A Totally Unexpected 3-in-1 Design Solution for Blank Walls
Some rugs are so beautiful, banishing them to the floor seems like a tragedy. Filling your vertical space with texture, color and warmth, rugs are the perfect three-in-one design solution for any blank wall in need of a boost. Go big and bold or small and understated, just make sure you hang them properly so gravity doesn’t take its toll on your woven works of art (tips ahead).
Jungalow maven Justina Blakeney is no stranger to using rugs in unconventional ways. The bold and shaggy rug above is featured as an example of maximal decor in her book The New Bohemians. Here, texture, color palette and size are all pushed to the max for a quintessentially bohemian bedroom.
Graphic designer Malcolm Simmons inherited the above beautiful (and heavy) Brazilian rug from his parents, giving it prime real estate on his dining room wall. On his blog Masmeansmore, Malcolm has laid out a great tutorial on how to secure a heavy rug like his with some PVC pipe and twine.
Rugs and beds go together like peanut butter and jelly, due to their shared utility of increasing the comfort level of whatever room they’re in. Basically, the more soft, warm materials in the bedroom, the better. In this room by Emily Henderson, a rougher-textured round sisal rug is a bit unconventional but totally works in contrast with the bright, clear colors surrounding it.
Venturing out of the bedroom (for a moment), this cozy lounging corner in Alco and Nelleke’s home in the Netherlands is a perfect example of the versatility of rugs as art. Here, a kilim runner hangs vertically behind a petite rattan sofa, mimicking the narrowness of the wall behind it and making use of the vertical space.
The colorful Moroccan rug found in this globally-inspired Anthropologie room is another example of making use of vertical space. Added bonus tip: suspending rugs, textiles, and/or pretty much anything from a rustic tree branch or driftwood is always an option.
Hanging rugs as art isn’t solely for the bohemians. In this Ashton Woods master suite, what looks like a handwoven wool rug is suspended by a substantial curtain rod and balanced with sleek decor for a refined-yet-modern look.
Back to bohemian…if you’re looking to make a statement, take a cue from Urban Outfitters and try filling an entire wall with a large area rug or oversized tapestry.
Caroline and Jayden Lee own Coco Carpets, a vintage Moroccan carpet company based in Los Angeles. When we toured their playfully sophisticated California home last Summer, there was no lack of “Cocos”, including this highly textured beauty on display behind the sleek mid-century modern credenza in their living room.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to mix-and-match (or totally clash) your wall-hangings. This super fun and colorful kids room, found on Design*Sponge, gives the homeowner’s daughters each their own identity with two totally different rugs found on Etsy.
For more tips and inspiration for how to put your rugs on display, check out our Why Stylists Use Rugs as Wall Hangings (and You Should Too) and remember, if you’re stumped in the art department, don’t be afraid to think outside the frame!