When I design a room for a client, I often use a rug as a starting point. Let’s take a look at this farmhouse styled office and my design tips for rugs.

First of all, my client is moving into a new home. The home itself is not new, but new to them. This space is one of the first rooms that you see when you enter the home. It’s open to the entry and dining room and has a large window to let in lots of natural light.

My client likes farmhouse style, neutrals, and the color blue. She works from home a few days during the week and needs a space for her computer. She doesn’t have a need for much office storage, however, since this room is connected to the dining room and entry, it needs look beautiful and pulled together. Here is my solution.

This rug is my starting point, as well as my base layer. It consists of navy blue, cream and gray. From here I used these colors for selecting the other items for the room. The cream drapes with navy blue stripes, the cream upholstered bench and office chair, and the blue flowers in the artwork all tie back to the rug. The materials and finishes of the desk, bookcases and lighting give the room that farmhouse feel.



Take a look at this design board in a 3D room. This is how it will be installed in my client’s home.

DESIGN TIPS FOR RUGS

1. Rugs anchor a space and size does matter. Often people buy a rug that is too small. When purchasing one for a living room, for example, make sure all of the furniture sits on the rug, or at least the front feet of the sofa or chairs. In a dining room, the rug needs to be large enough for the chairs to slide back when someone stands up.
2. Buy the rug first! When designing a space, it’s much harder to paint the room, select the furniture, and then find a rug that will coordinate. If you buy the rug first, then you can pull your paint color from the rug and even custom match it if you want.
3. Layer with carpet – even though you may not need a rug with your carpet, it sure does add some extra color and pattern. You can go from boring to WOW with a rug. This works especially well with a low pile carpet.
4. Spacing – typically you want to have 12-18 inches of space around the rug in a room. It shouldn’t go from wall to wall.
5. By placing a rug at each entry point in your home, you’ll be able to prevent a lot of dirt getting tracked into your home. See how I layered these doormats at my front door.
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See these examples by Studio McGee, one of my favorites for inspiration!

Studio McGee

Want more inspiration? Take a look at these other design boards! I would love to design a space for you! Have a wonderful day.