

Sunita Vellapally Sunita Vellapally
Pent house, Dutta Kannan Partners Dutta Kannan Partners Modern living room
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Layering as a technique is commonly used for apparel and linen but have you ever considered applying it to your floors

You don’t think twice about layering a top with a jacket or your bed or sofa with a throw, so why not give your floor the same treatment and enjoy the style and warmth that it brings to your home? These 6 rug-layering tips will help you to get started.

1.​Bring Things Closer

In this charming living area, the diagonal placement of one rug over another visually draws closer the single-seater in the corner, adding a warmer ambiance. The layering on the sofa using a colourful throw adds synergy to the overall design theme. This casual look is perfect for a rustic or eclectic home.

2.​Add Interest

A handwoven rug or kilim adds a colourful accent to a plain and boring wooden floor, but placing a rug at the centre of the room under a table is so boring! Instead, how about using a criss-cross layer of rugs to add an interesting design element to the room? Use rugs of the same size, but with different patterns. However, ensure that they belong to the same basic style so that they contrast rather than clash.

​3.Divide a Room

In a large hallway or living area that has wall-to-wall carpeting or a huge area rug, you can create layers using two similar rugs for adding a bit of cosiness. Notice how two identical rugs are used to add a warm ambiance to this spacious living room by creating two smaller seating sections rather than one formal area? When you pick rugs to achieve this effect, make sure that they blend with the overall colour scheme of your room.

4.​Extra Protection

Flooring along passageways and corridors is prone to getting dirty quicker than other areas. If you have light-coloured wall-to-wall carpeting or a big area rug in a room that leads to the outdoors, placing a darker rug or floor runner on the carpet near the doorway can protect it from getting soiled and save you the trouble of frequently replacing your carpets.

5.​Add Beauty to the Wall

Tapestries have featured on the walls of homes and palaces for centuries. How about bringing the age-old tradition into your home, but with a modern twist, by mounting a beautiful rug on the wall? A gorgeous landscape or geometric patterns can work well depending on the style of your home.

6.​Create Contrast

Rugs help to provide relief, especially in modern homes with monochromatic or muted colour palettes. They create a stunning effect by introducing bright or contrasting colours as well as patterns, adding style to your living space or bedroom. In this arrangement, the use of a black wool rug with a floral pattern adds depth to the seating area, which has white and grey tones. Simultaneously, it blends with the darker shade on the wall to pull the room together into a cohesive unit.

You can mix colours, textures or patterns when you layer with rugs to create a unique look that makes your home more memorable. For more tips on using rugs in your home, visit this ideabook.

Which of these ideas is your favourite? Reply in the comments to share with us how you use rugs for layering.

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