Rug & Art Styling Tips and Tricks
I love hand picking fun and quirky one-of-a-kind items for my home, things that spark joy for me and reflect my personality. It’s a lot of fun really! I know it can feel daunting at times to make these decisions, especially when it comes to bigger rugs and more expensive purchases so I’ve tried to compile some simple tips and tricks to keep in mind that I hope help.
I get asked a lot about how to choose the right vintage rug- or how to pick a rug to match with another rug, piece of art or even a particular piece of furniture like a patterned couch. There are definitely some rules of design, or tips to reflect on when styling pieces for your home. But the most important thing is that you love the items you are choosing, that they bring you joy and are unique to your personal style and taste- after all you are the one who has to live with them. Your home does NOT need to look like a magazine or an Instagram ad.
All that said there are some good rules of thumb to follow when making these choices to create a cohesive vibe and keep things cozy and easy on the eyes. Here are some of my tips on pairing rugs, art, patterns and textiles in your home- as well as some of my favorite rugs and art in the webshop that style well together…
TIP #1:
I always tell people to think about choosing rugs and art that “play well together” rather than “match.” We want to create balance in our spaces and not have things compete for our eyes attention. There are a few easy things to keep in mind when making these types of choices- take a peek at the selection of rugs below...
All of these vintage rugs have geometric designs in warm earthy color palettes. They have classic designs and timeless, traditional motifs that will withstand the test of time and trends. Choosing multiple geometric rugs in similar color ways is an easy way to ensure your rugs will flow and feel at ease next to each other. Even if it is just one color that extends throughout both rugs- that one color will really tie the 2 rugs together.
A geometric rug with a larger central medallion motif like the 2 runner rugs pictured above will look great next to a larger area rug with an all-over smaller geometric design too. Playing with the scale of pattern and motif helps the 2 rugs not compete for attention. It’s the same rule of thumb for putting together an outfit with a lot of print. A large scale floral printed top is going to look better with a skirt with a much smaller print, like a tiny polka dot, rather than a skirt with another large scale design. Playing with proportions in your outfits is just like playing with proportions in designing your home. I’d likely steer you away from choosing bright and colorful floral rug for the same room as any of the geometric rugs above- 2 geometric rugs next to each other will always play well together, just as 2 more floral rugs will tend to pair well too.
TIP #2
Play with both maximalism and minimalism. The bold and colorful vintage scrap quilt seen above definitely attracts attention and your eye. I’d call this a maximalist pattern and statement piece for sure. A textile like this will pair best with a rug, like the vintage Turkoman rug pictured, it’s more minimalist in both design and color palette. Thus, creating balance between the 2 rather than creating conflict and preventing your eyes from being on overload. The more simplistic design in the rug also allows the quilt to be the star of the show. Lastly, the color of the rug is present in the quilt creating even more continuity between the two. Play with this same rule when pairing a rug with a patterned couch, chair or any other textile in your home!
Some of the rugs seen above have a more maximalist vibe, they should be the show stopper piece in that room. If you choose a rug like one of these lean into more subtle prints or solid textiles as to not overload the senses or make the room feel too busy. The reverse is also true, if you choose a more open field rug with a neutral color palette like the vintage Persian Serab on the bottom right you are leaving yourself a lot of room to play with more bold prints in throw pillows or wall art. You might try to find a textile or piece of art that ties in the soft sea foam or tangerine colors…
TIP #3
Choose your anchoring piece- if you have a favorite piece of art that you want to display in a particular room let that be the star of the show and choose a rug and other textiles that play well with the colors and mood of the piece. If it’s art with bold color, maybe pick a rug in a more neutral palette or design to allow that art to shine. Allow the art to help dictate and direct other decisions you are making in styling that room.
Or if you have just done a remodel or are starting fresh in designing a room take advantage of that and choose a vintage rug that you love first and then compliment that rug with your choice in paint colors and other textiles. Vintage rugs are one-of-a-kind and can be tricky to find when you are looking for that perfect one, but paint colors and throw pillows are plentiful and much easier to choose when you have the right rug as a focal point.
Once you find your anchoring piece it will help guide many of your other decisions for the space. It could be something small like a piece of pottery or a vintage textile- whatever it may be let it lead the way…
I could go on and on with tips and rules of design but the most important thing I hope you know is that your individuality is beautiful and that the more you allow yourself to lean into that and fill your space with the things that bring you joy the more connected you will feel to your home.
xo,
Anna