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Design Dilemma: Oriental Rugs in Modern Design

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We’ve always admired the look of an oriental rug  paired with sleek modern furniture. It’s something about the contrast of the old and new, the traditional and the contemporary,  that provides a jolt of visual interest that just wouldn’t exist in a sleek modern room with bare floors or a contemporary rug. Aside from the immediate design elements of pattern, texture and color,  an oriental rug can provide a modern room with a feeling of depth, history, and timelessness. That’s a lot of design bang for your buck! Even so, not all oriental rugs work well in modern environments. There are a few tricks to picking out the right kind of rug that is NOT like the rug your great aunt paired with her antiques and chintz. What’s the secret? 1) Go tribal. There are dozens of types of Oriental rugs out there, but the ones that seem to blend best with modern decor are the tribal rugs (for example, Shiraz or Hamedan Persian rugs) that feature bold geometric designs and colors. (See the rug below). Rugs you probably wouldn’t choose for a very modern interior might include those of a highly intricate, formal or floral design. 2) Bold Color. Colorful rugs in jewel tones can look particularly fabulous in modern environments where there are clean lines and less clutter. The rug gets to take center stage as the premier design element in the room. It’s a bold, simple and colorful way of decorating. Below, a colorful rug is the crowning touch in a simple modern room.

3) Consider your art. Oriental rugs seem to pair nicely with walls filled with art. Look for a rug that will complement your art, rather than compete with it. If you have a very bold, exuberant painting, you might look for a simpler rug with less contrast in pattern. If your artwork is more monotone or features pencil sketches and drawings, you may decide on a higher-contrast rug to provide immediate visual impact. Either way, you may find that it works well to pick a predominate rug color that is the complementary opposite of your painting. In the first photo, a red rug provides a bold counterpoint to a painting that includes lots of green and blue.

4) Experiment. Most rug shops will allow you to take a rug home for a few days for a tryout. Doing so can make all the difference in helping you to understand what works well in your environment. Factors you will be considering as you evaluate your rug include the overall effect of the color and pattern in your room, the practicality of a rug for its particular location (you might avoid a very light rug with less pattern in high-traffic areas), as well as the appropriateness of a given rug size. You’ll evaluate how well the rug works with the art in your room, and the effect that the rug has on light in your space. (A very dark rug, for example, might seem to suck the light out of a room.)  The nice thing about decorating with oriental rugs is that it’s an art more than a science, which allows you free rein to try out many of the thousands of designs out there until you get it right.  Happy rug hunting!

Images: Fred Conrad, The New York Times; www.aprhochic.com; apartmenttherapy.com