Adding an area rug to your home interiors can be a great way to inject a dash of style, colour, and warmth into a space. But can you put a rug on carpet?
The key to layering rugs over wall-to-wall carpet is to experiment with colours and patterns over a neutral base, vary textures, or create visual dividers for seating areas and other focal points. Others opt to layer rugs over their carpet for more practical reasons, including protecting it from wear and tear (a blessing in disguise for renters and homeowners with pets and kids).
Another advantage of using area rugs on carpets is that you can experiment and keep up with trends without investing in a new carpet, which is more expensive and requires more effort. Check out some of our area rug options and find one you like!
Introducing a colourful area rug to your living space is a great way to experiment with colour and help to unify the colour scheme within a room, especially when you have walls, furnishings or other accents that match the colour of your new rug. Or perhaps you want your rug to make a bold statement, using a neutral-toned carpet as the contrasting backdrop for a splash of fun, bright colour to liven up a muted colour scheme. Our vibrant Ella Claire Exclusive Indian Rug pops off the page in this scene, offsetting the neutral tones of the carpet vividly to create an eye-catching piece of décor.
You may also be laying down an area rug because you don't like the colour of the wall-to-wall carpet in your rented apartment or residence and want to add your personal touch without altering the original décor. Whatever your reason for layering a rug on top of the carpet, a pop of colour is sure to make a high impact.
Layering patterned rugs over carpet is a great way to add visual interest to a space, especially one devoid of pattern and print. As a rule of aesthetics, it's generally best to avoid using a patterned rug over a patterned carpet, so your scene doesn’t look too busy or visually overstimulating. However, if you have a plain one-colour carpet, placing an area rug over the carpet can be a great way of introducing some pattern and movement, especially if the carpet is neutral.
Introducing some trendy geometric pattern or traditional print to your carpet can add sophisticated style and luxury eclecticism to a modern-looking space. Take our Fine Pakistan Bokhara Rug Design and how it transports you to a different time and place with its unique and exotic handknotted print.
Layering textured rugs on top of carpets adds an exquisite sense of softness, warmth and luxuriousness to a space. Area shaggy rugs generally work best over low-pile carpets as they add variation in texture. However, we don’t recommend adding an area rug to a high-pile carpet as the rug will not have a firm grip or support, causing the rug to shift and wrinkle. In such cases, we recommend styling a thick, plush carpet with a woven or low-pile rug to complement the two textures.
This Lippa Handmade Woollen Shaggy Rug looks warm and inviting within the scene, beckoning you to sink your feet into the silky fibres.
Incorporating area rugs into your décor is another stylish way to create visual dividers. Whether a seating area in the living room or a study area in the bedroom, area rugs can serve as visible room dividers without using a traditional partition. Our Lippa Polypropylene Shaggy Rug effectively grounds the sofa seating area, instantly separating the defined area from the rest of the living room and creating a focal point.
Lastly, rugs can be layered over carpeting in high-traffic areas, including entryways and hallways, to reduce carpet sprouting and other wear and tear. It is also easy to conceal carpet damage with rugs, such as small holes or stains that are difficult to clean. For example, take our Optimist Woven Rug, which sits in the kitchen and protects the carpet from spills and wear and tear.
If you choose to put an area rug on your carpet, we recommend you use our Foxi Anti-Creep Underlay to keep your rug from creeping underneath and causing creasing.
