5 Creative Ways to Use a Rug

5 Creative Ways to Use a Rug

Rugs tend to be designed for one use, and for one use only – to soften, warm, and add colour to the floors of the home. But, as they do with so many things, interior designers have developed plenty of new and innovative ways to put these vibrant furnishings to use.

Here are five of the very best suggestions.

Inside, Outside

It may not be a permanent design feature, but one of our favourite ways to capture that summery, bohemian sense about the home is to place a rug on the threshold between the inside and the outside.

During that month-long stretch of summer, when you spend your time wandering peacefully between the cool shade of the indoors and the bright, hot garden – and when the French doors are happily drawn back during every waking moment (and, perhaps, a few midday siestas, too) – there’s nothing better than feeling as though the usual boundary between the indoors and the outdoors has been removed.

A rug placed casually over the threshold is the ultimate statement of a carefree, laid-back summer at home, and a nice way to encourage you and the household to embrace every moment of the good weather — while it lasts.

You can take a look at our rugs here.

On the Wall

Rugs are things of beauty. Like tapestries or paintings, they represent a highly complex and creative medium. And, like any other work of art that captures our eyes, they deserve to be loved and appreciated from a prime spot in the home.

While the majority of rugs are created, bought, and used as pieces for the floor, there is no reason why you shouldn’t embrace a very old trend in interior design. Mounting a rug on the wall is an exciting way to add texture and depth to a room. Whether you mount it squarely on the wall like a painting, or let it overlap slightly with the boundary between floor and wall, or wall and ceiling, it’s different enough to make a statement, but not so outlandish or novel as to feel like a gimmick.

Not every rug is destined to be displayed on the wall, but, if you find yourself drawn to one, it’s good to know that there is more than one option for displaying it in your home.

Layered

Layering rugs is an art in and of itself – but, once mastered, it is the interior designer’s ultimate secret to achieving that rich, vibrant, avantgarde style that seems to occupy a permanent spot at the very height of popularity. True, it’s not for everyone, but it’s hard to deny the power inherent in assigning more than one rug to a single bit of floorspace within the home.

Layering rugs is all about combining colour, texture and print to create something new – something that is as beautiful as a unified piece as it is when you take in the individual sum of its parts. It’s a little like mixing and matching your accent cushions: you don’t want to select pieces that are too similar, or you won’t be able to feel the full effect.

Over a bench

Logistically, this one is very easy, but the effect can be quite powerful. A heavy, dense rug draped (seemingly) casually and unaffectedly over a wooden bench or reclaimed pew is an incredibly easy way to transform to key staples into something entirely new. The stiffness of the rug will create an elegant shape over the bench, and a couple of hefty decorative cushions will help to weigh it down and keep it in place.

The shape created by the stiff rug will be reminiscing of waves rising up out of the water — or, in this case, the floor — and will have a big impact on the room.

Floor seating

While this final tip still sees the rug in its usual position on the floor, it deviates from the standard uses, which tend to see rugs used as a means of breaking up larger stretches of floor space or filling an area in the centre of the room surrounded by the sofas, or covered by the dining table.

Instead, consider placing a rug in the corner of the room – for instance, a relaxed study where plenty of afternoons are spent reading or writing. Scatter it with a few bohemian accent cushions, and you have the perfect ‘spillover seating’ for casual gatherings and parties. You can easily emphasise the low-to-the-ground atmosphere through a few key pieces. A stack of books or magazines, some decorative lighting placed close to floor-level, and a short tray table for drinks will make your floor seating area feel more established, and less improvised.