Things Are Looking Up for Artistic Floors
Why should walls get all the glory? Pleasing rug patterns and dramatic inlay details make for eye-catching statements underfoot
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
Use pattern and color to spice up your floors, and you will never look back. From tile and wood to area rugs galore, there are a host of choices for spicing up the floor. Don't settle for boring surfaces underfoot. Get inspired to make a statement on your floor from Houzzers who glorify the ground they walk on.
| Just because you will be traipsing across your kitchen floor hour after hour, day after day, year after year, does not mean it cannot have a beautiful pattern that makes your heart swoon every morning. If my kitchen floors were this gorgeous, I would never want to leave. |
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| Go wild with tile and wood planking for a true piece of art in your home. Channel the floor-laying geniuses of the 18th century with traditional inlays or come up with a new pattern yourself. Create a design that will stand the test of time and be adored for generations. |
The easiest way to add art to your floor is in the form of an area rug. This simple, graphic rug in soft tones is a perfect complement for this space. The modern edge freshens up the space without looking incongruous with the more traditional furniture choices.
Tip: Choose the right size rug for your space. Dining room chairs shouldn't feel dwarfed by the rug and should never fall over the lip wihen diners scoot them backward.
Tip: Choose the right size rug for your space. Dining room chairs shouldn't feel dwarfed by the rug and should never fall over the lip wihen diners scoot them backward.
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| Make a bold statement with a rug inspired by the forest floor. This must feel incredible under bare feet. |
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| If you don't want to be so literal, try a more subtle pattern in shades of green and ivory. Can't you just picture a birch forest in spring? |
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by Nicole Lanteri
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| Go graphic with a black and white, plant-inspired rug for a jolt of energy in a staid room. Tip: Use rugs to ground a room and separate a space from the rest of an open floor plan. |
Don't be afraid to mix and match. A patterned rug and stair runner work in tandem in this entryway.
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| If you tend to be afraid of color, an area rug might be the best way to start. Try using two different yet complementary patterns in adjoining rooms. The use of white against a darker color in both of these rugs allows these two rooms to feel coordinated. |
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| Orange and white pair again in this beautifully patterned area rug. Notice how well the orange plays off the more neutral blues, whites and browns in this room. If you ever get tired of it, simply change out the area rug for a new look. |
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Perhaps you don't want color, but you do want interest. Try a neutral rug but go for a pattern that draws attention. The script-patterned rug here is a perfect choice for this little reading nook.
Tip: Try an area rug that almost completely fills a room, stopping inches from the baseboards. (Be aware of any vents you don't want to cover.) You will have a wall-to-wall-carpeting look for a fraction of the cost.
Tip: Try an area rug that almost completely fills a room, stopping inches from the baseboards. (Be aware of any vents you don't want to cover.) You will have a wall-to-wall-carpeting look for a fraction of the cost.
by Johnson Berman
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Short on money but not on style? Collect rugs over time and build a cohesive grouping. Use your gathering with collected furniture finds for a unique look at a frugal price point.
Tip: This look is for those confident in their style choices. Start out with two complementary patterned rugs and then move up to collecting a full grouping of smaller pieces.
Tip: This look is for those confident in their style choices. Start out with two complementary patterned rugs and then move up to collecting a full grouping of smaller pieces.
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| Whether you are combining styles, collecting similar pieces or simply using one large pattern to make a statement, consider the impact your flooring can have on your space. Be a little bold in your design choices and place some art on the floor. |
Comments
kennedytarheel Have oriental /persian carpets become a thing of the past? Or ethnic carpets and kilims?
8 months ago · Like
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olldbobbi Funny, I have the kitchen floor in the second picture, but I love the floor in the first picture! In fact, I love everything about the first picture. And the dog blends in nicely, too!
8 months ago · Like
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Amy Renea Kennedy - NO! Of course not! Those are delicious options for any room, but may not fit with all decor styles. I've chosen more modern options here, but love an antique Turkish rug any day of the week!
8 months ago · Like
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Sharon Keep in mind that cleaning around rugs is a major PAIN! I won't have an area rug because of it. I have no carpet or rugs in my home because we have dogs and because they are so hard to clean. The allergy factor is because you can't clean carpets and rugs thoroughly. They just catch dust, dirt, spills and hold it. When you put your baby down on the rug, you are probably putting it down on the nastiest place in your home. When you lay down on the rug or your kids lay on the rug to watch TV, they are laying on the nastiest thing in your home. At least my floors get vacuumed and mopped once a week or more which you can't do with a carpet.
8 months ago · Like
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olldroo BobbiP - your floor is perfect for your location. Love it. Do you have it with cane furniture by any chance?
8 months ago · Like
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olldbobbi groovygranny, thanks! Actually my floor is the same design, but the tile is blue/grey. I have dark chocolate brown furniture in the dining room because that's what we had when we moved in, and replacing it is low (really low) on the priority list! The previous owner had the floor installed and then NEVER cleaned it. She had four big dogs that had free reign of the house. We had wax over dirt, over wax, over dirt.....It took us 6 weekends doing nothing else to strip all the dead stuff off.
8 months ago · Like
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olldroo Oh, yuk, don't you wonder how some people live. The blue would look lovely and give the room a cool look. I could see the brown with wicker furniture, some lush greenery..........a rum cocktail......................
8 months ago · Like
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olldbobbi .......a little Jack Daniels........
8 months ago · Like
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olldroo If he is good looking.
8 months ago · Like
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Amy Renea Sharon - it is true that area rugs can be hard to clean around. It's always a little unpleasant to lift up a rug completely and see what has slipped through. I figure since most of humanity throughout history has dealt with dirt floors though, a little dirt on the rug isn't going to do any harm!
8 months ago · Like
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olldroo Sadly, Amy, I guess that is what housework is all about.
8 months ago · Like
Megan Brunsman Sharon - Agreed!!! As beautiful as they can be, I have vowed to never have a wool rug in my house again. They shed worse than my 2 dogs & are such a pain to maintain. Although not as 'nice' - I have really enjoyed having an indoor/outdoor rug which wears wonderfully. And I have a jute/chenille blend on the way for my family room. It's softer than you might imagine and should be much less maintenance!
8 months ago · Like
olldroo Don't know what age group you guys are, but back in the really olden days women used to put their rugs over the clothes line and beat the life out of them with a straw broom. Works a treat and burns calories fast. Didn't need gyms in those days with power guzzling machines, housework was the best exercise routine and at the end you had a sparking clean house as a reward.
8 months ago · Like
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olldbobbi groovygranny beatin the rugs also released a lot of stress and saved a few butts.....
8 months ago · Like
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olldroo LOL Bobbi, I knew you would be in fast. I got confused before too and why I made the comment I did about the floor, I thought you were in the Caribbean not in CA.
8 months ago · Like
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Dolores Stewart Where can one buy that beautiful 'forest floor' rug? Grateful if someone would let me know.
8 months ago · Like
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sarah haslem I love the warmness that a rug adds. And for me, it's not a big deal to have to clean around it. I would swiffer my wood floors and then vacuum my rug and once in awhile (once a month or so), clean under the rug. And of course, I did mop once a week. It's all totally worth it to have a beautiful rug underfoot.
8 months ago · Like
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olldbobbi Sarah, I do the exact same thing! Takes 5 minutes to swiffer!
8 months ago · Like
angela_shah I found the forest floor rug: http://www.angelaadams.com/Forest-Floor-Tapestry.html
8 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Sept. 23, 2012.
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