Recently my client handed me a stack of oriental rugs that she inherited from her mother. She then challenged me to make them feel fresh in her historic home.

The rugs all have red tones either accented with navy blue or black.
There’s even one with red, green, and coral…admittedly not my favorite, but it has sentimental value and honestly I’m curious to see what I come up with.

There aren’t many examples of modern decorating with oriental rugs. What you commonly see now are rooms decorated with rugs made from natural materials, rugs of a solid color, or rugs with a geometric pattern.  Naturally, she’d began to wonder if her inherited, pricey rugs had gone out of style.

If you are asking yourself the same question, then rest assured knowing that these stately heirlooms are in fact classic and can be incorporated into a space no matter the design style.

How?

Lean in close…

The key to modern decorating with oriental rugs is to use them to anchor your space then add a few traditional accessories. Next, use modern art, a few more accessories, and a piece (or two) of modern furniture to create a juxtaposition of styles. This is what creates an updated look.

It took some time to find some examples I really loved, so hopefully they’ll be helpful to you as well.

Designer Gabriel Hendifar pulled the lighter shade of blue from the rug and coordinated the fabric selections for the modern lucite stools and linen drapery. Examples of modern art include the sculpture on the coffee table and the white vase on the chest in the background.
Pulp Design Studios followed suit by covering a pair of chrome x-benches in a camel colored leather–in the same hue found in the rug. Here, in this one image, they’ve managed to combine three different design styles. Along with a traditional rug, there are a pair of traditional chairs, then a contemporary sofa.

Terracotta Properties used a dark red and navy rug to anchor the space and then added contrast to the living room by layering light-colored fabrics in contemporary patterns on furniture upholstery and throw pillows. So fresh and so clean!
Here’s Terracotta Properties again, this time they used an oriental rug as their main source of color in this modern study area. The green drawer fronts relate to the hints olive green found in the rug.

Have you been challenged with creating an updated look in your home using oriental rugs?