How to Mix Rugs Like a Pro

Mixing rugs in your home is one of those things that can make you second guess yourself, but there are a few principles and guidelines to keep in mind for mixing rug colors, styles, and patterns to create a beautiful home. Today I’m sharing some ideas for you to consider if you are choosing rugs for your home. You want them all to flow together especially when you have an open floor plan where rugs are often seen from one room to the next.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Stick to a Cohesive Color Palette

• Choose rugs that share a common color or tone to create unity. In my house, for example, I love blues and greens and mixing them in my spaces is done with complementary colors. I used a blue, green, white, and brown stripe rug and have other rugs in the vicinity that are blue and white or shades of blue and green.

• Mixing  patterns can be done more freely if the colors complement each other.

I’ve had a neutral textured rug in my living room, but when I got the chance to put this pretty stripped blue and white rug in there, it just brought the room to life, so it stayed. This is the Dash and Albert Fisher rug, but it must be discontinued, I can’t find it online anymore.

We have a greige and carbon herringbone patterned rug on our stairs, so I wanted to keep the rug by the front door neutral, hence this gray toned neutral which doesn’t compete with the stairs or the living room’s more vibrant blue and green shades.

Play With Pattern Scale

• Vary the scale of the patterns. This larger scale floral/scroll pattern rug in my dining room is a good rug to offset the stripe in the living room, which is right next door. The colors and patterns flow together and complement each space.

  • Don’t put two bold, busy patterns together.

  • Mix a large-scale pattern with a subtle one (like a solid, stripe, or tone-on-tone texture).

  • Pro tip: One “hero” rug + one “supporting” rug = visual harmony.

Use Texture for Depth

• Combining different textures adds richness (wool, jute, shag, flatweave). I’m not currently using this textured seagrass rug, but I do love the texture. When you have more rugs than you have rooms for, this can happen.

• A neutral jute rug layered under a bold patterned one adds visual interest without competing. I’ve seen this done with good success like the below picture of my sister, Renee’s old living room.

Layered seagrass and zebra rug.

Rugs should define areas, not just float.

• The rule of thumb in the design world is that the front legs of furniture should rest on a rug to unify the entire furniture arrangement. I see people not do this and it makes a rug look like it’s floating with no synergy.
• Use different rugs to break up an open floor plan. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to use together, so using a neutral rug in one spot will allow more pattern in another area that can be seen as a whole. I’ve used a neutral lightly patterned rug in the family room and kept the bolder patterns in the ottoman and pillows. I’ve also seen a bolder rug used with more color and pattern and that can also be striking, so it depends on your taste.

Layering: A smaller patterned rug centered over a larger neutral base is a classic designer trick

Create Flow Between Rooms

• If rugs are in adjacent spaces, they don’t need to match—but they should feel like they belong in the same family.

• Look for consistency in color temperature (all warm tones, all cool tones).
• Avoid abrupt style shifts (e.g., a boho kilim next to a slick modern geometric without a bridging element).

I added this scalloped floral/geometric rug in my kitchen seating area and it mixes well with the large floral Ruggable rug in the kitchen which also plays nicely with the blue and white subtle floral in the dining room.

All three of these work well together (I think) because one has a geometric look, one a large floral and one an overall subtle smaller pattern with floral and scrolls.

When in Doubt, Use Neutrals as Anchors

• Neutral rugs (cream, grey, natural fiber) are your best friend when mixing bolder pieces.

• They calm the eye and let one rug stand out.

• I’ve used a gray/with blue undertones in this lightly patterned wool rug in the family room and it anchors all the fabrics and textures of the room.

This little wool rug has shades of blues and grays and perfect for coming in from our garage. The pattern is very subtle so mixes with everything else I have on this floor.

Feel Free to Break the Rules Sometimes

Some people say not to do bold rugs with other patterns in the room and I have mixed opinions from people on our guest room, but I happen to love it. I know it’s not for everyone, some don’t like this much pattern, but to me it’s such a happy space. Yes the Ruggable rug is bold and colorful with the large birds displayed. The wallpaper in blue and white is a mid-size print and the floral drapes with birds is a little smaller floral print, so to me it all works together with the neutral cream spread and the small scale shams with the mix of green in the throw pillows. So have fun with your space and do what makes you happy!

Rug coordinating doesn’t have to be hard to figure out, just start training your eye for what works together. Mix the scale and patterns and you’ll see what is pleasing to your eye for your own home. Here are a few ideas for color combinations that I would mix and use. I would use each of the 3 grouped together if you want to mix up your rugs with pattern and style and keep it all cohesive.

You can see all these rugs in the shopping widget links below, just click through the arrows and pics until you see the one you want to look at closer:

Don't Miss a Post, join my list!