Reset Refresh With a Splash of Color

What better time than summer to hit the refresh button on your home’s interior design? After being quarantined to our work-from-home desks and holed up inside for the winter, our lives could use a dash of inspiration.

We’re here to help you infuse your home with bright hues and inspire your senses with elements from the natural world. Whether you’ve set out to create a trendy new look for your home design or you’re tacking onto an existing home renovation project, this season, let color lead the way.

Using bold, playful colors is a simple yet powerful tactic to personalize a space. Personalizing your home is more enticing than ever, especially after we’ve spent a year indoors with trendy neutrals. There are a number of simple and easy ways to infuse color throughout your spaces via new throw pillows, furniture updates, and art installation, but perhaps one of our most lively favorites is with a new area rug.

Prismatic Area Rug by Nourison in Seafoam/Silver

Area rugs can protect your hardwood floors from scratches and have the design versatility necessary to complement any room of the home. You can use them as runners in the kitchen, welcome mats in the mudroom, or plush carpets near your nightstand if you’re looking for something soft to sink your toes into every morning.

Not only known for their versatility, area rugs come with so many incredible benefits, such as sound absorption and promoting a more peaceful environment. Their added comfort and warmth give every room a distinct decorative interest and can create a focal point within a space. 

So what colors, patterns, and area rug designs work best to brighten up your home? Sticking to a specific design theme or a monochrome palette can be hard, but, when it comes to area rugs, you don’t have to be limited to just one color. There’s an endless sea of options, ranging from different types of fibers to unique pattern compositions. This season, we are inspired by all things tranquilly natural as nostalgia sweeps in and we see a return to basics like coastal hues, organic greens, and serene palettes.

Coastal Blue

Restoration Blue Area Rug by Kaleen

Bring that sunshine indoors by pulling together ocean hues that arouse thoughts of deep blue waves and Cape Cod–inspired coastal elements, such as seashells and sailboats. Going to the beach is a favorite summer pastime, and what better way to bring the beach to you than with a soft, warm area rug?

This beautiful blue area rug in the dining room is from Kaleen’s Restoration Collection and features unique vintage distressing that gives it Old-World charm. Handknotted in India and made from 100% wool, this incredibly detailed rug showcases a navy-blue, verging on denim- colored, pattern with tiny details.

As shown, the area rug is placed underneath the table and chairs following the best practice for recommended area rug size in a dining room, allowing three feet of clearance for diners to move their chairs.

By pulling in coastal elements, such as the beach, waves, wide-open water, and white seashells, through your area rug, you can create a focal point for the room that signals a sense of calm. Continue the coastal theme by adding to the interior design with soft whites, sandy beiges, and muted grays through the furniture, wall art, window coverings, and décor.  

Gold Undertones

Prismatic Grey/Gold by Nourison 

An easy way to let in natural light is by playing off of yellow, gold, and bronze tones. You don’t have to be loud with your color—in fact, you can use a plain beige rug that has natural gold or yellow undertones. An easy way to bring out these brighter hues is by calling like to like with brass or gold hardware in your lamps, light fixtures, and statement pieces.

Or try pairing your new rug with gold-rimmed mirrors. Mirrors are perfect for small spaces because they work to create an illusion of space and catch the light to refract brilliant natural warmth across your room. 

This area rug from Nourison features a prismatic pattern in gray and gold. Mixing contemporary and eclectic décor, this hand-tufted, layered cut-pile area rug features an ultramodern abstract design. Its vivid gold color has soft beige undertones that richly shimmer against the gray backdrop to almost rival the beauty of a sunrise. Crafted from wool and silk like Luxcelle fibers, this prismatic area rug can beautifully complement an existing neutral décor scheme.

Botanical Remnants

Caledonia Eden in Magenta Haze by Couristan 

Nothing is quite as luscious as the spring greens and bright flowers that shoot up from the rich brown earth in your summer garden. Draw inspiration from florals, greenery, and plants this season by bringing in botanical elements through fun floral patterns. 

Couristan’s Caledonia Collection has the perfect area rugs to infuse your home with color and patterns. The craftsmanship and materials used to create this beautifully printed rug are inspired by tropical florals and sunsets over crystal-clear lakes. This unique collection captures luxury and style that is suitable for any room in the house, no matter how classic or contemporary.

In a haze of pinks, blues, yellows, and greens, this floral motif area rug pairs well with light hardwood floors. Various jewel-toned hues and bright colors can be pulled out through furniture and light fixtures to give the room a refreshing design.

If you’d rather stick to a cleaner palette scheme that’s still in the botanical realm, try finding an area rug in a lush, earthy forest green and draw pattern inspiration from the forest trees, plant foliage, or desert cacti.

Slate Stone 

Marblehead Calcutta in Onyx by Couristan 

Throw it back to a classic black and white—don’t be afraid to let color pop on a more neutral background. Showcase brighter décor and furniture by playing against traditional muted tones. This season, natural color palettes and textures inspired by earth elements have been particularly popular, with natural slate, concrete, and ceramic tiles making a big comeback. 

Area rugs can reflect these hard materials while softening their sharp lines. Couristan’s Marblehead Collection does a gorgeous job showcasing fashion-forward interior décor trends through its powerful design. Lending a bold aesthetic through abstract patterns inspired by marble, this area rug is designed with a powerloom and shows off mod hues of charcoal, black onyx, and ivory. 

As you can see, no matter your design direction, bringing colorful area rugs into your home can breathe new life into a space. When you opt for this season’s trending natural hues, you create warm designs inspired by the outdoor elements and your favorite summer pastimes. Whether you’ve chosen a floral-patterned rug for the living room or a timeless nautical blue area rug for the bedroom, let color shine through with personality. From beach-going to lazing under the summer sun, your area rugs should reflect nature at its finest, extending those long summer days into your home. 

Not sure what colors would look best with your existing home décor? Check out our blog on picking out the right carpet colors for your home and further explore design inspiration with our summer issue of Beautiful Design Made Simple.