A look at layering rugs with Nazmiyal
Layering rugs is a well-known interior design technique. Place decor, accessories, and colors on top of each other and watch your room grow in depth and personality. Layering rugs is the next big thing in interior design. Placing two or more rugs on top of each other creates beautiful textures and interesting color palettes.

Layered Vintage Scandinavian Rugs
A fantastic vintage Kilim rug and antique Bakshaish rug were layered on top of each other for that extra wow-factor. Juxtaposing the colorful kilim styles with Bakshaish designs create a playful and beautiful eye-catching design.

An alluring Antique Persian Bakshaish Carpet with a youthful personality. It pairs beautifully with other colorful rugs. (SOLD)
Layering Rugs: Dear Interior Design Trend, We’re mad about you.
Layering rugs on top of other rugs is the ultimate trend to have fun with in 2017. In fact, its been in vogue for a while now, making this our second feature on the eccentric look!
There are multiple reasons why we love this look. For one, if you have a small rug that you love but it’s too tiny for the large interior you would like to use it in, you can simply layer it with a large rug, or multiple smaller sized rugs! Mix and match Antique rugs from around the world, or go on a Kilim rampage and cover the floor in a collage of tribals.
Layering rugs is also a great way to protect wall to wall carpeting, which can be a pain to replace. In addition, you can use layering rugs to delineate a certain space such as a sitting area from a walking area. In conclusion, layering rugs opens the door to infinite decor options, expanding your possibilities to a broader more playful spectrum.

Layered Persian Rugs Over Sisal
Antique rugs of all kinds from Indian to Persian to Turkish and beyond always look great on top of modern sisal rugs…

Overlapping Rugs Interior Design
Multiple rugs of unique sizes to fit unique spaces…

Layering Rugs Living Room Interior Design
Rugs on Rugs on Rugs: Layering Antique Persians is always a good idea…
Let us show you how its done…
Take a look at how beautifully these three antique Persian rugs go with the large, beautiful blue vintage Moroccan rug below them! However different the looks and origins of these rugs may be, they work together to create a very interesting work of art for the floor. They are a total conversation starter beneath your feet…

Layering Rugs

Layering Antique and Vintage Rugs
How To Layer Rugs On Top Of Other Rugs – The Interior Design Trend Continues!
How To Layer Rugs On Top Of Rugs — Sometimes trends seem to exist for the sole purpose of making leading a stylish life more difficult: for example, an ultra-modern, all-white-everything interior looks incredibly chic — as long as you’re willing to forego the use of your rooms in favor of keeping them immaculate.
But sometimes, trends and pragmatism align to give us modern decorating ideas that are as useful as they are attractive. Case in point: this years’ leading flooring trend, layered carpets.

Rug Layering, photo via HGTV
Designers across the web are singing the praises of this trend, not only because it gives rooms a uniquely styled look, but also because it solves a myriad of design dilemmas. Did you fall in love with a rug that’s too small for your space? Layer it on top of a complementary-colored carpet, and you’ve got a dynamic look that makes your beloved piece the center of attention.
Need to carpet an awkwardly shaped room, but hate the look of wall-to-wall? Layer several small area rugs in the room to fill up the floor space. Wishy-washy when it comes to making design decisions? Layered rugs are incredibly customizable — if you get bored of one rug, just swap it out for another, and your space is brand new! Below, we’ve assembled some inspiration for layering rugs from the Nazmiyal Antique Rug Collection‘s vast inventory of vintage and antique rugs. We hope these collages inspire you to get creative with your carpets!
Layering Rugs On Top Of Rugs Idea #1:
Layer a pictorial rug on top of an allover rug in a similar color palette to achieve a framed look that highlights your rug as a work of art! In this collage, we layered our vintage Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe rug on top of our Antique American Ingrain rug by John Kachel #2629.

Layering Rugs – A Decorating Trend
Layering Vintage Moroccan Rugs On Top Of Rugs Idea #2:
Layer similar rugs in a minimalist color palette to create one large, totally unique rug. In this collage, we used vintage Moroccan rugs #47934, #46507, and #46011.

Layered Moroccan Rugs
Layering Vintage Swedish Rya Rugs On Top Of Rugs Idea #3:
Overlap several round rugs on top of each other to create a dynamic focal point for your room. In this collage, we layered (clockwise from top left) Vintage Round Swedish Rya Rug 48193, Vintage Swedish Deco Rug By Verner Panton 46612, Vintage Scandinavian Swedish Deco Rug 46613, and in the center, Vintage Swedish Deco Rug 46607.

Layering Vintage Swedish Rya Rugs
Layering Rugs On Top Of Rugs Idea #4:
Mix rugs from different time periods and origins to achieve an eclectic, well-traveled look for your home. In this collage, we layered Vintage Moroccan Rug #46045 on top of Vintage Native American Navajo Kilim Rug #48145, on top of a Mid Century Israeli Rug by Yaacov Agam #46485.

Layering Area Rugs Decorating Trends
Layering A Rug on Carpet Interior Design Guide
If you are decorating a room with a rug, you are likely placing it over a hardwood floor. In some cases, you may be using a rug with another hard floor type such as tile or even a patio. However, most people would never dream of using a rug over carpet. It seems to fly in the face of rug use conventions. Despite this, layering rugs with other rugs or carpets is growing increasingly popular.
Why Decorate With A Rug On A Carpet?
Most wall to wall carpeting is fairly boring. In large rooms, a sea of bland carpet color can leave the room looking far from beautiful. However, adding an handwoven rug can help you to add a new element of visual interest to the room. These are a few reasons you may want to layer a rug:
- Divide a Room: Area rugs are frequently used to divide rooms and create distinct areas. This is as true for layering over a carpet as it is for a hardwood floor. Simply place the rug in a section you want to designate as a seating area, for example.
- Enhance the Color Scheme: Is your carpet a little bland? Many carpets, especially in rental spaces, are dull colors such as beige or gray. A rug could help make that carpeted room much more colorful. It also gives you a chance to accentuate other colors in your room such as some tones from your artwork.
- Create Visual Order: Part of great interior design is creating a sense of order, so the eye knows where to look. You can use a rug as a focal point to center the room. Alternatively, use a large rug over your carpet. This will create a border around the outside of the room, adding a strong sense of geometry.
- Design Unique Styles: Layering rugs over carpet can help you make some interesting styles that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. This is especially true for using two rugs but is also doable with carpet. There is a little more about mixing patterns below. However, the short version is that you can get experimental with this design technique.

Layering a rug on carpet can make the room look great.
In short, adding a rug to a carpeted room is a lot like adding a rug to a hardwood room. The rug continues to serve the same purpose of adding order, comfort and design. The only major difference is that you need to remember the carpet in your design planning.
Considerations for Layering a Rug Over Carpet
As you may expect, layering a rug over carpet is not as simple as just putting it on the floor. The following considerations should guide your selection and placement choices.
Getting The Correct Sizing Of The Area Rug On Top Of The Carpet
Getting any room right depends on having the right rug size. This is perhaps truer when placed over a carpet. If you are using an area rug, make sure that it is large enough to reach the furniture around the area. If it is just floating in the middle of the space, it will look awkward and out of place. Conversely, make sure that it doesn’t stretch beyond the area. This will also make it look like it was poorly chosen.
If the rug is covering a larger portion of the room, try sizing it by measuring the carpet and subtracting two or three feet from each dimension. This will leave an attractive border around the outside.

Consider the size of the rug you layer to make the room look put together.
Getting The Right Textured Rug For The Right Carpet
If you want a carpet or large rug to work with another rug, the textures need to complement each other. Typically, this technique works best if the bottom layer has short piles or loops. A flat-woven bottom layer can work too. Add a thicker rug to the top to create an interesting texture contrast. Alternatively, you can match the textures more closely but use the color and design to create contrast. The trick here is to avoid having too much going on visually. If everything has a thick texture, bold pattern and bright colors, it will look like a mess.

Rug on Carpet Layering
Consider The Color Palette The Carpet and Of The Area Rug
Speaking of color, the design textures need to complement each other also. The safer version of this technique involves layering bright colors over subtle colors or vice versa. Similarly, patterns should not be meshed according to conventional wisdom. However, some people have been experimenting with combining bold rug colors and patterns.
Don’t be deceived, this is very hard to get right. However, when done properly, it can look incredible and unique.

Area Rug on Carpet Living Room Decor
Find Your Rug for Layering Over Carpet
At Nazmiyal, we have a wide selection of antique, vintage and modern rugs to choose from. Whether you want an area rug for your hardwood or a rug for layering over your carpet, we have a piece that can work for you. Our collection includes accessible rugs you can use for floor covering and investment rugs. If you need help, you can connect with our experts for guidance and advice. Explore the collection today and find the perfect rug for your needs.
Some great modern, vintage, and antique options for those looking to decorate with a rug over carpet:
This Antique Carpet Blog about Layering Rugs On Top Of Rugs was published by Nazmiyal Antique Rug Gallery in NYC