Sorry, but that faded gray rug in your living room isn't going to cut it anymore. It may have once been the pinnacle of minimalism, but when it comes to outdated rug colors in 2025, just like a pendulum, what's in and out constantly ebbs and flows.
As anyone who has furnished a space knows, rugs are much more than simply floor coverings. The size, texture, material, and color all affect the overall aesthetic of the room. A burnt orange adds a juicy pop, while warm beiges are classic and cozy. So how do you choose the best rug? It pays not to go for the obvious colors — there's a bit more nuance behind making the right choice.
So, if you don't want to date your space with a rug color that washes out your style, stay on top of the current rug trends. For that, I've asked designers to share the rug colors going out of style in 2025 and, in turn, the hot hues to lay down instead.
1. Blush Pink
INSTEAD: Opting for a bold rug color, especially in an otherwise minimal space, can be grounding without being overwhelming.
Bye-bye blush pink.
"Soft blush-pink tones have been overused in both rugs and accessories for nearly a decade," says Samantha Gallacher, principal designer at Art & Loom. "It now feels tied to a very specific design moment." (And one we've officially moved past.)
However, there is still a place for warm, red-toned hues. In place of a dated blush pink, opt for orange tones or earthier variations of light pink, like dusty rose, rust, or muted terracotta. Something a bit bolder, yet still organic, will blend timelessness and contemporary style.
Samantha is a designer who graduated from The New York School of Interior Design and has a degree in Marketing from Lehigh University. Her career began with some of New York’s top designers such as Glenn Gissler, Bob Kaner, and Kureck and Jones, among others. She is now the founder and CEO of bespoke rug brand, Art + Loom.
2. Black and White Contrast
INSTEAD: Try out a softened, more tonal contrast like pairing creams with espresso browns.
High black and white contrast is the next rug design to avoid in 2025. "Bold high-contrast black and white patterns, especially geometric ones, had a big moment in boho and Scandinavian styles," Samantha explains. "But in 2025, they often read as overly graphic or dated."
But before you bid adieu to your checkered or plaid rug, there's still a stylish way to do contrasting rug colors, says Samantha. "The move is toward softened contrasts — like off-white with charcoal, or cream with espresso."
Black and white can still work when it's an accent in a rug with the predominant color being something more saturated or neutral.
3. Beige-on-Beige
INSTEAD: Introduce texture into your space to make neutral rugs feel more nuanced.
Christy Caza, the senior product development manager at Fable Home, a Canadian rug and homeware brand, says, "Beige-on-beige is starting to feel tired, especially the shades that blur into one another and flatten a space."
Without contrast in design, a flat beige rug can make interiors feel uninspired. "As trends like 'warm modern' and vintage-inspired styling take hold, there’s a growing preference for earthy tones and heightened textures," says Christy.
Colors that feel flat, synthetic, or disconnected from nature (such as washed-out pastels or generic beiges) don’t align with that cozy, grounded atmosphere people are craving now.
Adding texture is an easy way to upgrade beige from drab to fabulous. While the stylish are replacing Berber rugs in 2025, a popular alternative is a short-pile shag rug or even a textured flatweave in the same shade. It's instantly more sophisticated.
Christy is the senior product development manager at Fable Home, where she leads the design and development of innovative and sustainable products. Christy has over 10 years of experience in product design and development, and studied Industrial Design at Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design.
4. Cool Gray Tones
INSTEAD: Choose a neutral with a more interesting story to tell.
To no one's surprise, mid-tone gray is one of the most agreed-upon outdated rug colors, according to the designers I spoke to. "Gray has been overused in the 2010s and early 2020s, especially in mass-market rugs and staging homes," says Samantha.
The too-trendy cool gray now feels sterile and uninspired compared to warmer, more natural tones. Designers are gravitating toward rich browns, taupes, and clay hues instead. Even a "neutralized elephant gray makes more sense," says Samantha.
5. Light Nautical Blues
INSTEAD: Try out a different coastal-inspired color for your rug, like sea green or driftwood brown.
And finally, Christy says, "Cool tones, like icy blues or minty greens, are losing ground as warmer palettes take over and become the new design norm."
Specifically, the coastal color palettes are quickly turning into a mirror of the most outdated rug colors in 2025. While going for a nautical vibe can read a bit cliché these days, that is not to say there isn't an elevated way of doing it.
"There are more sophisticated coastal palettes — like sage, sand, driftwood, and mineral blue — over obvious sea blue-and-white pairings," says Samantha.
Nervous about steering clear of the most outdated rug colors in 2025? There's a secret trick I like to rely on: patterned rugs. Why choose just one color when you can choose a mix? Less pressure, more fun.
