Over the weekend I installed a rug over my parents wall to wall carpeting.

{ Totally not staged iphone picture}

When I told Jon and my sisters what I planned on doing they looked at me like I was crazy. I understand why they were hesitant. If a room already has carpet and your have a cushy spot to rest on you don’t really need a rug always, but there are certain times where when is helpful in the overall design of a space. Once we laid it out all of my naysayers agreed with me and were happy with the end result.

Here are some tips for achieving this look in your space.

1. If you have a big space like a huge room or an open floor plan layout with wall to wall carpeting use a rug to designate different areas of the room.

{Interior Design by Diane Bergeron}

2. Only layer a rug over carpeting if you have a low pile carpet. You want the rug to lay flat on the carpeting to add pattern/color not a tripping hazard. Luckily most renters which typically have wall to wall carpeting have industrial grade carpeting which is low pile.

{Joy from Oh Joy’s living room designed by Emily Henderson.}

3. Make sure the wall to wall carpeting is neutral and solid in color. You don’t want anything to distract from the rug you are using.

{ Room design by Maivia Made by Girl}

4. When in doubt go with a vintage Persian rug. Vintage rugs typically come in odd sizes so in order to still use them in your space it’s best to layer them over wall to wall carpeting or even a larger sisal rug.

{Image via Elle Decor}

5. Pick a rug with texture to add some interest to a room. Designers love layering Moroccan rugs over sisal carpeting.

{ Hotel Room from The Parker Palm Springs}

6. When in doubt go with a hide of some sort. They always look best layered over wall to wall carpeting and help give a room a focal point.

{Image via Elle Decor}

7. When layering a rug pay attention to rug size. Depending on what it is going on under ie: a coffee table, sofa, bed, etc you will want it to be large enough to have at least a 2 ft border underneath the space. You don’t want to put a rug under a bed and then only have 5″ peeking out. Need help on rug sizes for bedrooms? Check out this rug guide.

{ Image via Lonny}

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What are your thoughts on rugs over carpeting? Are you daring enough to try it?

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