When it comes to choosing a rug, you have a lot of options. Something that can help to point you in the right direction is knowing the design style or styles that you love, and allowing them to help guide your decision making process. In Jo’s design book, Homebody, one of the first major tasks she outlines when tackling a space in your home is the importance of identifying what style you’re most drawn to. This can be defined by what you notice in a room and which details draw you in.
Homebody outlines six foundational design styles: Farmhouse, Modern, Rustic, Industrial, Traditional and Boho. In this blog, we’re going to walk through each of these styles and how they tie to complementary design elements in rugs.
While these are our suggestions of rugs that pair well with different design aesthetics, keep in mind that rugs are versatile and can work with many different looks. So even if you’re most attracted to a more traditional style, you may very well be drawn to a rug in the farmhouse category.
The farmhouse feel lends itself to having an appreciation for pieces that are authentic and storied. Farmhouse spaces often feel grounded and humble, rather than ostentatious. Rugs that are largely neutral, using simple patterns and colors like black and white and other neutral colors, often complement the look of farmhouse style furniture and decor.
If you’re drawn to a minimal look or are content when a space is pared down to just the essentials, the modern design style may be for you. The great thing about the modern style is that there is room for abstraction, which you’ll see in some of our rug suggestions above. The modern look can lend itself to rugs that are symmetrical, often incorporating clean lines or geometric patterns.
If you tend to take your design cues from nature and more natural elements, then you may resonate with the rustic style. Rustic makes a statement with texture and raw materials, such as rough-hewn beams and stone accents. The rug suggestions above show more distressed and asymmetrical patterns that focus on that draw to texture.
With the design fundamentals of the rustic style, but typically within a more urban environment, industrial style utilizes materials such as metal and concrete in their raw, unfinished forms. This style is often contemporary, yet minimal. Depending on your room, you may choose to use a rug as a way to incorporate bold colors and textures to brighten up your modern room, or stick with muted tones, like grays, to ground the space.
The traditional style is made up of historic details, classic shapes, and tried-and-true techniques. Traditionalists prefer to settle in with time-honored pieces and classic architectural details, rather than trying the unexpected. Ornamental texture, timeless patterns and muted color can be incorporated when using a rug in a traditional space.
A few descriptors of the boho design style are casual, layered, free-form, vibrant and quirky. Oftentimes there will be rich color, bold textures and mix-matched patterns in a boho space. Depending on your room, a boho style rug can mirror these bold features and be the focal point, or can simply complement the space using more neutral tones and textures.
Rugs have the ability to make a room feel finished while also adding warmth, texture and definition. As you’re choosing the one that works best for your space, feel the freedom to welcome new and different design styles into your home to transform it into a place that feels uniquely you.
Note: Some of the rug collections featured in the blog post are discontinued. Click the link below to explore our current and new rug collections.
