Decorating
Geometric Rugs Give Rooms an Edge
A powerfully-patterned rug is all you need to keep a tired scheme in line
Got a room that lacks purpose and pizzazz? Why not throw down a stylish rug? It will not only anchor all the elements of the room but, if you choose one with a bold on-trend print, the look of the room will be instantly uplifted. Rugs sporting geometric designs, in particular, will produce a buzz and generally underpin most decorating themes, from classical to country. What’s more, ‘geometric’ in homewares and interiors has become an ongoing trend, with new and rediscovered patterns being added each season. Choose from the many available, including chevron stripe, herringbone, diamond, Aztec, Grecian key or even new kid on the block, honeycomb.
Chic chevron. Link furniture pieces in a large living room by anchoring them via a vividly patterned rug. This hand-woven woollen design features a chevron pattern, a fun zig-zag twist on the basic stripe. As part of a decorating scheme for a house in Melbourne, the rug’s punchy red and white colourway has been used to bring a bit of drama to what is a mostly calm and subdued colour palette.
Oversized pattern. What do you see on this rug? Large diamonds or a group of triangles? Depending on the way you look at it, you’ll see both super-sized geometric shapes, which together form a beautiful graphic focal point in this simple but stylish living room in a house in Melbourne.
Cooking with colour. You may be cooking up a colourful culinary feast in your kitchen, but if it is all white, it could look rather clinical. One way to spruce up a cool-looking kitchen is with a vividly-patterned geometric runner-style rug. The one pictured here features an Aztec-style diamond pattern.
To choose a rug that is suitable for the kinds of foot traffic you’ll get in the kitchen, select from those made from a hardwearing, flat-weave natural fibre, such as wool. A woven polyester rug is also a good choice as it is both durable and easy to wipe clean.
TIP: A rubber backing will help hold a rug in place in high traffic zones.
To choose a rug that is suitable for the kinds of foot traffic you’ll get in the kitchen, select from those made from a hardwearing, flat-weave natural fibre, such as wool. A woven polyester rug is also a good choice as it is both durable and easy to wipe clean.
TIP: A rubber backing will help hold a rug in place in high traffic zones.
Retro twist. With so many timber elements competing for recognition in a mid-century home, the end result in an open-plan living area can look rather flat. A strongly patterned and extra-large rug can change all that by pulling the whole room together. Choose one with a simple geometric repeat and a dark background to complement the many hues of timber in the furniture. In this house in South Australia, the homeowner has bought a graphic black and cream rug to underpin her mid-century furniture finds.
Brita: One Small Room
Brita: One Small Room
Visual illusion. This all-white room for baby was in danger of looking more like a hospital surgery than a baby’s nursery before the room was finished off with a brightly patterned Escher-style print (that almost looks 3D).
This striking monochrome rug is in the same Bondi home as the nursery in the previous image. It covers a walkway over a void, creating a soft surface for children. Geometric rugs were also used in other rooms to complement the house’s generally minimalist style of architecture.
Luxe look. A quality designer rug is an expensive investment but will usually last a lifetime. The best are often made of wool, which is hard-wearing but soft underfoot. If the fibre is of a premium grade, the rug will stay looking good right to the end of its life.
Turquoise trellis. A pastel colour scheme can move dangerously into looking ‘as boring as beige’ if the main elements of a room are not visually secured by a boldly patterned item, such as a rug. Drawing inspiration from 1930s interior design, the decorators of this lovely room added a pretty rug that sported a big trellis pattern. The rug also served to introduce the spotlight colour of turquoise.
Other projects with trellis pattern
Other projects with trellis pattern
Colour up. If a decorating scheme is hard to pigeonhole, go for a rug with a timeless appeal or with global credentials, such as this colourful Aztec-style rug selected by the homeowner, interior designer Heidi Correa, for her Paddington terrace in Sydney.
Honeycomb. Choose a new geometric pattern such as honeycomb to modernise a classic decor scheme. The designer responsible for decorating this living room in the Astor Apartments in Sydney is the award-winning Greg Natale. He has his own rug collection available through Designer Rugs.
Outdoor fun rugs. Brightly-patterned geometric weather-resistant rugs can be used to heighten the party atmosphere in an outdoor entertaining area. If the deck or patio area you have is large enough, use more than one rug to create separate zones for dining or relaxing.
Diamond Yellow outdoor rug: Fenton & Fenton
Other ideas for outdoor spaces with rugs
Diamond Yellow outdoor rug: Fenton & Fenton
Other ideas for outdoor spaces with rugs
More is more. A wide hallway can be turned into a reading nook but may still look like a passageway without the addition of a floor rug. Give the space the ‘stop-and-look-at-me’ treatment by choosing a rug with a striking geometric pattern.
Greek key. Here again, a turquoise and white rug has a unifying effect on a room with a pastel colour palette. Inspired by the Hollywood Regency look, the beautiful rug used here in the main living room of a South Florida getaway features a Greek key design. To avoid visual interruption of the pattern, the decorators chose a coffee table made from glass.
Herringbone. By adding a rug with a herringbone pattern, you can instantly challenge a static minimal style and produce a buzz as the eye travels up and down the repeat arrow shapes the herringbone features. The pattern also helps to link the furniture and warm up a room, especially when there is a tile or terrazzo floor, as pictured here in this living room in a house in Melbourne.
Fret pattern. If you want a monochrome palette but are finding it a bit too restrained, add drama with a black and white fret patterned rug, such as this one in a home in Perth, Western Australia.
TIP: Geometric patterns may be bold and beautiful, but avoid teaming them in one room with other bold patterns on the walls or furniture. That’s not to say it can’t be done – but you may need expert advice.
TELL US
When has a rug used in your home transformed the look of a room? Please share your stories, tips and tricks in the Comments section.
MORE
Decorating With Rugs: From Craft to Art Form
Finding the Right Size Rug for Any Room in the House
8 Ways a Rug Can Help You Sell Your House
TIP: Geometric patterns may be bold and beautiful, but avoid teaming them in one room with other bold patterns on the walls or furniture. That’s not to say it can’t be done – but you may need expert advice.
TELL US
When has a rug used in your home transformed the look of a room? Please share your stories, tips and tricks in the Comments section.
MORE
Decorating With Rugs: From Craft to Art Form
Finding the Right Size Rug for Any Room in the House
8 Ways a Rug Can Help You Sell Your House