How can you make a room more artistic? A lot of people hang paintings on the wall. Some even create murals. Michelangelo used the ceiling. We have a different suggestion: instead of looking up, look down!

That’s right, look to your area rugs. Your floor is a place where the right touch can enliven an entire room. Whether you have hardwood, tile, vinyl or even carpeting, a well-chosen area rug can add as much to a room as an attractive piece of wall art.

A rug doesn’t have to have a picture or an elaborate pattern to make its impact felt. Here are a few things to consider when you embellish your living space with a new type of artwork that’s practical as well as beautiful!

What Do Artistic Rugs Look Like?

Florals and fancy designs are great, but artwork for the floor can come in just about any style.

Traditional Patterns

Traditional area rugs, like Persian and other Oriental rugs, come from all over the world. They feature sophisticated patterns that are ornate and intricate. The colors can be either forward or muted. Often there are medallions with geometric shapes.

The styles can be European and Victorian as well as Eastern. Another example is the traditional Moroccan rug, whose plush treatment is often rendered in a calming palette of blended coloring.

Many people associate these rugs with a formal room, but that’s not the only place they’re at home! They do just fine in a more modern setting, and they also come in a distressed or faded look that can even fit in with a rustic or farmhouse motif.

Contemporary Styles

Contemporary area rugs are typified by energetic colors and bold, abstract designs. The more assertive examples might even feature contrasting colors. They are the “modern art” of artistic flooring and are influenced by contemporary painting, sculpture and architecture. They often are a focal point and a conversation piece, but they can be a supporting style element as well.

These work well in a modern or contemporary room, and they can add an exclamation point to an industrial space.

Casual Area Rugs

Casual area rugs are the sort of floor coverings you might use in a rec room or a child’s bedroom, or in any living space that doesn't take itself too seriously. Rugs of a single playful color fit into this category, as do whimsical patterns and animal prints. Speaking of animal prints, more realistic options such as cowhide area rugs add rustic charm to a room.

Shape, Size and Placement

An area rug’s artistic impact is influenced by how large it is and where you put it. In a room that can handle them, large area rugs provide more opportunity to express yourself in design and pattern. They often make the room feel larger. Smaller rugs can take advantage of texture as an artistic element with such features as high piles and fringes.

A large room presents a choice. You can select a large rug that extends nearly to the walls, or you might opt for a smaller central one. The latter can be deployed as an accent, for instance, it can emphasize its own primary color while matching the furniture with a secondary color. Another artful technique is to echo elements of the rug in the room’s decor.

The traditional rectangular shape will never go out of style, but there’s more interest today in round and oval rugs. They do well in the center of the room, near a doorway, at a hearth or at the foot of a bed. They’re suitable in a hallway under a hall tree or a hall tree with bench. They also work well in a dining room, especially under a round dining table.

Area Rugs That Make the Difference

It’s a trick that every professional designer knows: if you want to quickly transform the look and feel of a space, change the area rugs or add new ones. Interestingly, a room that already has carpeting provides some of the best backdrop for area rugs. You can contrast not only color and pattern but also texture between the carpet and the rug.

So many homes today deploy decorative tile and vinyl outside of the kitchen, and these floorings provide a marvelous canvas where an area rug brings warmth and celebration to the room.

So step back and take a look at your home’s interior. If you need a component to tie everything together, or if you’re looking for a statement to add more artistry to what you already have, a new area rug may be just the answer you’re searching for!

Learn more about different area rugs styles and options:

Mixing and Matching Area Rugs

Breaking the Area Rug Rules

Area Rug Care Guide