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How Black Rugs Set the Tone for Your Design in Seven Key Ways

April 8, 2022 by Corinne Weaver

Black plays an important role in any room’s design. It can be the accent that helps bring out a vivid color, and outline that displays a beautiful pattern, or its own statement piece. Black rugs might make sense for a home because of their functionality, but they can also be a stylish choice that sets the tone for the rest of the room. 

Black rugs hide many stains very well. They’re easy to match with other shades of black, grey, white, and literally every other color on your palette. But they often have a hidden complexity to them that can provide new elements of texture, patterns, and depth to your room, no matter what kind of space you have.  

Since black is one of the most versatile styles out there, it makes sense to lay a black rug on your floor. There are many roles a black rug can take on in your space. Here are a few ideas for what to do with a black rug from Rugs USA! 

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Moroccan Trellis Area Rug
Our Moroccan Trellis Area Rug in Black and White. Photo by @bitsofbohome

Back to Black: The Ultimate Classic Rug Color 

If you’re looking to create a traditional space that relies on classic themes, a black rug can embellish the gold chandelier you’ve hung from the ceiling in the dining room. Roll one out under your cedar dining room table to accentuate the beautiful lines on the table and its matching chairs. Did you hang white drapes in the living room? Contrast them with a black rug.  

If you have a home office set up to work from, dress up your Zoom calls with a black rug that demands to be taken seriously. Yes, it hides your coffee stains, but it also presents professionally and prepares you for business. With your office all dressed up, you’ll be inspired to dress up for work, even from your home.  

Rugs like this Ring Around The Rosette Area Rug in black pair well with traditional styles with their elegance and charm. After you’re done with a traditional design, you’ll still want to take this black rug with you into other themes, where it works just as well.  

Ring around the rosette rug, black
Our Ring Around The Rosette Area Rug in Black. Photo by @thesalthaus

Stepping into the Spotlight: Black Rugs as Centerpieces 

Black makes for a great background color, but it also stands out on its own, waiting to be admired. A black centerpiece pulls all the eyes towards it as it makes its own bold statement, separating itself from the rest of your room. Black rugs can be just as bold, with patterns and designs that make the space they fill their own.  

Black on its own is an intense color, an absorption of all other colors. It doesn’t just make a statement: It forces the onlooker to watch. Black rugs pull you into a space and bring you to where they reside. Lay one out by your barstools in your kitchen to keep intruders from your cooking space by enticing them to sit down. 

A rug like this Maui Jute Braided Rug in black from Rugs USA takes all-natural fibers and tassels to a new level of intensity. Jute doesn’t have to be neutral anymore!  

Maui Jute Braided Rug
Our Maui Jute Braided Rug in Black. Photo by @abeautifulmess

Sink into Sheer Texture with a Black Rug 

Black rugs can deceptively hide thick, fluffy textures, making it a surprise when you sink into a plush depth as you walk across it. The element of revelation adds extra zest to the sense of touch on a black rug. Materials matter! For example, wool rugs and cotton rugs create the ultimate lounge for your feet as you glide down the hallway, through the dining room, or into bed. You might even forget why you had gotten up in the first place.  

Thick-piled rugs like black shags or soft braided black rugs can make your floor seem bigger, your rug seem even softer, and your experience even more luxurious. Pair these fluffy black floor coverings with sleek, modern furniture or a thin glass table to emphasize the depth and texture of the rug.  

Other black textured rugs can blend textures and even turn that blend into a pattern. A unique pattern like the one on this Wool Shag Area Rug in black makes for a soft landing while holding its own among the other pieces in the room. This rug looks and feels like your favorite cable-knit sweater.  

Wool Shag Area Rug
Our Wool Shag Area Rug in Black. Photo by @melissajeanine_

Modern, Minimalist Black Rugs Are Good for Feng Shui 

In a contemporary or minimalist style, you don’t want a busy, over-the-top pattern to crash the room’s simple vibes. Maintain your room’s balance and feng shui while still making the rug a part of the space. The black rug can warm up a space without feeling overbearing or distracting. Simple patterns or designs on the rugs can also ease the tone.  

In feng shui, black is the color that represents wisdom, since it is the conglomeration of all the colors of the rainbow. It is also associated with water, because of its depth and ability to connect other elements, as well as bring life to a space. Black rugs in feng shui should be used sparingly, to indicate simplicity and wisdom.  

Black absorbs energy, especially negative energy, in a room. Feng shui practices recommend that black accents, like black rugs, be used in a kitchen or a room that deals with water.  

Rugs like this Irregular Parallel Bars Area Rug in black play well in contemporary or minimalist spaces. A glass coffee table and a black or white couch could create the ideal contemporary space in your living room or sitting room.  

Irregular Parallel Bars Area Rug
Our Irregular Parallel Bars Area Rug in Black. Photo by @leigh.fager.interiors

Bring On the Color: Black Rugs Make a Room Vibrant 

Black is the absorption of all colors, which means it has all colors in it. In fact, if you mix all three primary colors perfectly, you get black. Therefore, black has the power to intensify other colors in the room. A bedroom with a bright yellow duvet will only get enhanced by a black bedroom rug on the side. One firehouse red wall in the bathroom won’t clash with a small black bathroom rug by the sink. Black is the perfect mixer for any color.  

Consider black as the background music for your bold color. Every film needs a soundtrack, and every bold, vibrant color needs an accent to emphasize its true beauty. If you choose neutrals, like jute or beige, black makes those colors seem stronger and details your style in perfect harmony. If your hardwood floor is a gorgeous honey color, a black rug makes it pop even more.  

Black rugs work well outside because of their composition. Rugs like this Venetian Pinstripes Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug in black will help make the grass look greener, the deck look more mahogany, or the patio look more brick-red, depending on where you decide to place it.  

Black Rugs: Essential to Your Home Decor  

Black rugs are like the gold jewelry to the rest of your room: they know how to accentuate all your other pieces. Small black runner rugs or black round rugs add just the right touch to your hallway furniture or a spot by the fireplace in your living room. They know how to take a space and make it look all put together.  

Rugs like this Faded Striped Tribal Area Rug in black don’t act as neutrals in a room, but rather as finishing touches. They’re the ribbon on top, the whipped cream on a hot chocolate, or the gravy on the mashed potatoes.  

Faded Striped Tribal Area Rug
Our Faded Striped Tribal Area Rug in Black. Photo by @tablefor5please

Black Patterns: Bring More Flair to a Space  

Black rugs don’t have to be all black. They can come in many different patterns and even have different colors woven into the pattern. Some of the patterns available at Rugs USA include:  

Floral Rugs: With a black background, deep colorful floral patterns like the ones in this Onyx Lorelei Area Rug pop out from under your feet, making their presence known. Pick a green or a pink on the rug and find a pillow that matches for a greater effect.  

Moroccan Rugs: Moroccan patterns, with their striking stripes, look even bolder on a black background. Make a statement in a modern style room with this bold, textural piece, like this Black And White Moroccan Trellis Area Rug, that livens up your floor.  

Persian Rugs: Yes, you can have a black Persian-styled rug with a visible design. These kinds of rugs fit well in a traditional space as well as an eclectic or bohemian space.  Try this Floral Medallion Indoor/Outdoor 6′ 3″ x 9′ Area Rug in black in your space.  

Striped Rugs and Geometric Rugs: Nothing makes a shape or a bold stripe or chevron stand out like a black outline. Whether it’s a tribal pattern, a simple pinstripe, or a new shape, black can emphasize the angles and curves.  A rug like this Ivied Trellis Indoor/Outdoor Flatweave Area Rug in dark gray brings definition into a room.

Ivied Trellis Indoor/Outdoor Flatweave Area Rug
Our Ivied Trellis Indoor/Outdoor Flatweave Area Rug in Dark Gray. Photo by @amharing84

Find More Black Rugs at Rugs USA! 

You can find plenty of black rugs with different designs, patterns, and textures to fit all your design needs at Rugs USA. Whether you want a bold statement, the ultimate accessory, or a simple neutral background to add to your room, black rugs have got you covered.   

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Filed Under: All Articles, Ideas & Inspo Tagged With: Black Rugs, Boho, Color, Feng Shui Design, Rugs by Color

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