One of my all time favorite steps in the design process is choosing the rug. As the foundation of a room, it can do so much on it's own and for the whole room. It can be a pop, the focal point, add texture, layers, continue a color story, start a color story, or simply be a soft place for feet. The rug going into my living room is essentially all of those things. I'm excited to show it to you today as well as share my tips for choosing a gorgeous rug.


This post is sponsored by Mohawk Home.

Watch: Choosing A Gorgeous Rug

In this week's One Room Challenge vlog, I'm unpacking the brand new rug pad and rug from Mohawk Home. See the gorgeous color and pattern unfold, hear my tips for choosing the perfect rug, and why I choose to shop where I shop for rugs.

How To Choose A Gorgeous Rug That WORKS With Your Room

1. Browse ALL the rugs in the size you need.

And I mean ALL of them. Every single last page 200+. You never know what's hidden in those later pages! Save the links for all of the rugs that catch your eye. I like to save them to a note on my phone. After I've done that I try to take a day or two break from looking at them so I have fresh eyes when I go to step 2.

2. Open those Favorites and start eliminating

Once I've given my brain a break from looking at rugs, I go back to that list of favorites. I'm critical when looking at them though. I'm looking for colors I already have in the room, colors I want to bring into the room, patterns that compliment patterns I already have, and elements in the design that pick up on elements in furniture/art/decor. This usually leaves me with a list less than 10 for the room I'm designing.


Shop These Favorites:
Shenandoah | Lailah
Layland | Anatolia
Grove | Rogelio

 3. Create A Design Board

Using an app like Canva, I then plug in pictures of pieces I am using in the room. Things like art, furniture, wallpaper, lighting. I then make enough copies of that design board for each of the rugs I'm considering. Plug each of the contenders into the design boards. This will give a visual as to whether or not the rug truly works with the main pieces of a room. Here are a couple early mock ups for my living room:

5. Make A Decision

Of course, you still have to make a choice at the end of the day. And if you're like me and you hate making decisions, post the mock ups on your social media and have your friends vote for a favorite. You know the winning rug is going to look great no matter which one they choose. And sometimes, all it takes is seeing a rug win to make you realize how much you liked another rug more. And then, you go with that one.

The Foundation Of A Room Design

After all of that, the rug that went into my living room is Rogelio from Mohawk Home.

Mohawk Home is my favorite place to source rugs. Their rugs last longer than rugs I've bought elsewhere. Their rugs are softer than rugs I've gotten elsewhere. The designs are timeless and the colors beautiful. I have Mohawk Home rugs in my bathroom, bedroom, and kiddo's bedroom and I'm always happy with how they clean, how they age, how they feel, and how they look.

Rogelio ticks all the same boxes. It is soft, the colors are uniquely beautiful, the design is timeless. I just can't stop staring at it and walking over it.

But let's chat about how it fits into the room design.

I already have a beautiful mural in the room that has a lot of purple, rosey, and mauvey tones. The soft pinky/mauvey color in the rug ties into that perfectly.


Then there's dark blue, light blue, and a really cool orange that I can only best describe as a light neon pastel orange. The dark blue will tie into the sofa I plan to bring in here. The light blue will tie into throw pillows and art prints, and the orange will tie into throw pillows and the rattan furniture.

The design in the rug itself picks up on the shape of the rattan mirror. There's both fluid and rigid shapes and lines in the rug that compliment the paint strokes in the mural as well as the more geometric details of the artwork.


This rug is a total win. I couldn't recommend it enough!

Work Left To Do:

Install Mural Feature Wall - Minted - Midnight Petals Mural Install
Paint Baseboards and Window Trim
Replace Door Hardware
Hang Gallery Wall
Hang Rattan Mirror
Recover Rattan Chairs
Install New Lighting - Lighting A Room With No Built In Lighting | Maxim Lighting
Hang New Curtains - ordered
Replace Area Rug
Replace Sofa
Upgrade TV
Source A Second Hand Coffee Table
DIY Plant Pot Project
Wall Mount TV

That's my update on the room this week! Still feels like I have so much left I want to do and share in this room. It's almost certain one large piece for the room won't be here in time but I will just keep truckin' along. Don't miss the other ORC guest participant blog updates today!