Art + Rugs: 8 Great Combos
When it comes to great interior design, the right art on the walls and a paired rug on the floor are simple ways to help you get the look you want. Here, a few great pairs to infuse texture and color into your space.
Written by Megan Morgan
Adorning your floors and walls with texture and color is one of the easiest and most fun ways to update the look and feel of your home. Whether you’re working with a small or big budget, learning how to coordinate a rug with your wall décor is key to helping the eye as well as the body navigate and appreciate each room setting.
A few simple questions and 4 theme examples will get you looking like you hired a pro in no time.
Questions to consider:
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What are your style and color preference(s)?
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What do you already own? Take a look around.
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Is there already a theme present, or are you looking for one?
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Are you working from scratch, a partially finished room or do you need to de-clutter a few things first?
Once you’ve answered those basic questions, then you’re ready to learn more about how to implement things with 8 examples of 4 no-fail schemes.
Neutral and Natural
If your style and color preferences lean more towards neutral colors and softer tones, you can still inject some oomph with a plush rug to sink your toes into or artwork with fine details like intricate lines and detail that isn’t overwhelming for the senses. Maps, high quality detailed photographs and simply woven (but well made) mats are all good choices to put together. Wood frames and natural rug fibers help to “ground” your space while still providing subtle feel-good neutral vibes.
Black and White
The great part about this color combination is that it can be as dramatic or as subdued as you like. The key is balance. If there’s too much of either color, it will just drown out your efforts to have them play well together. It’s harder to overdo white than black, though. And since black is such a statement maker, it really can anchor the floor with a rug.
If you fall for a dark art piece though, choose it confidently and let it take the spotlight of the room – and light it well. Otherwise, several smaller pieces grouped together or lining a wall look great, too. Keep in mind pets and small children and how such foot traffic (and fur!) might impact this combination.
Bold and Bright
Balance, balance, balance. If you love color, go for it, but pick the statement piece for the wall or the floor, not both. Small rugs in bold tones and large art pieces with coordinated color bursts work well. Alternately, choose a statement rug that’s large and has a strong color or pattern. But then choose art that matches just some of the tones and colors--not all of them and certainly not with the same degree of intensity.
It will be too hard for the eye (and you) to rest if there’s too much happening on the floor and the wall at the same time. If you do a design dare and really do want to go bold and bright in your choice of rug and art, you’ll need to pare down the tones of furniture and other accessories quite a bit. Incorporating neutralizing colors like grey and dark cream can help balance otherwise bold color combinations in your palette.
Cool and Crisp
Not just for beach houses, this soothing color scheme can be modern and minimal, too. Just pay attention to shapes. For example, let’s look at the patterns here: round shapes in both the art image and the rug. Insert a square frame, rectangular rug or any other oppositional shape to help provide the balancing aspect the combination needs.
Think about how lines work. If you’re working with a grid, triangles or other shapes that become overwhelming on the wall and the floor, look to match one of the color tones in the busier pattern, and then change up the shape to soothe the eyes and increase the cohesion of wall and floor focal points.
Honing in on texture and color are two easy and fun ways to bring an updated look to your space. Use one or the other to see what you already own in a new light and complete a refreshed look you’ll love.
