The best rugs – 9 on-trend styles for your living room or bedroom

published 3 September 2021

Rugs are the ultimate accessory in your interior design armoury. Not only do they make the perfect starting point for a colour scheme, but they can also be the perfect finishing touch. The best rugs out there (and by best, we mean the most stylish) have the ability to add instant cosiness to any room. Autumn, winter, summer or spring. In fact, buying a new rug is an affordable way to revamp a tired design scheme. Did we mention that rugs also make for an easy way to zone an open-plan living space?

We've scoured the shops for some of this season's best rugs, from on-trend Berber rugs to trusty Argos rugs and sophisticated styles. Where to place your new rug? If you don't already have a space in mind, then we recommend rolling out your new rug inside a living room, placing it in your bedroom or on your hallway floor to greet guests.

A large rug is often the best way to go in a living room, but you'll need to position it right. Pop your rug on the floor by your sofa and armchairs, front legs on the rug and back legs off –to create a cosy but sophisticated feel.

A rug on your bedroom will make cold mornings a little more pleasant. Opt for smaller rugs on either side of your bed or something to sit slightly underneath your bed – leaving about half a metre of rug at the foot and sides – to create the illusion of more space. Alternatively, runner rugs work well at the end of beds, to fill that awkward empty space. Especially if you have wooden floors.

It's quite important to include a rug as part of your hallway flooring, mostly because this is the room that guests will see on their arrival. Go for a runner style if you are tight on space, just ensure it's non-slip – and that it can easily be cleaned, should muddy shoes step on it.

What are you waiting for? Our edit of the best rugs – all of which are band on-trend for SS21 – is just below. Give your space a new look or a simple refresh by rolling out a brand new rug.

The best rugs for this season

1. La Redoute's Afaw Berber-Style Rug

La Redoute Afaw Berber Style Rug on wooden floors

You may have spotted this Berber rug on your Instagram feed a couple of times (today). It's super popular and for good reason, in fact it even has its own Instagram account (@the_la_redoute_rug). Inspired by traditional weave, this heavily textured rug plays such a great backdrop to any room looking for character. Berber rugs – or Beni Ourain rugs to give them their precise name – have been popular for years and this trend doesn't appear to be going anywhere. Their neutrals tones work with any colour scheme, and their plush pile makes them wonderfully luxurious underfoot. The irregular diamond pattern on this hand-tufted rug only adds to its charm. Choose from a white and black rug or a brown and off-white option, and nab it for a song with La Redoute discount codes. This rug comes in several sizes, including a runner version for a hallway – or a very tight space.

Buy now: La Redoute Afaw Berber-Style Rug, from £95, La Redoute

2. Dunelm's Pebble Wool Rug

Dunelm's Pebble Wool Rug in grey on living room floor with armchair, bookcase and side table

This simple yet stunning rug is thick and textured to add some depth to your living room or bedroom. It comes in a stylish grey colour to match the rest of your home decor – and to blend in – while you can choose from 8 sizes in total. The thing we love the most about this rug is that it can fit into pretty much any decor scheme, whether that be boho, contemporary or even modern. Versatile! It's also made from wool by skilled craftsmen and it feels nice and soft. We say to make use of it in a bedroom since this is a low-traffic area (in comparison to a living room), plus it will provide a cosy platform for your feet first thing in the morning. What's not to love?

Buy now: Dunelm Pebble Wool Rug, from £49, Dunelm

3. Home Essentials Artisan Rug

Home Essentials Artisan Rug on wooden floor with wooden side tables and plant

The on-trend and cosy Artisan Rug is also a bargain, meaning that it ticks all our boxes. Choose from 3 sizes and place it in the centre of a room – perhaps beside your sofa, with your coffee table on top. Alternatively, it would make a lovely addition to a bedroom thanks to its plush nature and cosy feel. This Home Essentials rug is even tufted using 100% micro-polyester yarn, and for us, it's a no-brainer purchase if you are after something stylish but you are on a budget.

Buy now: Home Essentials Artisan Rug, from £89, Home Essentials

4. John Lewis & Partners Plain Easy Care Rug

John Lewis & Partners Plain Easy Care Rug in ivory colour on the floor with metal and wood side table on top

Part of John Lewis' ANYDAY range, this plain rug ought to do the job of softening wood floors, and it comes in grey, ivory, fjord, mustard, navy and steel. Perfect for adding character or injecting colour into a room, a plain rug is great as it allows other statement features in your living room to shine. For example, a velvet sofa, some stunning wall art or a sizeable house plant. John Lewis & Partners' Easy Care Rug is also versatile so you can move it around your home, from one room to another, for a quick simple refresh.

Buy now: John Lewis & Partners Plain Easy Care Rug, from £100, John Lewis

5. H&M Rainbow cotton rug

This 100% cotton H&M rug is perfect for a nursery – or for rolling out on your bedroom floor. It boasts a rainbow pattern on either side, in a soft pile, plus it's tasselled on each end. Creme in colour and effortlessly subtle, we love it. It's also a steal at just £34.99. It comes in one size – 90cm by 130cm

Buy now: H&M Rainbow cotton rug, £34.99, H&M

6. Dunelm Carina Berber Rug

Dunelm Carina Berber Rug in dark living room with grey sofa and rattan side table

Dunelm's Carina Berber rug is another of our top favourites. Why? It's a Berber rug that's also tasselled, plus it comes in dark grey or light ivory colour. We say to choose the darker grey shade and place it inside a bright living room for good balance. It's nice and shaggy while still managing to be durable, so you can definitely place this in a high-traffic area. Select from 4 sizes and use this rug for an autumnal refresh.

Buy now: Dunelm Carina Berber Rug, from £29, Dunelm

7. Argos Home Flump Shaggy Woven Rug

Argos Home Flump Shaggy Woven Rug underneath grey armchair

A sheepskin rug that's faux and fluffy? We'll take two, please! One for either side of a bed. These smaller rugs come in cream, pink or grey, and they are the perfect budget-friendly spend to add some cosy to a teeny space. You could even use one underneath an armchair as pictured above so that your feet have somewhere soft to touch when kicking back with your favourite Netflix show or a new book. It's worth buying a few, that's for sure.

Buy now: Argos Home Flump Shaggy Woven Rug, £15, Argos

8. MADE.com Lafant Hand-Tufted Wool Rug

Made.com Lafant Hand-Tufted Wool Rug placed in living room with white sofa, floor lamp, plant

We love MADE.com sofas and furniture, and their rug selection is also more than impressive. The bold Lafant Hand-Tufted Wool Rug ought to make a statement, not just thanks to its large size but also due to its abstract pattern. It comes in a range of colours to blend with your interiors, plus it has a hand-tufted wool finish. Invest in the best and it will last for years to come in your home.

Buy now: MADE.com Lafant Hand-Tufted Wool Rug, £349, Made

9. Home Essentials Outland Rug

Home Essentials Outland Rug on wooden floor

Home Essentials' Outland Rug screams autumn to us. With a unique pattern that uses the colours green, blue, yellow and rust, it even has a short yet thick tasselled trim. It looks like it would be super soft on your feet, while there's the added bonus that it's not (yet) super popular, so it's definitely unique. What we are trying to say is that you won't pop to your mate's house and see the same one in their living room. It's perfect for sprucing up a room in time for autumn, whether that be a spare bedroom, living room or bedroom.

Buy now: Home Essentials Outland Rug, from £29.40, Home Essentials

10. La Redoute So'Home Hand Carved Hexagon Rug

La Redoute So'Home Hand Carved Hexagon Rug on wooden floors

The elegance of this La Redoute rug makes it look like it should cost double its price tag, while its 3D effect should make your room look a tad larger. It's hand-carved with a hexagonal design, boasting a thick yet shaggy (and obviously soft) pile. Choose from more colours than grey, for if you want to add some colour to your floors, otherwise it makes a brilliant focal point inside a room. In short: it's different and we love it.

Buy now: La Redoute So'Home Hand Carved Hexagon Rug, from £119, La Redoute

Where to buy a new rug?

If you're still yet to find a rug to blend in with your home decor scheme, then look no further than these popular rug retailers below. Click through to browse their rug selection now.

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Annie is Ideal Home's Deputy Ecommerce Editor. With four years of eCommerce experience under her belt, you can find her shopping words of wisdom on Real Homes, Gardeningetc, Livingetc, Homes & Gardens and Woman & Home. When she's not planning ahead or curating deals for Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday, you can find Annie testing a range of products in her South London home, from reed diffusers to candles, BBQs, mattresses and even a few vacuum cleaners.