How to Mix Patterns With a Patterned Rug

A patterned rug is usually the largest pattern in a room, which makes it the one everything else has to answer to.

1. Vary the scale

Patterns of similar size compete. A large-scale rug wants small-scale cushions, or plain ones. Two medium-scale patterns in the same room is where most schemes go wrong.

2. Share a colour, not a style

The reliable link between two patterns is a shared colour rather than a shared origin. A geometric cushion and a floral rug sit together happily if both contain the same terracotta. Two florals that share nothing will not.

3. Give the eye somewhere to rest

Every patterned scheme needs plain areas — a plain sofa, plain curtains, or plain walls. The rule of thumb is roughly two-thirds plain to one-third pattern by visual area.

Where a vintage or faded rug helps

A faded design has lower internal contrast, so it reads as texture rather than as pattern from across the room. That makes it far easier to combine with other pattern than a crisp, high-contrast design.