Best Rug Colors for Neutral Interiors: Warm Up Your Space with Style

When it comes to interior design, specifically for neutral interiors which have recently gained a ton of popularity, people often misunderstand the point of maintaining neutral colour schemes and end up filling their homes with tones of beige. You may have a passion for styling minimalist rooms, but it is important to know that neutral does not mean dull, and that even the minimalist design can have its own flavour when done right! So here are some of the best rug colours for neutral interiors!

Warm Earth Tones

Conventionally embodying the symbolic colours of the Middle East, warm earth tones include terracotta, rust, ochre, beige, sand and olive. These colours have a universal effect on all who lay their eyes on them, they calm the mind and soothe the soul. These grounding, natural colours lay muted, stimulating the viewer as little as possible while still providing aesthetic pleasure. Key points to note with these earthy tone rugs are:

• Colour Palettes per Rooms: These colours go incredibly well with each other, allowing you to pair them up with common furniture colours. As such, terracotta or rust-colored Oushak rugs can compliment the classic beige sofa incredibly well in your living room! The dining room, commonly filled with wooden chairs and decor, appreciates the warmth of olive and ochre rugs, scientifically also promoting appetite. Finally, your bedroom is your cozy retreat, and there is no better way to make it almost sleepy in its comfort, than to make almost a cocoon of beige or sand.
• Ideal Pairings: These tones intend to blend into each other rather than make big impressions. As such, ideal pairings for these colours are, gentle whites and creams on the walls, bronze or gold light fixtures to accentuate the warmth, and dark wooden or leather furnishings which promote the sense of coziness.
• Additional Tip: For a neutral rug following this colour scheme, try to go for a terracotta or cream coloured, distressed Oushak rug. This will instantly create a vintage effect for the viewer, while also blending in seamlessly with your modern minimalist interior!

Muted Blues & Greens

When thinking of neutral colour palettes, blues and greens are not the first colours that come to your mind. They’re extremely evocative colours, which is not the effect you’re going for when styling minimalist rooms! But their muted versions, like sage, dusty blue, slate, seafoam, and teal do not shout vibrancy, they whisper serenity. These colours can counter the issue of neutral rooms feeling too ‘yellow’, and add a soothing coolness to your designs!

• Colour Palettes per Rooms: While blues and greens continue to be more evocative than warm colours, your choice of which memory to evoke can allow for super tasteful designs! For living rooms, a sage or slate rug accompanying a cream sectional can create a coastal or perhaps even a farmhouse feel. Meanwhile, a bedroom would appreciate dusty blue rugs, making the room feel like a spa and the white bedsheets look like foamy goodness!
• Ideal Pairings: Cool colours and warm colours do not mix, which leaves only the true neutral as a good pairing for these rugs, whites. These rugs accompany light grey or white walls with blue undertones excellently! Light oak furnishings and linen fabrics accentuate the cool softness of this colour scheme, and the final picture can be framed beautifully with blue-green ceramics or indoor plants.
• Additional Tip: An almost sure-fire path to success can be found in a faded blue-green Oushak rug, with a splash of cream accents. This theme creates an instantly timeless appearance in any room, while also hiding wear beautifully within its designs!

Dark Neutrals

Dark neutrals are the loudest of the minimalist colour schemes, almost a bridge between the neutral and the vibrant. Colours like charcoal, slate, greige or deep taupe create the foundations of a room with drama and personality, without adding many bold colours themselves. These rugs can form the base of the room, and appreciate accents of lighter colours which can give them the contrast and drama they yearn for!

• Colour Palettes per Rooms: These rugs aim to create a dynamic feel in any room they are added to, displaying character rather than simply warmth or coolness. As such, a charcoal rug under a light linen sofa can mesmerise all who set foot in your living room, while a deep taupe holding your cream or white bed-spread can create a confident, unique kind of warmth. A slate rug can even add functionality to the dining room, as this rocky colour can hide spills and crumbs super well!
• Ideal Pairings: Despite being neutral, these rugs do add enough colour to the rooms they are a part of. As such, focus on white or very light, beige walls to add contrast while maintaining neutrality. Light oak furnishings and beige upholstery, or if you’re feeling particularly daring, pastel accents can compliment these dark rugs incredibly well! Black metal or glass are also two niche but very exciting features which work well with charcoal rugs!
• Additional Tip: For smaller spaces, try to achieve a contrast in the rug patterns themselves. You can do this by finding a dark rug with light accents, for example an Oushak with a slate body and ivory designs. These rugs can ground the room and add dimension, without making it feel smaller.

Smart Rug Colours for Neutral Interiors

With these principles in mind, you can achieve three different kinds of effects whilst maintaining minimalism through neutral colour palettes. The first palette generates warmth, the second creates coolness, while the third shows sophistication. It is entirely up to your own taste and home layout to decide which works best for you, home decor is, after all, a form of expression. With the knowledge you are now equipped with, you’re perfectly capable of choosing the perfect rugs for you and designing your own rooms! Put your intentions on full display, and dazzle your visitors with your excellent taste!