Today we are chatting about one of the most transformative elements in any room: the rug. It’s truly the foundation of a space, and I’ve learned from experience that getting it right can make all the difference.
I’m actually so tickled to write this because OH MY GOODNESS HAVE I STRUGGLED WITH RUGS. I hate shopping in person so I buy 100% of our rugs online (which is sometimes impossible to get right!)
It can be tricky to get a feel for a rug’s texture, color, and size without seeing it in person. But through trial and error, I’ve discovered some strategies that have led to success.
So, I’m excited to share a peek at the rugs in our own home, what I’ve learned from each one, and some practical tips I hope will help you choose the perfect rug for your space with confidence.
Rugs In Our Home
I get so many questions about our rugs when I share them online, so I have rounded up all of the ones that are still available and provided details about what I love for each.
There are a few rugs in our house that aren’t included– specifically the vintage one from our oldest son’s room. I’d search for Turkish rugs on Etsy if you are looking for something that style.
Ok, let’s get to it! Starting with everyone’s favorite: the scallop rug!!
*The* Scallop Rug
The green & blue scallop rug is, without a doubt, the most popular rug in our house. When I say you all love this rug, I mean it! If I post a photo with even the smallest part of it showing, I’m guaranteed to get questions.
I first bought the scallop rug as a runner and put it in our entryway. It was immediately my favorite piece in the whole house! The scallops, the yellow, the green—I just love everything about it.
I thought about getting a larger version for our living room but it’s not the softest rug to sit on. We spend a lot of time in the living room playing games on the floor, so it wasn’t ideal for the space. Plus, the texture makes it difficult to keep a game board flat!
I did end up getting a larger size for the chairs in our entryway. Since we don’t spend a lot of time on the floor in that space, I wasn’t worried about the texture.
Scallop RugLooking for a more affordable option? While the Anthropologie rug is beautiful, I’ve also heard from many readers that there’s a great, more affordable version on Amazon. While I haven’t seen it in person, I’ve received enough positive messages to recommend it!
Rifle Paper Co X Loloi Eden Rug
This rug! It’s an absolute winner. It comes in two color options—we have the green one, and the pink rug is just as beautiful.
I like to think of the green as a neutral because it adds a subtle pop of color without overpowering the room. It’s a soft, almost minty color.
We made it even better by adding a plush rug pad from Amazon underneath. I’d recommend doing that for any room where you plan to sit a lot of time sitting on the floor.
Not only is this rug incredibly pretty and soft, but it’s also surprisingly affordable. I honestly can’t believe the pricing!
The largest size (9×12) is typically less than $400, which you’ll know is an incredible value if you’ve ever shopped for a rug of that size.
Rifle Paper RugTiger Rug
The tiger rug is a new addition to our house, and it has brought so much joy! It’s extremely soft and very colorful, though I do want to point out it’s a bit brighter (somewhat neon-y!) than some of our other rugs. At first, I was a little worried it was too bright, but it has grown on me.
I have a runner in the tiger pattern in the entryway– this is where the scallop runner used to be. I moved the scallop runner to the kitchen and placed a larger scallop rug next to the tiger runner.
Phew, that’s a lot. Did I lose you?
Using two rugs in the entryway helped me define the space: the tiger runner runs alongside a small bench for shoes, and the larger scallop rug defines a separate seating area.
And for an extra dose of fun, there’s a matching lampshade!
Tiger RugEdelweiss Floral Rug
We recently decided to retire our well-loved Rifle Paper rug in the living room. It had seen better days, and I wanted to switch a few things up.
My goal was to find a rug that was very soft and brought a lot of color into the space, keeping in mind that we spend a ton of time on the floor in this room with our kids.
I was so excited to find this floral rug from Anthropologie’s collaboration with MINDTHEGAP. It’s absolutely gorgeous in person!!!
The main color is a lovely light green, and there are so many other colors woven in. I love that there are bits of yellow and blue in there– and the pink border! And yes, it’s super soft! A total win.
FLORAL RugRainbow Stripe Rug
I first saw this rug on Pottery Barn Kids, but ended up buying it from an Etsy vendor a few years ago. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be available from either source anymore!
There’s a very similar design on Etsy, but I can’t speak to the quality or if it’s a good alternative. May be worth trying if you are in the market for a rainbow rug, though!
RAINBOW STRIPE RugGreen Plaid Rug (It’s Washable!)
I absolutely love our Ruggable in our youngest son’s room. Not only are the colors great, but it’s washable!
I’m sad to see that the exact rug is no longer available, but they have so many great options. The colors are always great, and they truly live up to the claim of being washable.
I’ve washed all the way up to an 8×10 size at home, but if yours is any larger you may need to take it to a laundry mat with larger machines.
They have several options available for the pile height. We went with the basic version and the rug is pretty thin (but very soft!) It may be worth the upgrade to a larger pile height if you plan to spend a lot of time sitting on it.
Other Ruggable Rugs I Like
Though our green plaid rug isn’t available, I really like Ruggable as a source for rugs. I haven’t seen these rugs in person but I feel pretty confident in recommending the ones below. I think the colors would be very true to what’s shown online and the rugs are always great quality.
Plus, for the rest of September, RUGGABLE IS 25% OFF!!!!!
If I were buying one today I think I’d go with that blue stripe rug. It’s from their collaboration with Goop.
Pink Floral Rug
I’m not sure I’ve ever talked about this rug before, but it’s another great find! I first spotted it at Anthropologie but decided to try my luck with an Amazon version instead.
It’s fantastic! It’s less… bold?.. than it looks in the photo. The colors are softer in person. I love it so much!
I actually used our home color palette to choose this rug. There were several I liked, but when I compared them all to the palette, this was the only one that truly worked. I think this was the moment I first gained the confidence to let our colors guide all my design decisions.
Rugs that didn’t work for me…
For every rug decision that I have gotten right, there is one where I totally missed. Below you’ll find three examples– all of which I was trying to buy for the same space!!!
Rifle Paper Co. x Loloi Rug Provence
I absolutely loved this rug online, but it was a huge disappointment in person. The rug is incredibly thin, and the colors were so light from the side.
While you can see the pattern when standing directly over it, from an angle, it is just a lot of bright white. Not the look I was going for at all!
Crate & Barrel Sisal Rug
At one point, I decided to go “neutral” with my rugs. I thought it would make decorating easier if the rug simply added a nice touch of texture without any color.
A sisal rug seemed like a safe decision, but when it arrived, the rug was so light against our floors that it looked unnatural and stood out too much. It was the exact opposite of what I was trying to achieve.
Perhaps a different color would have worked– I went with Linen. In retrospect, almond seems like a much better option!
Scallop Rug In ‘Green’
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my latest scallop rug purchase was a flop!
I absolutely love the first one I bought in the beautiful light blue colorway. It’s perfect. So, I thought I’d try a different color for a larger area in my home and went with the green version.
Unfortunately, it just didn’t work in the space at all! Online, the green and mustard rug looked really nice and I thought it would be PERFECT. When it arrived, though, the yellow was very BROWN! And the gray border was also very thick and stood out so much.
I was tempted to try and make it work to avoid another rug fail, but my gut told me it wasn’t right. I’m so glad I listened! I only wish that I had taken a photo of it before I wrapped it back up to return!
The Anthropologie return process was actually very easy—just $5.95 for a UPS label. We dropped it off without any issues. Whoops!
custom rugs from Ernesta
Though I haven’t actually purchased a rug from Ernesta, I love the concept! Their custom-made rugs offer a great variety of options, and you can get them in any size you need.
I ordered several samples earlier this year when looking for an entryway rug and loved that I had a real version to use in our house before making a big purchase. They’re pricey but have sales often.
Practical Tips for Choosing a Rug
Before I wrap up, I want to share some of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way. These are the practical tips I wish I knew when I first started my online rug-buying journey!
Before you buy a rug…
The first step? Think about your rug’s job in the space. Is it the star of the show, a colorful piece that draws the eye, or are you looking for a quiet backdrop that complements the existing decor?
I’ll share a few examples!
Morris & Co X Ruggable
This rug has main character energy! It is SO COLORFUL. There’s a lot of green and it definitely wouldn’t sit quietly in a space. I’d style it with lots of neutrals & natural materials to balance it out.
Rifle Paper Rug
This rug does a great job of adding a bit of color and softness to a room without taking over. It’s pretty neutral despite the color, so you can add more color to the room without it feeling like too much.
Consider The Material
Before you commit to a rug, take a moment to consider its future home and how that room is actually used. It’s easy to fall for a look online, only to regret the material once you feel it in person. To avoid that disappointment, ask yourself:
- Is this a high-traffic area like a hallway or living room?
- Will kids or pets spend a lot of time on it?
- Will people be sitting on it often?
If you have a busy household with kids, pets, or high foot traffic, you need a rug that can handle a lot. A durable, easy-to-clean material is your best bet. For this kind of wear, I highly recommend a washable rug like those from Ruggable. They are fantastic for practicality!
If you’re looking for something soft, luxurious, and cozy—say, for a bedroom or living room—you can prioritize comfort over extreme durability. Seek out a soft wool or high-pile rug. The Rifle Paper Cloud Pile rug is a great example of a comfortable, plush choice.
I have to keep this on my checklist when shopping for rugs because it’s so easy to overlook the material when shopping online– but once you are seeing and feeling the rug in person you’ll realize the importance of it!
Getting The Color & Pattern Right
The color and pattern of your rug are where you get to have fun! This piece can introduce a bold statement or quietly tie all of your existing elements together.
However, choosing the right color requires seeing the whole picture. I like to “see” a space before committing to anything, which is why I create Canva mood boards for every room.
I always pull together my paint colors, lamps, and other key items, then swap out rugs to get a clear idea of how they work with the existing palette.
For example, when choosing a rug for my bedroom, I considered two options alongside my chosen color palette.
I really liked Option 1 until I saw it on the board alongside the colors—it had much more purple and pink than I had realized! I went with Option 2 instead and am so glad I did a quick visual check before committing to the wrong rug.
Pattern vs. Solid
- A patterned rug is a fantastic way to introduce color and visual interest. As a bonus, patterns are also great for hiding spills and everyday dirt.
- If your furniture and walls are already busy with pattern, a solid or subtly textured rug can create a calming, cohesive feel, allowing your other elements to shine.
Check & Double Check The Rug Size
Choosing the wrong size rug is such a common mistake but it’s something you can easily figure out beforehand if you keep it in mind.
My advice? Draw out your space. Check and double check the size you are thinking about before ordering. I have found a larger one than I initially planned on is what ultimately works best.
Keep in mind that a rug should ground your space, not float in the middle of the room like a tiny island. I think the bigger the better.
In a living room, make sure the front two legs of your sofa and chairs are on the rug. In a dining room, the rug should be large enough so that all the chair legs stay on the rug when pulled out.
Don’t Forget A Rug Pad
Last thing!! Having a 1/4″ rug pad under our living room rug has made a huge difference. I can’t even remember why we first bought it, but now I can’t do without it!
A thicker rug pad adds a subtle layer of cushioning that makes the floor so much more comfortable. This is especially great for rooms like the living room, where we spend a lot of time sitting on the floor.
