Interior designers are recommending the ‘curved rug rule’ to break up harsh lines and improve flow in your room.
When you consider buying a rug, I’ll bet you think about how the colour will work with your bedroom or living room ideas, how plush it feels underfoot, and, of course, its size. But do you consider the shape of it? Or how the shape you choose will impact the overall look and feel of a room.
Interior design experts have revealed that when a room is full of boxy lines – such as windows, your coffee table or TV stand – the curved rug rule comes into play, and you should opt for a curvy or round rug to create contrast and stop a room from feeling too rigid.
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What is the curved rug rule?
Here at Ideal Home, we do love a rug rule to help bring the aesthetics of a room together, and the curved rug rule does exactly that. It’s a simple principle. If you have too many harsh lines in a room, a curved rug will help soften it.
‘Circular and curved rugs are an excellent alternative to traditional rectangular rugs. Curved rugs work particularly well in rooms with a lot of sharp edges, where they intercept sharp lines and add a softer, more relaxed feel. They also work particularly well beneath round furniture, such as coffee or dining tables, where the rug mirrors the shape of the furniture to create a unified design,’ explains Lizzie Mosley, Creative Director at Hug Rug.
‘Circular rugs can create an elegant centrepiece to a room by creating a focal point which furniture can be styled around. For a bold statement piece, look at rugs with bright, vibrant colours or expressive patterns to naturally draw the eye in.’
You can also opt for a rectangular rug that features a curvy or circular design to add some visual depth to the space. For example, John Lewis’ Pure Wool Scallop Rug (from £70), gives the illusion of a curve whilst retaining a traditional rectangular shape.
How to style a curved rug
If you think a curved rug will work with the contours of your home, the good news is that there are many easy ways to style one. If you plan to introduce a curved rug to your dining room or seating area, you need to ensure that you can fit the legs of your chairs/ furniture on the rug for a cohesive look.
‘Scale first. Get the front legs of every piece of seating onto it; otherwise, the furniture and the rug read as two separate things. Under a round table, allow roughly 60 to 70cm past the table edge so chairs stay on the rug when they’re pulled out,’ says Lisa Hensby, founder and Creative Director of Lisa Hensby Design & Build Studio.
‘Then keep the rest calm. Let the rug be the curve. One or two soft-edged shapes nearby, a round coffee table or a curved-back chair, and stop there, or the room starts to feel like it’s melting. Go plain or subtly textured rather than heavily patterned, because the shape is already doing the work.’
Shop curvy rugs
Westwing Collection
Round Hand-Woven Wool Rug Amaro – Ø 150 Cm (size M) – Terracotta, Cream White
H&M
Large Asymmetric Rug 200×3000
If you feel like your bedroom, living room or dining room looks too sharp, you may benefit from the curved rug rule. It’s a simple change, but one that will make your space look softer instantly.
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