Mandy Moore Can’t Quit This 5,000-Year-Old Checkerboard Rug Trend (It’s in Her New Living Room!)

published Aug 23, 2024
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Mandy Moore lead graphic
Credit: Photo: Shutterstock; Design: Apartment Therapy

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been waiting with bated breath to see the full reveal of Mandy Moore’s new-old Los Angeles Spanish Colonial home, another space she teamed up on with designer Sarah Sherman Samuel and architect Emily Farnham. As Moore prepares for baby number three, a girl, the home and its guesthouse is nearing total completion, which means a photo shoot with Architectural Digest is probably on the calendar — maybe it’s even already happened?

We’ve been treated to glimpses of the house here and there on social media, and the latest just came via Moore’s own Instagram, in the background of a post on her maternity shoot. In it, she sits atop a deep ruby red sofa (reminiscent of Behr’s 2025 Color of the Year, Rumors), which is anchored by — wait for it! — yet another checkerboard rug.

Fellow eagle eyes out there may remember Moore had a checkerboard rug in her last home, only the checkers were larger and cast in an earthier palette of cream and a burnt sienna color, perhaps in keeping with the mid-century era of that space. This rug though, with its classic black and white color scheme and smaller repeat, is perhaps more fitting for the somewhat more traditional Spanish Colonial style. Either way, one thing’s for sure: When Moore digs a timeless trend, she’s all in, proving that this high-contrast, thousands-year-old decorative motif has staying power in spades, especially when used underfoot.

 If you want to be rug twins with Moore, I’ve got the best news for you. Her exact checkerboard rug, part of Samuel’s exclusive collaboration with Lulu and Georgia, is not only still available in a few apartment-friendly sizes — it’s also on sale for 50 percent off! 

I wouldn’t exactly call the price points a steal, but for a hand-knotted, plush-pile, 100 percent wool rug that will likely never go out of style, now might be the time to invest in something checkered. Keep an eye on the Labor Day sale front, too. Lulu and Georgia typically offers 20 percent off, and sometimes clearance items can be included in this promotion. That, then, would be a checkmate!