We layer blankets on our beds and we layer our clothes, but not until recently did we start to layer our rugs. Innovative and adventurous designers have shown us that layering rugs can actually be beautiful and add a lot of dimension to a room. Rugs can be mixed and matched, tiled and woven and stacked in some really interesting ways. Additionally, sometimes the best-layered look is a combination of the unlikeliest of rugs. In case you’ve not yet experimented with layering, here’s a guide for creating a great layered look with your rugs.
Framing a Room
Via Houzz
This picture illustrates one of the best things about circular rugs: They’re absolutely ideal for framing. As you can see, there are three circular rugs in this picture and at the center of each sits one of the chairs, the circular coffee table, and the square end table beside the sectional sofa respectively. Though it might seem that those items were chosen to be framed randomly, it seems more likely that the homeowner chose to frame those particular furnishings because framing those pieces provided the best coverage of the floor where people would be walking between and around the furniture. However, the smart placement of these circular rugs also simply looks great.
Framing other rugs
Via Houzz
Neutral tones and natural fibers provide a great base for framing a rug or rugs layered on top. In the room pictured here, the large, finely woven white rug wasn’t sufficient by itself. The light furniture and the white walls had very little contrast and would’ve blended with the light rug; however, adding the smaller navy rug with the geometric pattern created visual interest and contrast against the furnishings while also being nicely framed by the white rug that serves as the base.
Spotlighting
Via Houzz
In this Greenwich Village home, the magenta rug is used to create a focal area similar to how a spotlight is used. Without the rug spotlighting the room’s seating, your eye would simply continue moving throughout the room looking for a place to come to a rest.
Defining Areas
Via Houzz
In large rooms or studio apartments, it’s useful to use different rugs to distinguish or define the different areas. Here you can see that each of the seating areas is clustered around different rugs with another seating area on the bare wood floor, which is framed by the edges of the nearby rugs. When using multiple rugs side by side in such a way, it gets tricky when each of the rugs used has very different styles. Here one rug is contemporary while the other is somewhat oriental; however, the floral theme and comparable color schemes of each rug are common details, which are allowing them to be used to much greater effect.
Protection
Via Houzz
And yet another great reason for layering rugs is actually a most practical one: for the protection of the rug or carpet beneath. The nursery pictured here has wall-to-wall beige carpet. Anyone experienced with carpet will know that it is a major pain, not to mention super expensive, to replace the carpet. Although some cleaning products can also protect you rugs, laayering rugs or even just a single large rug over the carpeting in an area that’s highly trafficked will protect the carpet from stains, damage, and frequent replacement.
================================================================
Author Bio:
Credits to Jane Blanchard for this article. For more tips and tricks, please visit Modernize.com.