Tips for Matching Rugs to Art
A beautifully designed room is a wonderful thing. Even if you are working on a budget, as long as you can bring together the furniture, walls, floor and artwork in a space, it can look stunning. One of the challenges people face, when decorating their homes, is how to properly match a rug with other artworks in the room.
Here are a few tips and strategies for how to match rugs to art that can help you create a cohesive and attractive space:
1) Match Rugs to Art by Highlighting a Secondary Color in a Central Piece of Art
Take a look at some of the art that you already have in your room. Perhaps you have paintings or photographs on the wall. You may have decorative furniture or a beautiful vase. These other elements will likely have some sort of theme as far as their colors. If you feel that the existing primary colors of the pieces in the room would be overly bold, look for secondary colors that are either shared by several pieces or in a central piece of art. Use this secondary color as the major color of your rug.
Try taking some photographs of the room and art before you go shopping for rugs. Just remember that things like the room’s lighting and the quality of your camera may make matching colors challenging. Color matching with softer colors is typically easier than with bold colors. Additionally, if possible, it is always good to try the rug in the space soon after purchasing it.
Match rugs to a color in your art for a polished look.
2) Match the Rug Design to the Art Style
Another approach to matching a rug and artwork is to consider the style of the art. If you have a cohesive stylistic theme throughout the room, you can likely match the pattern of the rug to the style. For example, if you have a lot of art deco in the space, consider a Persian rug with a geometric rug pattern. Alternatively, you may want to find a design that boasts very soft color tones and edges for a room with impressionist art pieces.
More contemporary art and design tend to favor minimalism and order. Try a softer rug with less detail for this type of art. With an older style, especially with lots of dark, wooden tones, you may consider a more antique Oriental rug, which can add a level of sophistication to any space.
Match the shapes in your rug and your art for a put-together look.
3) Choose a Rug That Stands on its Own
Alternatively, you can look for a rug that can feature as a piece of art on its own. Many high-end rugs are uniquely designed and are works of art in their own right. However, you don’t necessarily need a high-end rare rug for it to work in the space. The basic concept here is to mix and match so that the different pieces of art complement each other.
Many rugs go beyond basic patterns and shapes and are more comparable to a painting than to other floor coverings. For example, if you have a collection of different photographs, an intricate fine rug with some softer colors can look great. It will not match the coloring or the design of the photographs, but they work together as a whole composition.
Choose a rug that stands on its own and keep the rest of the art neutral.
4) Highlight the Rug in the Space
In a similar vein, you can highlight the rug as a central work of art. Some intricate pieces can be effective conversation pieces. If you find a rug that is truly remarkable, you may want to make it the central art piece in the room. Instead of trying to blend the rug in with the artwork, start with the rug. Use it as a central visual piece in the room and select wall art that highlights the rug.
For some very high-end rugs, owners hang the rug as art rather than using them as a floor covering. Of course, you don’t need to have a display-quality rug to make it a key theme of your room’s décor.
Make your rug the focal point of a space by hanging it on the wall.
5) Avoid Visual Competition Between The Rug and Art
The most important tip to keep in mind is that you want to avoid competition between the different elements of your room. Other art should balance with the design of your rug.
If you have very bold paintings on the wall plus an intricate rug, it will likely clash. This issue can make the mix-and-match style challenging. It is most difficult when the other art pieces all match each other but not the rug, making it appear as the odd one out.
If using a bold color or pattern in your rug, make sure not to use too much or too bold art in order to maintain balance.
Find Beautiful Rugs for Any Décor
Finding the right rug for your decor is easier when you have a large collection to choose from and expert help with your decision. At Nazmiyal, we have a broad collection of antique, vintage and modern rugs. Our selection of high-end rugs is perfect for you to find the right style for your décor. We encourage you to explore our catalog online, visit our showroom or connect with our experts. Our experienced team members can help you identify rugs that would beautifully complement your room. Start designing today.
Here are some beautiful antique and vintage rugs to inspire you to match to your art:
Antique Turkish Oushak Rug
Gorgeous Antique Dragon Chinese Rug
Here are some beautiful modern rugs to inspire you to match to your art:
Modern Expressionist Collection Rug
Modern Boho Chic Rug
Explore some rugs from the Nazmiyal Collection that are perfect to hang on the wall as art:
Antique 17th Century Transylvanian Rug
Antique Silk Uzbek Suzani Embroidery Textile
Antique 17th Century Transylvanian Prayer Rug
This interior design blog about how to match rugs to art was published by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs.
