How to Combine Traditional & Country Rugs

Contrast colors. Place cream-colored, braided, country-style runners in hallways leading to a living room with a showstopping red Oriental rug. Pair cheerful multicolored braided country runners with a traditional all-white wool centerpiece. Choose contrasting colors so that your rug styles set one another off rather than compete for attention.

Layer textures. A tightly woven traditional herringbone rug that covers most of the floor fades into a soothing background when you center a country-style bear rug on top of it, in front of the fireplace. Arrange hooked area rugs with sweet country imagery on top of a traditional black wall-to-wall mat to accent the bouclé texture of the hooked rugs.

Bring patterns to life. Choose a traditional Swedish weave that incorporates geometric shapes and layer it over several monochromatic country weaves in hand-dyed wool. Mix small Oriental rugs with subtle designs with patterned country rugs when their patterns have a similar size and are in the same color range, for quiet ambiance.

Play with scale. Place small country rugs in various shapes on a room-sized traditional rug. Cluster five or six small rugs in mixed styles together in an eclectic living room. Sew several 2-by-3 foot country and traditional rugs together to create a charming runner for a hallway or kitchen.