Layered rugs. It's seems like you either love this idea or hate it. I've been on the love end every since I saw the second photo in Domino magazine back in 2005. But I do think it can be tricky to get right. Without proper styling, it can come across as messy or just plain hazardous.
Layering rugs is much like layering your clothing. Your building on a style and - when done right - adding colors, materials, or textures can give a room depth and warmth. For those that are ready to take the plunge and pile on the rugs, here are a few tips.
- Rug pads, rug pads, rug pads! Nobody likes to trip or slip on a loose or bunched-up rug. This is especially important when layering rugs. A traditional rug pad for the base layer will help keep it from moving as well as protect your floors. They come in a variety of styles, so if you want a cushier surface, choose a heavyweight rug pad. For layered rugs that want to bunch up, try a rug pad like the ones from Teebaud to keep it in place. This is a super-thin, non-skid underlay that won't add bulk!
- Throwing a patterned rug over a sisal, seagrass, or jute rug is a foolproof approach for those a bit hesitant to combine intricate patterned rugs. A simple earth-tone texture for the base layer can help anchor the room, while the patterned rug can help define an area. This can also be a great approach for many other reasons:
- If you need a durable rug for a high-traffic area (or have kids or pets), you can still have a soft place to rest your feet by adding a cozier rug to your seating area.
- Natural fiber rugs can be found quite reasonably priced, especially when compared to their hand-loomed counterparts. Using rugs this way might give you extra money to put towards a higher quality, albeit smaller, accent rug.
- You're afraid the room will be chaotic or overwhelmed by a large patterned rug, but you still need a rug to pull the room together. By using the neutral rug as your base, you can introduce color and pattern with a smaller-sized rug on top.
- From Domino, "When using more than one area rug in a room, consider how the pieces will relate to each other. Adjacent rugs that are too similar could... look like merchandise in a rug store."
Check out these posts for more rug-related inspiration:
Hot or Not? Layered Rugs
Bedroom Rugs
Decisions, Decisions: Picking the Right Rug
Sewing Two Rugs Together to Make a Larger Size?
Layering Rugs for a Uniform Look
5 Sources for Rugs on a Budget
Images: 1, 6, 7 : Elle Decor via PointClickHome, 2: Domino Magazine, 3: Lost Art Salon via Rug Design Blog, 4, 5: AtticMag
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I recognize the third picture- from Lost Art Salon, for you Bay Area people you should go and check it out. I think they have some really great works for reasonable prices.
http://www.lostartsalon.com/home.html
I love rugs, but I also walk around like a 90 year old woman (apparently) and will trip on every single rug corner that's laid down. I have a really nice silk Persian rug from Iran under my bed, UNDER my bed, as in rolled up and under my bed. I would put it out but I'm so clumsy. The pictures with layers of rugs freaks me out, talk about a difference in pile and height just ready to break someone's face.
It's so pretty though :( DAMN YOU FEET!
yea...that domino photo makes me droool...
interestingly eclectic, but also a severe trip hazard. the sponginess of multiple rugs makes it worse than if they were individually on a floor...
no.
I like the last two examples. The layering isn't over the top.
Love it. I have a cache of gorgeous rugs I've picked up in Turkey and at estate sales, and would love to do something like this - I adore the "eccentric professor's study" look. However, until my house is free of cats, the rugs will remain in storage - I lost one when it became a scratch pad, and learned my lesson.
I like -
It helps create a decadent, luxurious, slightly bohemian vibe...
Beautiful, especially #2. I have been in love with this idea for a while now (being a textile junkie) and am slowly accumulating the right rugs for the job. Unfortunately, I worry a little about the rugs themselves - I have always heard that you should never layer an antique or otherwise valuable rug on top of carpeting (or another soft surface) as the weave will pull or stretch when stepped on rather than just tamp down as it would on a hard surface. This, in theory, makes perfect sense to me. I'll be sticking with budget-friendly Kilims and already damaged antiques to achieve this look - this is actually a great way to hide torn corners and stains!
Beautiful look. Totally impractical unless you practice the Eastern "no shoes in the house" rule.
Besides the uneven and tripping hazards, there's also another consideration: Vacuuming. Those things are a royal pain to clean. Crusty dirt, pet hair, food and dust gets under them just like regular rugs, so you end up having to vacuum and move a lot of rugs, layer by layer to keep them clean and then spend the time putting them back in place and smoothing them down again.
I worked for Service Master cleaning company 2 summers during high school. One of our clients was an Oriental rug dealer and had this look throughout his house. There's a reason he hired a cleaning company. Trust me on this one.
All I can think about when I see "layered rugs" is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the sex scenes on (and under) layers of rugs in a vampire's crypt. So....maybe this WOULD be a good idea to try at home!
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/14787/477189-spuffy_super.jpg
I love this look when done right. It reminds me of my grandparents and other relatives. It felt like it was done more because of an overabundance of rugs rather than an intentional style choice. They had a really strong affinity for clean-lined modern furniture juxtaposed with these amazing oriental rugs. The smaller, more worn rugs would eventually be used at the kitchen sink.
#1, 2, and 3 look a bit too much like a carpet showroom.
Photos # 3, 4, 5 and 6 work for me.
All the pictures except the last two make me sneeze. Layered rugs are a nightmare to keep dust-free.
This is the sort of AT post that I really love -- there is a theme (layered rugs) and a bunch of photos that show that theme in very different settings (and room-sized photos, not close-up vignettes), and then there's helpful commentary and additional links. Great post!
Khatam et al, if you can't put your rugs on the floor, you could hang them on the wall, a la russe (when I was in Russia, every apartment I visited had a beautiful Persian rug hanging on the wall). That way you can still enjoy it, but it (or you) won't get damaged. Plus, great soundproofing.
I'm in the process of collecting rugs to do something like this. Our rental has white carpets, and we are not white carpet friendly.