August often feels like winter’s final flourish, when chilly mornings and cool evenings remind us how much our homes matter. After last month’s focus on fireplaces, I’m continuing the cosy retreat theme by looking at an effective way to add warmth underfoot: rugs.
A well-chosen rug can completely change the way a room feels. It softens hard surfaces, anchors furniture, introduces colour and texture, and helps every space feel more inviting. Whether you prefer a calm neutral foundation, a richly patterned feature, or a custom design made especially for your home, a rug brings stylish comfort and personality together.
In my The Best Interior Design Tips ebook, my #1 one tip is - "horizontal surfaces trump all other surface selections in your home".
That includes your flooring, kitchen bench top and the fabric on your sofa. These are the layers we live with every day, and a rug is one of the most flexible ways to transform a room.
Rugs work so well in winter because they add a layer of comfort to every room. Wool rugs are especially popular for their natural warmth, durability and timeless appeal. They can be purchased off the shelf or custom made to suit your preferred colour, size, shape and edging. In an interior scheme, rugs do a lot of heavy lifting because they help connect the many elements of a room into one cohesive whole.
By adding another layer underfoot, you also increase the sense of insulation in your home. Natural fibres such as wool feel beautifully soft beneath your feet, bringing a quiet element of luxury that makes a room feel relaxed, comfortable and worth lingering in.
Like wallpaper, rugs add visual warmth to a room.
Incorporating rugs into your homes interior scheme will enhance the colour, textural and ambience of the space.
Layering rugs is a great way of using smaller rugs in larger spaces. First using a larger neutral rug which pulls the space together, then overlaying smaller rugs adds another dimension and visual interest.
A former client had collected a number of smaller rugs on his overseas travel and desired to use them in his new townhouse. Some were quite small, however we cleverly found the perfect spot for most of them, under a coffee table, a runner placed in front of sliding doors onto the deck, or bedside a bed. One was damaged so we made part of it into a cover for a pouf that sits handy to the sofa.
In open-plan homes, rugs are a wonderful way to define different zones for lounging, dining or working. They create boundaries within a larger space, helping each area feel considered, comfortable and inviting. A rug anchors the furniture setting, bringing the pieces together so the room feels balanced and cohesive. In the Apartment project, we used a finely hand-knotted 3m x 4m wool and bamboo silk rug in soft tones of beige, grey, khaki and mauve. Modern in design, it provides a neutral foundation that complements the swivel chairs, coffee tables and sofas, while adding subtle texture and warmth to the space.
Rug construction can range from richly textured loop and
cut piles to refined flat weaves, with each style bringing its own look, feel and sense of comfort underfoot. The way a rug is woven influences not only its texture and visual appeal, but also its durability and suitability for different areas of the home.
A customised rug is the best solution when an off the shelf option is not quite right for your room. It allows you to choose the size, shape, colour, pattern, material and edging so the finished piece feels perfectly considered for the space. Whether you are working around existing furniture, or needing an unusual size for an open-plan area, a custom rug brings everything together in a cohesive way. It will feel personal, practical and beautifully resolved.
In the living room shown above left, we designed a custom 4m x 4.7m rug to suit the generous proportions of the space. The larger scale helps anchor the furniture setting, making the room feel connected, balanced and complete.
For the entranceway, a colourful custom runner was created to add both visual interest and warmth underfoot. Its palette draws on colours used throughout the home, helping the entrance feel welcoming and creates a connection to the wider interior scheme.
And while rugs add warmth underfoot, a throw or two is the perfect finishing touch for creating a cosy winter living space. Draped over the arm of a sofa, folded at the end of a bed or kept close by in a favourite reading chair, throws invite comfort in a way that feels both practical and stylish. They add softness, colour, pattern and texture, while making it easy to wrap up on cool evenings or add an extra layer over your legs.
Wool throws are simply the best because they keep you warm. They are long-lasting, making them ideal for everyday use through winter. Merino, alpaca and cashmere blends bring an added sense of luxury, while textured weaves, fringed edges and soft checks or stripes introduce subtle personality.
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Behind the scenes with AI
In this newsletter, I've used AI to enhance two photos by turning on the fireplaces in the images. And it made the decision easier for my clients in selecting the a floor lamp for the living room, as each option could be placed into position to see how it worked in the space.
My Book Review
Call it Home - Amber Lewis
This is Amber’s second book; her first, Made for Living, is also on my bookshelf. As someone who loves colour, you might be surprised to hear how much I admire her work. Amber is the queen of modern neutral interiors, and this book is a great read, explaining the hows and whys behind her approach. She also includes a list of reflective questions to help begin a project, with the aim of moving inch by inch towards creating your dream home.
What may be surprising is that her neutral interiors are, in fact, rich with colour, used subtly through soft, muddied tones. These spaces also place a strong emphasis on tactility, with layers of texture adding depth, warmth and visual interest. And of course plenty of rugs and throws...
Come in and tell me about your project
New builds - Renovations - Room Refresh
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Have a fab weekend.