A rug is one of the first things you should choose when decorating a room. Not only will its color, texture and/or pattern direct you in the design process, it will provide a warmth and softness to the room that no other element can. We love a colorful, hand knotted rug just as much as the next decorator, but rugs large enough to cover many of today’s rooms are difficult to find and can cost a fortune to custom make. This is where layering comes in. Layering one rug over another is a great way to get the color, pattern, or texture you want without spending a fortune. Below are a few of our favorite examples of how this can be done with aplomb. In celebrated designer Robert Couturier’s Soho loft living room, below, he uses a colorful Persian rug to bridge two seating areas, layering it over a more neutral carpet. In this way, the rug becomes almost like a piece of art on display.
In this insanely colorful house in Texas designed by Miles Redd, the main seating arrangement is grouped on top of a Persian rug. Not only does this rug bring in another great color and pattern to the room, but it helps the space feel a bit more intimate and inviting.

Another great example showing a more modern, geometric rug layered over a neutral wool.
When we layer rugs, we typically put down a sisal to cover the majority of the room. The durability, affordability and chic look of sisal is hard to beat! A few combinations to try…

left/right

left/right

left/right

Do you layer rugs in your home? Tell us about it!