FLOORING.
As a major component of any space, it’s important to give it the same consideration as the walls and decor when compiling your materials and color palette. Choosing a rug with a design and color scheme that works with your existing flooring and ties in with your furnishings can make the difference between pulling together a look or having that strange feeling that something in the room isn’t quite right. Here are some suggestions on how to mix and match rugs with six different floors.
Hideaway High-end colored cowhide in Spiga (size varies: 4.5 sq m to 5.5 sq m), from $935, NSW Leather Co.
Indigo blue Esprit ESP-2324-01 hand tufted acrylic rag (1.7m x 2.4m), $899, DecoRug. Also in 1.2m x 1.8m or 2m x 3m.
Sweet shades Handwoven screen printed multicolored stripe lute rug (1.2m x 1.8m), $176, World Weave. Also available as a runner or “petite” rug.
Handwritten Obsession “Writing” hand-tufted embossed acrylic rug (1.6m x 2.3m), $599, Domayne.
LIGHT TONED
floorboards
A BLANK CANVAS Most rugs will suit lighter-colored floors (like birch, shown here) so your choice has a lot to do with the look you want to create. All-white walls and white or lighter-toned floors allow for bright and bold color choices in decor and furnishings. This means you can opt for something colorful and fun, especially in kids’ rooms. Candy stripes and bold designs will create strong focal points and are useful to tie together different colors used in the room. Keep things modern and make a bold statement with Scandi-inspired hides or high-contrast patterns – graphic black-and-white designs are particularly effective, especially when the floors are matched with similarly toned furniture.
Home furnishing and home interior with rug carpet
Bold designs RUG Galleria collection acrylic in Black & White (1.55m x 2.25m), $259, Dare Gallery. FLOOR Lakt timber veneer click-lock in Birch, $29 an sq m (packet price is $67.28), Ikea; also in Oak. THE REST Replica Poul Kjaerholm “PK24” chaise lounge, $1395, Matt Blatt. PS Karljohan side table in Core Birch, $99, Ikea. Karmena cushion in Asphalt (on the floor), and Paloma cushion in Stone, $59.95 each, Country Road. Zebra plates, $70 each, Orson & Blake. Small Tima vase in Black, $49.95, Country Road. Echinacea flowers, $21 a bunch, Garlands. Dexter the beagle.
MEDIUM -TONED
floorboards
TIMBER FLOORS such as tallowwood, gums, and ironbark have a medium brown tone that’s common in popular furniture so if you’re working with existing pieces in these shades, break up the brown with rug designs that are bold and eye-catching yet sympathetic to your floor color. We think rich deep reds and neutral shades complement brown tones best, so rugs made of natural materials like jute, sisal, seagrass, hemp, wool, and cotton work well. Pick bold designs and inject subtle, rich organic colors into interiors with your rug selection. Keep your future furniture selections in plain white or light tones and minimize the timber colors in the space.
Pretty patterns
RUG Handmade Lino 100% wool by Pia Wolanski (1.6m x 2.3m), from $990, Designer Rugs. FLOOR Silkwood engineered hardwood in Tallowwood, from $108.90 an sq m (not including installation), Boral Timber Flooring. THE REST Replica Tulip dining table, $419, and Wishbone chairs, $325 each, click on Furniture. Lombok placemats, $15 each, and Marlux salt and pepper mills, from $49.95 each, The Bay Tree.
