Emily Henderson's Genius Tip for Choosing a Rug Color Has Me Re-Thinking Every Rug I've Ever Bought

Choosing a rug is no simple task. Trust me, I am currently selecting one for my living room, and I am faced with the endless debate of whether to choose a neutral rug that will match any color or a bold one that will add a touch of striking style. A good rug pulls a room together, brings a sense of coziness, and even acts as an eye-catching design moment. So, an item as influential to a room as a rug must be carefully chosen. A neutral rug seems like the safe option you can't go wrong with, but isn't there something a bit more fun about going for a pop of color? This interior designer certainly thinks so.

With the return of all things playful and eccentric in interior design, rug trends are following suit. Emily Henderson, interior designer and founder of Style by Emily Henderson, has just launched a new collection with Rugs USA and the featured looks are a testament to her playful design style. While discussing her collab full of pattern and color, Emily says "A colorful rug just adds so much life and depth. The last thing any of us want is an uninviting, cold room so adding a colorful rug can instantly change that."

Adding moments of warmth and color can make your home feel more like a bright and cheery sanctuary in winter's dark and cold days — and the best rugs do just that. With the rising demand for more personality and playfulness, we can't forget about our rugs. If you've been waiting for a sign to commit to color, this is it. But how do you style such a bold look in your home, you might ask? Emily shares all her best tips and tricks for confidently incorporating a pigmented rug below.

The best colorful rugs should add to your room, not visually take it over. That is why interior designer, Emily Henderson, says she "was really specific about the happy but more tonal colors we chose. We focused on beautiful colors that are not heavily saturated and have the right amount of movement with thread variations. Oh, and of course stunning subtle patterns."

In Emily Henderson's collab with Rugs USA, the selection is full of saturation and texture but each rug has dark or muted undertones so they will stand out on their own without being too overpowering. The perfect rug choice for when you need a little life in the room but want to keep a calming environment.

Shop Emily's Collection

Styling a Colorful Rug

Emily says "For a colorful rug, saturation level and thread color variation are the most important to me. Unless the room I’m designing is meant to be super bold, I tend to go for a less saturated tone. Think olive green over a kelly green. That’s an extreme example but you get the point. Then thread color variation is always super important. If there’s not enough of it the rug will almost always look a bit flat and will also be less forgiving to messes." The biggest thing to remember when incorporating a colored rug is that it should not be this big, scary thing to try and style. Just like a colorful accent chair, sofa, or bookshelf, the color you choose for your rug should be a harmonious match with the palette of the rest of the room.

While color-drenching or double-drenching moments are fabulous choices for a room, choosing a colorful rug does not mean you must go for full maximalism in your interior design. Just like with other elements of the room, Emily says "I think it’s all about balance. You don’t want to overdo it unless you want to create a totally tonal room." Small accents like art, objects, and textiles to match with colors in the rug and rest of the room are great. "I would just make sure to mix up the tones (go lighter, go darker) so that the room will look and feel more layered and interesting," says Emily.

At the end of the day, it is really up to personal preference and lifestyle. Abstract rugs, and rich tonal colors are perfect for cozy living room ideas while staying a bit more minimalistic can keep the peaceful, serene vibes sought after in spaces like the bedroom. "I tend to go more medium to dark in a high-traffic area like a living room and keep the really light rugs to somewhere like a bedroom where shoes aren’t worn as much," says Emily.

More Colorful Rugs to Consider

Rugs are the pieces that truly pull a room together. Every cozy bedroom or living room needs a soft place for your feet to land, and to warm up the cool floors. And what better way to do that than with a rug that brings life to a space through color? While I may still be deep in my search for a good rug to adorn my living room, my shopping cart just got a color upgrade.