There’s just something about layered rugs that makes a house feel like a home. It adds color, texture and print making it cozier and more welcoming. Besides, layering rugs can help in a more practical sense. Layering rugs can be a great tactic to add to your arsenal if you have an antique or expensive rug you want to use in a space, but that space is too big for it.
There are some rules to be aware of if you’re trying to master the layered rug look—if you go too far, you may end up with a chaotic mess instead of the collected, chic vibe you’re going for. Here’s what to keep in mind.
Keep Your Base Neutral
When you’re layering several rugs on top of each other, the base should stay neutral. The reason for this is so that the spotlighted, smaller rug can really stand on its own, and it’s ideal for people who want to bring attention to a luxe or vintage rug that simply isn’t big enough to cover the entire space needed. This also prevents overwhelm if the rug that you’ve decided to spotlight is very busy in pattern or color. A neutral base serves as the perfect complement.
a boho bedroom with a bed and neutral bbedding, layered rugs, a chair with a lamp and a bench with some decor
a boho bedroom with a brick fireplace, a bed and layered rugs, floor pillows, a mirror and lots of boho decor
a boho bedroom with layered rugs, a bed with neutral bedding, a boho bench, baskets, a nightstand, a pendant lamp and cool decor
a boho bedroom with layered rugs, a bed with neutral bedding, a desk and a chair, potted plants and decor
a boho bedroom with layered rugs, a bed with neutral bedding, an arched wardrobe and a chair, a dresser and a mirror and some greenery
a boho bedroom with layered rugs, a bed with orange bedding, a mirror, poufs and table,s a shelf with decor and some plants
a boho bedroom with layered rugs, a bed with rust bedding, nightstands, a pendant lamp and a potted tree
a boho earthy living room with a creamy sofa, layered rugs, a coffee table and some poufs is welcoming
a boho living room with a grey sofa and pillows, a mirror and some boho decor, layered rugs and a coffee table plus some potted plants
a boho living room with a neutral sofa, brown chairs, layered rugs, various pillows, poufs and various decor
Don’t Layer Rugs That Are Similar In Size
Make sure that you have a healthy margin around the more decorative rug. In this case, the top rug shouldn’t be more than about two-thirds of the area of the bottom one. And don’t go too small, either: Nothing diminishes a room design more than a postage stamp rug.
a boho living room with amber leather seating furniture, a coffee table and side tables, potted plants and macrame
a boho living room with an amber leather sofa and pillows, a chair, macrame, layered rugs and a round mirror
a boho living room with layered rugs, a bed with neutral bedding, nightstands, a ladder, gold sconces and a pouf
a boho living room with layered rugs, a marigold sofa, baskets and pillows, a macrame and rattan chairs
a boho living room with layered rugs, a rust sofa with pillows, a chair, poufs, a coffee table and some potted plants
a bold home office with layered rugs, a large bookcase, a desk, some chairs and black lamps
a bright contemporary nursery with a watercolor flower accent wall, a white chair and a crib, pink bedding and textiles, a little gold side table
a catchy contemporary nursery with blush walls, stained wood and rattan furniture, a pendant lamp, layered rugs and polka dot shades
a chic modern nursery with a farmhouse twist, with all-neutrals, a black crib, a basket for storage and ledges with books
a contemporary nursery with a black and white gallery wall, a white crib, layered rugs, a basket with toys, a copper table and a floor lamp
Thickness Matters
If you have multiple thick rugs on top of one another, they’ll start looking poofy and even create a tripping hazard. They can create an unsightly bulge and even slip around, which is why adding a rug pad beneath is also crucial. One easy way to avoid this issue, however, is to stick to rugs that are half an inch thick or less, so that layering them won’t cause unsightly bulges or accidents. Another tip is to consider the furniture that’s going to be placed on top of the rug: Rolling around an office chair on a super thick rug is probably not the way to go.
a contemporary nursery with a dreamy accent wall, white and clear acrylic furniture, layered rugs and blue bedding, cute toys
a delicate and cool contemporary nursery with a black accent wall, a white crib, a tan rocker chair, an open shelving unit, a fringe chandelier and a tree
a lovely modern nursery with a wallpaper wall, a neutral dresser and an acrylic crib, a beautiful glass pendant lamp and pink curtains
a modern boho living room with a grey sofa with pillows, layered rugs, a coffee table, a pouf and some chic decor
a modern boho living room with layered boho rugs, a creamy sofa, a leather chair, some boho decor
a modern boho living room with layered rugs, a rust sofa and a neutral chair, a coffee table and a credenza, some potted plants
a modern boho living room with layered rugs, a rust sofa, pillows, a coffee table and some plants and decor
a modern boho living room with layered rugs, a white sofa with pillows, navy chairs, a fireplace, a coffee table and some decor and plants
a modern earthy living room with a greige bed and earthy bedding, layered rugs, side tables and lamps and some boho decor
a modern earthy living room with layered rugs, seating furniture with pillows, a table and potted plants
Texture Has No Rules
While most people worry that mixing colors can go heavily wrong, luckily, designers say that doesn’t apply when it comes to texture. A fun perk of adding an extra layer is that you can then play with tone-on-tone color (multiple shades of blues in different textures, or even the same hue, for instance), and it’ll still look strikingly different because of the mix of textures—especially if you experiment with various feels. As a bonus, it’ll also add depth and comfort to your space.
a modern farmhouse bedroom with layered rugs, a bed with white bedding, nightstands and lamps and a gallery wall
a modern farmhouse living room with a fireplac,e brown leather chairs, layered rugs, shelves with decor and a magazine stand
a modern farmhouse living room with a fireplace, a grey sofa, an amber chair, layered rugs, a gallery wall and some decor
a modern farmhouse living room with a fireplace, a tan leather sofa, layered rugs, a coffee table, a shelving unit and a black chair
a modern farmhouse living room with a grey sofa, a built-in storage unit, layered rugs, a leather chair, a coffee table and a chandelier
a modern farmhouse living room with layered rugs, a grey sofa and pillows, a coffee table and a stump, potted plants
a modern farmhouse living room with layered rugs, a grey sofa, an amber chair, a gallery wall and a coffee table with greenery
a modern farmhouse living room with layered rugs, a living edge table, a grey sofa with lovely and chic decor
a modern farmhouse living room with layered rugs, a neutral sofa, a coffee table, brown chairs, a gallery wall and a black console
a modern living room with layered rugs, amber chairs, a coffee table, some decor and greenery and jute poufs
For Pattern On Pattern, Color Mattes
You can also layer multiple patterns if you so choose. In this case, you should be mindful of the colors used within those patterns to prevent your look from getting too busy. Pick one color that’ll tie the whole theme together. For example, if your top rug has hints of blue and orange, choose one shade and make sure your lower patterned rug also contains that same color, so they play off each other and look intentional. Another thing you need to keep in mind with multiple patterned rugs is shapes, too—you want to make sure they’re similar.
These are all the points about layering rugs, now you can do that like a pro!
a modern neutral living room with a creamy sofa and pillows, layered rugs, a coffee table and an artwork
a modern neutral living room with layered rugs and white seating furniture, a glass coffee table and a potted tree
a neutral boho living room with creamy seating furniture, layered rugs, a stained credenza, baskets and tables
a neutral contemporary nursery with a catchy crib, a creamy sofa, layered rugs, toys, a vintage mirror and some lamps
a Nordic kid's bedroom with an accent corner, a wooden house-shaped bed with printed bedding, layered rugs, buntings and racks
a pretty contemporary nursery with a pink printed wall, neutral furniture, layered rugs, lovely toys and a desk for the kid
a pretty contemporary nursery with a pink spot accent wall, a white crib and a storage unit, layered rugs, pink bedding and lovely toys
a whimsy modern nursery with a polka dot accent wall, a grey chair, a light stained crib, layered rugs and a color block pouf and cool lights
a white farmhouse living room with a fireplace, white seating furniture, a coffee table and some decor and layered rugs
an airy modern nursery with white walls, white furniture and a light-stained crib, layered rugs and abstract decor
an eclectic home office with a fireplace, layered rugs, a vintage sideboard, chic decor and a desk