10 Best Area Rugs for Winter – Home Flooring Pros Review

February 22, 2023, by: Jamie Sandford

It’s that time of year again: the heating is being ramped up, wood fires are being lit, and at the end of a day tromping through the chillier weather all you want to do is curl up at home with a hot drink, a comforting snack – maybe watch a movie or two before bed. So, now is the time to get your home nice and cozy; it’s the perfect time to look for great area rugs that will add an extra layer of comfort and warmth to your floor.

Rugs and soft furnishings are also a great way to update your home décor in line with new design trends; and according to a number of top interiors and textile designers interviewed on House Beautiful*, there are a number of key color trends to look out for.

So, seeing as there are literally hundreds of thousands of area rugs to choose from, and the best ones could be a relatively large purchase, we’ve done a bit of trawling around the stores to find you the 10 best area rugs that will work perfectly and the best place to buy area rugs.

1. Greek blue: “The blue of the Mediterranean, and the tops of the churches in Santorini… [is] so rich and fabulous, perfect when paired with a grey or pink.” – Sara Story

One of our favorite trends for 2015 is using splashes of vividly, bold Greek blue in soft furnishings. A pop of this classic summer holiday color is more than welcome in the wintry months, and the classic offset blue and white stripes of Madeline Weinrib’s Buche wool flatweave area rug is the perfect option. Like all of Weinrib’s designs, the Buche rug brings together both classy elegance and fresh modernity to any home. Price from $1000

2. 60s shades: “60s colors… like olive and orange are being given new life.” – Alexandra Kaehler

The Moor rug in Saffron from Capel Rugs is a great choice to bring in some of the orange tones that are a highlight of 60s shades. On top of being a gorgeously warming color, the trellis pattern is in line with the geometric patterns that have dominated in recent years. This is also a very classic looking rug that will age well. Price $222 – $1,347.

3. Olive Green: “Olive greens will be popular… the shade is warm, organic, and neutral for almost any other color you pair with it.” – Capella Kincheloe

Following on from the 60s shades, olive green is a stand-out color trend, and the Fluffy Bogota shag style rug from Rugs USA in shades of olive green, gives exactly the right balance between warm fluffiness and organic tones that will add a bit of punch to neutral décor. The contrasting shades of green woven in concentric circular lines add extra interest compared to a standard shag rug. Price $422 – $840

4. Sour green with blue: “We love a little sour green mixed in with anything… vibrant versions of classic blue and green have a fresh, bold look.” – Anne Maxwell Foster and Suysel dePedro Cunningham of Tilton Fenwick

Green features in another interesting color trend, this time in a sour, limey, cactus shade and paired with light sky blues. It’s a very uplifting, zesty color combination – and something that will very much brighten dark wintry homes. The best rug version we’ve seen of this color trend is the Sarah Campbell Mosaic Triangle rug available at West Elm, which uses triangular splashes of sour green and sky blue amongst tones of gray and cream to great effect. Price $59 – $799

5. Pastel Palettes: “I’ll be looking back to the pastel palette of LA in the 80s – optimistic color combinations of orange and purple sunsets, green palm trees, aqua pools, and pink flamingos.” – Christos Prevezanos

Pastel tones can sometimes be a bit insipid and baby-ish, but not if you keep to Christos Prevezanos’ thought-process and opt for unusual pastel combinations like the Plum & Bow Spacedye Diamond Rug at Urban Outfitters. This extremely affordable rug combines both pastel and stronger tones of pinks, oranges and purples with a geometric diamond pattern that adds interest and texture, and is not in the least bit “blah” or childish! Price $39 – $199

6. Neutral gray: “Gray is definitely the hottest neutral these days—it sets the perfect backdrop.” – Jeff Andrews

Layering gray tones is a super stylish décor statement this season, the key being to layer tones and textures to create interest and depth. The Madison Ash Gray rug available at Overstock is an ideal foundation for a gray neutral design, as it pairs together two different grays and the chenille textile also naturally has a multi-toned aspect. Price $56 – $830

7. Renaissance-Inspired: “The combinations of greens, plums, cerulean blue, beiges and whites – and the mixing of patterns and textures, as seen in many Renaissance paintings.” – Alessandra Branca

To my mind the LI03 Multicolor Persian rug from Nourison is the perfect representation of the Renaissance period, with its intricate floral patterns woven in perfectly balanced jewel-like shades of green, red, brown, ivory and blue. It is wonderfully harmonious, rich and appealing: perfect for wintry days indoors. Price not available.

8. Bold color mixing: “I love mixing colors, like pinks, purples, and vivid green with aqua and turquoise… to keep things fresh.” – Grant K. Gibson

ABC Carpet & Home have recently introduced their new collection of Color Reform Spectrum rugs that are excellent choices if you’re into bold colors. The color reform process involves over-dying handmade rugs, often in very vivid tones, to create one-of-a-kind bold and dramatic designs. We particularly love this Fuchsia and Orchid one that is a simply stunning blend of hot pinks, violets and cherry reds! Price $8600

9. Warm Tones: “I’m seeing warmer, muddy colors start to come back into vogue. I can’t get enough of rust, olive, dusty mint, and aubergine…” – Jenny Komenda

Well, if you had to find an exact match to Jenny Komenda’s trend prediction above it would have to be the Madison Rug from Missoni, available at Roubini Rugs. This undeniably stylish rug blends all those key color tones that are warm and appealing and adds a contemporary edge with its linear, shard-like pattern. Price not available.

10. Dynamic Pairings: “… pair the classics with unexpected accents to make the scheme dynamic and vibrant – I love black, grey and white with splashes of red, and brown, blue, and green with orange citrus tones.” – Malcolm James Kutner

This is a great trend to pick up on if you already have a monochrome scheme – simply add a bolt of vibrant color to your soft furnishings and you’re done. A great example of how to do it is the square Lappljung Ruta rug from IKEA which features a bold black and white geometric pattern with a contrasting detailing border of lime green and deep turquoise. The added snip of color is both unexpected and satisfying – a wonderfully inspired design! Price $80

* All designer quotes sourced from Color Trends You NEED to Know Now, by Olivia Rassow in House Beautiful

About the Author:

Jamie Sandford

Jamie Sandford is the Owner and Chief Editor of Home Flooring Pros (find out more). After 12 years’ experience in screen and stage set construction, followed by a further 15 years working in the home renovation/remodeling business, he now writes and curates online home improvement advice.

“Buying and installing home flooring should be a fairly straightforward process, but often it isn’t. After more than 15 years experience in home flooring and remodeling, I started Home Flooring Pros in 2013 to help homeowners navigate the often-over complicated process of choosing, buying and installing a home floor. The aim is to save you time and money by helping you to make better floor buying decisions.”