view from my heels: Designer Trick: Layered Rugs

i posted on instagram today about a favorite designer trick - layering rugs. as i mentioned on instagram, there are so many benefits to layering. 1. it brings in depth and texture. 2. so often standard rug sizes don't fit in a room but by layering you can still use a rug you love. 3. sometimes that rug you have your heart set on breaks the bank am i right? with layering you might be able to get away with using a rug that's on the pricey side because you can buy a smaller size.

case in point, my family room. this space just doesn't work with a regular 9x12 which is what we used to have that i was trying to make work. in reality it was just too narrow. but even if that size did work, the rugs i love in that size are bank breakers. so i invested in a great base rug that was 10x14 and i had it cut down to the odd size i needed - 10x12. the base rug has a woven diamond pattern in beige and off white. i love it but when we laid it down, it felt like this vast expanse of white and beige.

i wanted to break it up and realized that a rug i've been lusting after for about forever would be the perfect way to break it up. in this smaller size the rug is affordable (and it also helped that i found it on mega sale - find it HERE!). now truthfully, this one is a little small compared to the bottom layer. a rule of thumb is 12-18" of the bottom layer should show depending on furniture placement. ideally on my 10x12 base i'd layer a 7x9 on top but 7x9 doesn't exist without going custom. the goal is to see enough of the bottom rug but not have the top rug so small that it looks like a postage stamp. there are of course caveats to this guideline but it's still a good one to keep in mind.

let's take a look at a few other examples and then i'll give you some good options for base layers and top layers.