How-To Design Your Space Around Your Rug

We’ve asked our designers to put together mood boards and step by step guides on how to design the various spaces in your home all the while using your rug as the starting point. We’ll be going through each room in the home and showing you how to start with a rug and layer in everything else to complete your space.

But first, here’s our TWO main takeaways from the designers:

Start with your rug and highlight a few of its characteristics. What colours are present? What is the overall style?
Add elements of the rugs’ style throughout your space to compliment it, create repetition and an overall cohesive look.

Now that we have our notes you can scroll and tap through each room in the home and see how they’re applied by our designers. We'd love to see how you enjoyed this blog post. Let us know if you have any further questions in the Comment Section below. Ok, let’s start in the entryway!

Inviting Coastal Entryway

by Marcela

Notes from Marcela

This beautiful patterned and rich in colour runner makes a statement in your entrance and gives me California coastal vibes. Let’s play on these coastal tones. Because of the cool blue tones in the rug, we’ll want to incorporate various warm textures and tones.
An entryway table is a must and this warm wood-toned console table is perfect for the laid back California coastal look we’re going for. An oversized mirror is great to make the space feel bigger. They both complement the runner with the tone and style.
The leather ottoman adds warmth and texture to the space and complements the colours of the runner. Baskets are also perfect to store shoes and seasonal items like gloves, hats & umbrellas. The addition of wicker adds another textural layer and makes the room feel even cozier.
Next up, lighting! Lighting is, of course, a must in every space but especially in the entryway where you’re welcoming guests, putting on shoes and touching up makeup. We make a point of layering the lighting to set a warm and inviting mood. The lighting selection here makes the space feel bright and airy.
Lastly, all you need is greenery and decor to finish up the space and make it feel like you are by the beach.

Monochromatic Modern Living Room

by Eve

Notes from Eve

The starting off point for my living room design is this 10’x14’ Moroccan-inspired rug. I love this rug for a living room because it provides a lot of texture and works with so many different styles. It’s also a wool rug which makes it really lush and cozy underfoot.
I started by layering different textures and shapes to create some interest while maintaining the neutral vibe I was going for.
I added a sofa in a similar tone as the rug and repeated the darker tones by using black marble coffee and side tables, which add a lot of contrast. Using a combination of a coffee and side table give this living room a Parisian art deco look, I took it one step further with this black and brass pendant which pairs well with that style.
I mixed masculine geometric art with a more feminine floor lamp and incorporated different textures in the pillows to make the space feel layered and more interesting.
The finishing touches like the vintage print with a brass frame and the black and white decor help bring all the colours together.

Texturally Romantic Dining Room

by Meredith

Notes from Meredith

This beautiful Heirloom Bone/Charcoal rug is the perfect jumping-off point to create a cozy, intimate, sophisticated dining space. The deep colours, vintage-inspired design and artisanal quality of the hand-knotted wool evoke all the right vibes for a night spent around the table with your loved ones.
We love an oval table for creating an even more intimate dining experience. Everyone at the table can’t help but feel close and connected. Keep your guests comfortable with padded and upholstered dining chairs.
Love how the rush seagrass detail on the Brookfield sideboard pulls some of the lighter tones from this rug and helps brighten the overall look. The natural texture also adds an additional layer of intrigue and warmth to the space.
The black frame on this mirror pulls perfectly from the dark undertones in the rug. A large mirror above the sideboard is a great way to bounce some of the romantic dimmed overhead lighting and flickering candlelight around the space.
Speaking of candlelight, let’s add some to the sideboard and centrepiece. This rug deserves all the romance and coziness nothing but candlelight can provide.
Books are the perfect compliment to the artisanal, cozy quality of this rug. They might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of styling a dining room, but there are plenty of beautiful cookbooks and cocktail recipe guides to adorn your dining room sideboard. Stack them vertically and horizontally with a wooden bowl and candle layered on top.
Plants and greenery on the table and off to the side add an additional layer of depth to any space. The warm tones from the terracotta pots complement the earth tones in the rug.
The addition of the Milton Chandelier helps modernize the space with its interesting shapes and style, all while the hand-crafted glass shades and natural brass compliment the same qualities in the rug. The grey shade of the glass shades pulls from the darker tones in the rug and dining chairs and the brass pairs well with the seagrass details on the sideboard pulling the whole room together.

Eclectic Garden Inspired Office

by Grace

Notes from Grace

This is a 100% looped wool rug but it reminds me a lot of more outdoor-oriented jute rugs.
I’m really into the English countryside right now, so for me, the rug inspired a cutting/planting conservatory that would double as an office. The cabinet is inspired by greenhouse windows and the desk is a nod to utilitarian gardener’s tables.
Running with the English garden theme, I added in an oversized wicker pendant, an antique look stool/plant-stand, and a beautiful guest chair with a cane webbing detail on the back.
Feminine art, a gorgeous faux ficus tree, and a pop of deep merlot add to the rich, floral, feminine feel of the space.
Eclectic textural decor (including a watering can and of course a vase of fresh-cut flowers) finish the space off.

Colourfully Contrasted Modern Bedroom

by Marilyne

Notes from Marilyne

The Graham has beautiful bold colours and an antique-inspired print. When designing a space with a colourful rug, it’s important to balance the rest of the room with neutral colours and materials and to pull in a few accessories with similar tones as the rug.
Because of the bright colours in the rug, I’d like to add neutral elements to soften the look: wood nightstands, natural rope pendant and the armchair.
The vintage feel of the rug needs to be pulled in through various elements in the space. The legs the bench, the shape of the table lamps and the artwork all play on the ornamental print in the rug.
Lastly, I wanted to add colour throughout the space and pull the tones from the colourful rug. The dark velvet bed, the light green Natalie pillow, and the Raspberry pillow are all the perfect complement to the tones in the rug and make the space feel complete while maintaining the soft, layered look I was going for.

We’ve gone through each space in the home and deciphered our designers' tips and tricks on how to design a full room by using the rug as the jumping-off point. Which space did you like best? Do you have any more questions for our designers? Leave your questions in the Comment Section and we’ll have them answered for you!