How to style your rug
Styling Tips
Six things every room gets right when the rug is right.
"The rug is the room's first word. Everything else responds to it."
Size the Rug to the Room, Not the Furniture
The single most common rug mistake is going too small. A rug that only fits under the coffee table makes a room feel disconnected. The front legs of all major seating should sit on the rug — ideally all four legs. In a dining room, the rug should extend at least 60cm beyond the table on all sides so chairs remain on it when pulled out. For bedrooms, a rug that extends 50–70cm beyond each side of the bed grounds the space beautifully. When in doubt, size up.
Shop Living Room Rugs →Let the Rug Lead the Colour Story
A rug is one of the largest surfaces in a room. When you choose it first, everything else — wall colour, cushions, throws, artwork — can be pulled from it. This approach almost always produces a more considered, cohesive room than choosing the rug last to 'match' what you already have. Look for a rug with at least two or three colours: one dominant, one secondary, one accent. Use the accent colour sparingly elsewhere to create visual rhythm.
Shop by Colour Palette →Layer for Warmth and Depth
Layering a smaller decorative rug over a larger neutral base rug is one of the most effective techniques for adding warmth and personality to a space. Place a sisal, jute, or plain wool rug as the base, then lay a hand-knotted or patterned rug on top, slightly off-centre. The contrast of textures and the deliberate asymmetry gives a room a collected, lived-in feel that a single rug rarely achieves.
Shop Flat Weaves (ideal base layers) →Match the Rug Construction to the Room's Use
Not all rugs suit all rooms. Hand-knotted wool rugs are extraordinarily durable — they improve with age and are ideal for high-traffic areas like living rooms and hallways. Hand-tufted rugs are softer underfoot and suit bedrooms and sitting areas where texture matters more than foot traffic. Flat weaves are reversible, easy to clean, and work beautifully in dining rooms and kitchens where spills are a reality. Choose construction for the room's demands, then choose beauty.
Explore All Types →In Small Rooms, Go Big and Go Plain
Counter-intuitively, a large plain rug in a small room makes the room feel bigger — it extends the visual floor plane without interrupting it. A small, busy-patterned rug in the same space fragments it visually. If pattern is important to you, keep it quiet: subtle tone-on-tone textures, gentle geometric weaves, or a simple stripe work better in compact spaces than bold florals or complex motifs.
Shop Neutral Rugs →Runners in Hallways and by the Bed
Hallways and the space alongside beds are the most underserved areas in most homes — and a runner transforms both. In a hallway, a runner protects the floor while adding warmth and directing movement. Beside a bed, a runner ensures your first step in the morning is onto something soft, not cold floor. Choose a runner that leaves 10–15cm of floor visible on each side for a proportional look.
Shop Runners & Hallway Rugs →Not sure where to start?
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