Decor

Layered Up

Gorgeous layered rugs in my friend Elise’s mountain home (full tour here)

You know the layered-rug trend that’s been all over Pinterest these past two years or so? I always liked the way it looked, but never really thought of doing it myself, because rugs (or at least the ones I usually like) tend to be expensive, and if I’m buying a fancy rug I’d like to see…well, all of it. But lately, my fancy rug is having a rough go of it. Since our schedule switch-up I’ve been spending every afternoon chasing after both kids, and by the time dinner rolls around I am ZONKED, and – confession time – usually just plonk them down in front of the TV to eat.

I know, I know, TV during dinner = bad, but it also gives all of us a much-needed break. I grew up with two parents who worked full-time in office jobs, so dinnertime was usually our first chance to actually see each other; had we all zoned out in front of the TV while we ate we would have cut down the time available to actually interact with each other by half. But I interact with my children a lot these days. And I also really, really love watching TV while I eat dinner, and I am the boss, and so TV during dinner it is.

how to layer rugs in your living room or bedroom

Anyway, this post isn’t about my anxiety over my horrible Mom Fail when it comes to nightly sit-down dinners. It’s about rugs. It turns out that all this eating-at-the-coffee-table is not especially healthy for my rug – not really because food gets on it; it just seems to be getting really worn out and faded in the area right behind the coffee table, where the kids sit. And this rug ages fairly well – the color scheme makes it look nice as it fades, but still.

I decided to go on a hunt for an inexpensive, sturdy rug to layer on top of my expensive, delicate area rug. I was looking for a rug that’d be hardy enough to withstand my children, and also easy to wash (meaning one that wouldn’t require the services of a professional rug cleaning service, because hooooly those are expensive). The problem: I’m really, really picky about rugs, and especially rugs in the central room in my house; I wasn’t about to throw any old thing over my beloved Lulu & Georgia. And then I stopped into World Market because I needed a pretty wire basket to hold a prize package I’m putting together for my son’s school charity auction (did you know they have great wrapping/packaging supplies? They do), and there it was:

boho layered rugs in the living room

Bottom Rug | Top Rug

My layering rug.

Here’s what it looks like in the space:

boho layered rugs in the living room

boho layered rugs in the living room

World Market – and this is not sponsored – has really good rugs, you guys. They’re not insanely high-quality, but they’re definitely solid, and you seriously cannot beat the styles or the prices. AND they’re having a sale right now, where rugs are up to 50% off (my 5′ x 8′ rug was only $119, which is crazy), plus free shipping for orders over $150 with code SHIPFREE at checkout.

Below, a bunch of styles that I think you should consider – especially if you’re a coffee-table-eater (or live with some) yourself.

Layer up.

1/9

Beige Adilah Rug

A Moroccan-style rug that isn’t *that* Moroccan-style rug (you know the one I mean).

2/9

Kilim Nagar Indoor/Outdoor Rug

This rug is made from recycled plastic bottles. (Which isn’t as odd as it may seem; I have an outdoor rug made from the same material, and it’s softer and more pliable than you’d think.) And if that’s not cool enough, it’s easy to clean and perfect for high-traffic areas.

3/9

Zahra Caravan Rug

This is very similar to the rug that’s in my daughter’s room, and I love it: it’s a beautiful, sage-y shade of green that somehow feels like a neutral.

Note: It is lightweight, so you’ll definitely want a rug pad underneath to keep it from sliding around.

4/9

Cotton Suri Rug

This rug somehow blends Southwestern and modernist styles, and comes out looking so of-the-moment.

5/9

Orange Bailey Rug

Is it just me, or does this rug look like the kind of thing you’d find in the master suite of a very fancy hotel room? (…That’s a good thing.)

6/9

Natural Flokati Wool Rug

A simple, neutral Norwegian wool with deep pile; this rug works for everyone (who doesn’t have dogs).

7/9

Chindi Reversible Bahari Rug

This rug reminds me of the maroon Oriental rug in my office, except it’s one-zillionth of the price (I didn’t buy my rug; it’s a hand-me-down from my parents for which I am eternally grateful). Luxe and cozy, this is a great pick for a smaller room like an office or den.

8/9

Ivory Moroccan Wedding Blanket-Style Rug

I love the imperfect, rustic simplicity of wedding blanket-style rugs. This one is woven through with tiny metallic disks, which isn’t exactly my style – but so pretty in the right space.

9/9

Faux Cowhide Rug in Ivory

When I was in the store I saw these and went over to feel one, and they don’t have exactly the same texture as a genuine cowhide…but it’s also not, you know, a genuine cowhide. Which means you don’t have to feel guilty every time you step on it. (And it’s also way easier to clean; just Scotchgard the shit out of it the moment it lands in your house.)

powered by chloédigital