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Collection by Diana Budds

Cut a Rug

"That rug really tied the room together," says Walter Sobchak in the Big Lebowski. We here at Dwell have interviewed our fair share of designers over the years and many advise that rugs are the foundation of a "successful" design scheme. "I'm a very tactile person and I start with the rugs," says designer Suchi Reddy of her process. "As a layer it's very important—it's the first thing your feet touch." In the slideshow that follows, spy a wide array of room featuring unique rugs and buying advice from experts.

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Sitting on the Recycled Blanket Rug by Tejo Remy and Rene VeenHuizen, Chris digs through his records looking for something to play on the new Brionvega RR226 by Achille Castiglioni.
Sitting on the Recycled Blanket Rug by Tejo Remy and Rene VeenHuizen, Chris digs through his records looking for something to play on the new Brionvega RR226 by Achille Castiglioni.
"Rei" is new for 2013.
"Rei" is new for 2013.
In the dining room, the vintage table and chairs are set off by a Modo Chandelier from Roll & Hill and a vibrantly patterned Anthropologie rug.
In the dining room, the vintage table and chairs are set off by a Modo Chandelier from Roll & Hill and a vibrantly patterned Anthropologie rug.
The view overlooking the living room, which features the famous Le Corbusier rug by Edward Fields. The residents were also careful to save the sofa, which Meier himself designed for the space.
The view overlooking the living room, which features the famous Le Corbusier rug by Edward Fields. The residents were also careful to save the sofa, which Meier himself designed for the space.
“Rugs are one of the biggest investments you should make in terms of furnishings," says designer Charles de Lisle, who curated this vignette of furnishings for our June 2012 issue. "You can put inexpensive furniture on a quality rug and still have the room look good, but not vice versa. Look for pieces with consistent fields so that the pattern doesn’t limit where you place objects; you want to be able to arrange furniture anywhere. I build rooms from the ground up, and the wool-and-silk Koi rug from Mansour Modern is a great foundation—it has a bright color palette. It’s graphic and modern.”
“Rugs are one of the biggest investments you should make in terms of furnishings," says designer Charles de Lisle, who curated this vignette of furnishings for our June 2012 issue. "You can put inexpensive furniture on a quality rug and still have the room look good, but not vice versa. Look for pieces with consistent fields so that the pattern doesn’t limit where you place objects; you want to be able to arrange furniture anywhere. I build rooms from the ground up, and the wool-and-silk Koi rug from Mansour Modern is a great foundation—it has a bright color palette. It’s graphic and modern.”
In this custom-built London guesthouse kitchen designed by Studiomama, lustrous vertically clad cabinetry achieves additional depth with the addition of the chairs, which were picked up for $15 each at a local market and powder coated in bright orange.
In this custom-built London guesthouse kitchen designed by Studiomama, lustrous vertically clad cabinetry achieves additional depth with the addition of the chairs, which were picked up for $15 each at a local market and powder coated in bright orange.
For more modern rugs, see our "Graphic Carpet Ride" and "All Rugged Up" product collections.
For more modern rugs, see our "Graphic Carpet Ride" and "All Rugged Up" product collections.