Design Trend: Layered Rugs

When we shared mom’s Coastal Farmhouse Living Room the most popular topic was the rugs. We layered two rugs in this space and it started such a fun conversation! Is this whole rug layering thing a trend or is it here to stay? Are there rules to follow when layering? Today I’m going to highlight why we love this trend along with some of my favorite layered rug inspiration.

**SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR LINKS & MORE LAYERED RUG INSPIRATION**

1. IT’S FUNCTIONAL/WASHABLE

I’ll start by telling you why we did it. We are crazy dog ladies around here. My mom has three dogs, so things must be washable. This is why we’re always sharing the white slipcovered couches because they’re so easy to wash. In this space, we layered a thinner cotton rug on top of a thicker jute rug. The jute rug keeps the thin rug in place and the thin rug is easy to throw in the washing machine. It’s the perfect duo. I wasn’t sure the jute rug was going to keep the top rug down, but it’s been great so far. I think this reason alone will make this trend stick around for a bit.

2. ADDS TEXTURE

I love neutrals. I think the texture is what makes a neutral palette POP. Designing a space with two rugs with different textures adds contrast in a really simple way just as throw pillows and blankets do. If you have lots of whites, creams and grays in your space make sure to add lots of layers of texture to add some excitement to a room. My friend Michele Howell of Vintage Home Designs does this really well. You can view her home tour here on the blog. You can also scroll down under the ‘Inspiration’ heading to see the layered rugs in her home.

3. HIGHLIGHTS THE AREA

The coffee table in my mom’s living room is an old door made into a table. It’s a really fun statement. I feel like the layered rug draws attention to what’s in the center.  Mom actually was going to sell the coffee table when she was moving to this home but kept it until she found one she loved. The layered rugs had her falling in love with it again and now it’s one of the most asked about pieces of furniture. In the old house, it was rarely brought up.

4. MORE CHILD PROOF

So I actually just thought of this while updating this post and my little one is rolling around the floor like it’s an Olympic sport. Layered rugs add a softer surface for the littles to roll, crawl and fall on. If you have a baby pulling themselves up on your coffee table you know exactly what I mean 🙋🏻‍♀️ While I prefer hard surfaces like wood for flooring in my home, as a momma I’m understanding the appeal of carpet now.


MORE LAYERED RUG INSPIRATION

INSPIRATION 1

This is my friend Michele of Vintage Home Design’s living room. All neutral with an amazing pop from her 3 layered rugs. I think we should collectively crown her layered rug queen. You’ll see below she also has two layered rugs in her sitting area in her dining room. Mom’s living room is a mix of modern farmhouse and coastal while Michele’s is farmhouse and cottage. You can see that layered rugs go well in both styles.

INSPIRATION 2

You’ll notice in Michelle’s sitting area the rugs are almost the same color with the only difference being texture. I love that this can make such a cozy impact. There’s power in simplicity my friends.

INSPIRATION 3

Above is a photo of my friend Mattie of The Rustic Warehouse’s living room. Here she layered a white cowhide with a white and gray rug. If you’re ever wondering what rug to layer, a cowhide is almost always a great idea.

INSPIRATION 4

Mattie also used this style in her bedroom which I love a lot because it really defines the sitting area at the end of her bed.

INSPIRATION 5

Layered rugs look amazing in a boho style room. The space above is my sweet Quinn’s nursery. I wanted to do something different so I put a small neutral rug under the more colorful rug. This also helped with filling in the room. If I would have got a bigger rug it would be really awkward in the room, but adding a small rug to layer filled in the width of the room really well.

INSPIRATION 6

I found this inspiration from Hearth and Haven Designs. Again, we have so much texture in this space. The darker jute with the lighter white and gray rug teamed with the leather sofas. If you’re going for a more modern version of this look make sure to use this photo for your inspiration.

INSPIRATION 7

I stumbled upon this amazing inspiration on Instagram from @JenniKayne and will have to keep it in my back pocket for the future. I love the example of layered rugs, but also the modern european farmhouse look!


TIPS TO LAYERING

As I’ve mentioned in this post a couple of times, there are no definite rules when it comes to this trend. Actually most of the examples I love break many of your daily design tips.

For the readers that love more structure when it comes to design, here are a few tips for using this trend:

  1. Choose a neutral base
  2. Choose 12” – 18” in size difference
  3. If you’re doing a bold pattern let it be the statement
  4. If you want to get wide layer a cowhide
  5. If you’re not brave enough to try in your home layer on your porch

What are your thoughts on layering rugs? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below or here on Instagram!

RUG COMBINATIONS

Here are a few of my favorite rug combinations.

PIN FOR LATER

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5 Comments

    1. I know it’s been sometime since you asked this but l found them for you doing a quick search. Good luck and hope you see this.

      Joe Randall

      ttps://www.wayfair.com/rugs/pdp/jodi-striped-handmade-flatweave-cotton-ivoryanthracite-rug-lrfy3560.html?cjevent=512929072b1211eb81f2004d0a24060d&refID=CJ687298-CJ2975314&PID=CJ4441350

      https://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-jute-braided/Off-White/200TAJT03-P.html?clickid=wjR2Tc2ImxyLWsWxU-SAVSQkUkEzfE35T0zWQA0&irgwc=1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=impact&utm_campaign=rewardStyle&utm_content=Online%20Tracking%20Link&utm_term=mediapartner&cl_a=click&cl_aid=rugsusa&cl_asid=impactradius&cl_ch=affiliate&cl_vend=impactradius&cl_camp=9280&cl_crtv=555367&cl_site=116548&cl_sz=&cl_id=wjR2Tc2ImxyLWsWxU-SAVSQkUkEzfE35T0zWQA0&cache=5156736

  1. I totally love it! Latinas always want more of everything, and this trend perfectly satisfies me. I love the fact that we can play with different textures.
    Thanks for doing this! Let’s keep the trend up.

  2. Love this!!! Trying it for the first time at my living room with open space dinning room; do you think it may be too much to layer in both areas since they’re next to each other? There’s small empty space in between, just wondering if you may have any thoughts

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