So much more than just something soft underfoot, rugs are an ingenious way to energize a kitchen. Whether you’re looking to add a finishing touch to a newly renovated kitchen, or you’re simply looking to make a pre-reno space feel more bearable until demo day, a rug is a low-lift hero. When you consider how few opportunities there are to infuse a kitchen with character outside of built-in fixtures like cabinetry, countertops and sleek appliances, the appeal of a kitchen rug becomes even clearer. Kitchen rugs can lend color, pattern, and—perhaps most importantly—texture. If you’ve elected to go the route of painted cabinets, consider using a stylish rug that underscores or complements your color choice.
Turkish kilims are a favorite of interior designers because of their mesmerizing patterns and unique color combos. Whether you’ve opted for forest green, mint or blue-gray cabinets, you’re likely to find a Turkish rug to match. Of course, Turkish rugs are far from the only choice. Graphic, low-pile wool rugs that mimic the look of cement tiles are an ingenious way to wake up a modernist kitchen, while casual striped scatter rugs can work magic in everything from rustic farmhouse kitchens to nautical-inspired kitchens.
If you’d like to elevate your cooking space, but you’re not sure where to start, we’ve rounded up 32 kitchens adorned with ravishing rugs. Cull these picture-perfect kitchens for tips on where to position your rug, plus the sizes to use and what materials and styles are basically considered foolproof. Prepare to be floored!
1
Woven Wonders
To complement mint green cabinets and rattan bar stools, designer Chauncey Boothby selected a natural fiber rug to set a casual, yet sophisticated mood.
2
Fuchsia Flourish
To energize a neutral kitchen, the design firm Chroma worked in a vibrant magenta flatweave rug. Elsewhere in the kitchen, a few vibrant accessories work to bridge the color contrast.
3
Mood Maker
A pastoral landscape painting provides the color context for an orange and beige rug in this beyond-charming kitchen designed by the firm Denise McGaha Interiors.
4
Graphic Design
You don’t need to possess a farmhouse-inspired kitchen for a kitchen rug to make sense. As the firm Brio Interior Design shows, minimalist kitchens can be excellent candidates for rugs as well.
5
Softer Shades of Splendor
Muted blue-gray cabinets and striated wood cabinets are enhanced by a kilim incorporating vibrant pops of red in this kitchen designed by Douglas C. Wright Architects.
6
Peaceful Palette
A kilim featuring hushed shades of pink and lavender feels perfectly apropos in this predominantly powder blue kitchen designed by Elizabeth Stamos.
7
Say it with Stripes
Industrial surfaces with a glam edge make a striped rug with graduating shades of gray feel like a natural fit in this chic kitchen designed by Jasmin Reese Interiors.
8
Kilim Me Softly
A bold red kilim enhances this primarily black and white kitchen cued up by the firm Brio Interior Design.
9
Natural Instinct
To lend cohesion in a bright and airy kitchen, New York City designer Jenny Wolf chose a natural fiber rug that echoes the colors and construction materials used in the room’s rattan and iron barstools.
10
Just the Jewel Tones
For a kitchen cocooned in a dramatic abstract statement mural, designer Kati Curtis opted for a solid, sage-colored rug with a velvety sheen for added interest.
11
Flattering Flatweaves
This striking space designed by KitchenLab Interiors shows exactly why kilims featuring soft shades of pink and peach are a go-to for all-white kitchens.
12
Magic Carpet
A vibrant rug provides a color palette for a wide array of accessories in this kitchen designed by Lily Spindle. The result is a room that feels collected rather than chaotic.
13
Plush Hour
Table lamps and an insanely plush rug lend this kitchen designed by M + M Interior Design a cozy, layered feel more commonly associated with living rooms or bedrooms.
14
On the Quiet Side
For a kitchen rendered in predominantly cool tones, designer Martin Young selected a peach-colored rug to lend just a hint of warmth.
15
Finishing Flourishes
For a kitchen featuring a surplus of texture, (including a backsplash constructed of luminescent Moroccan tiles), designer Meredith Ellis elected to use a tactile Turkish rug.
16
Not-So-Mellow Yellow
Hot pink cabinets are tempered by a sunshine yellow rug in this high-wattage kitchen designed by studio CAK.
17
Subtle Statements
To lend softness without creating visual noise, designer Sean Anderson selected a flatweave rug in a barely-there hue.
18
The Missing Pink
For an all-white kitchen, designer Lisa Gilmore chose an exuberant pink and blue rug to add vibrancy.
19
Cover-Up Job
In addition to providing function—in this case, a smooth surface for kitchen chairs to glide in and out on—a small, prayer-style rug imbues this kitchen nook designed by Sherwood Kypreos with a wayfaring bohemian vibe.
20
Touch of Turquoise
A turquoise rag rug transforms this kitchen designed by Patrick Ahearn Architect from classic-feeling to subtly rustic-feeling.
21
Put it in Neutral
A minimalist kitchen designed by Sean Anderson feels infinitely more layered with the addition of a Turkish rug in muted shades of greige and ivory.
22
Saturation Point
Designers Susan and Ben Work chose to enlist a vibrant red rug to complement navy cabinets in this stunning modernist kitchen.
23
Pink Enchanter
Pops of pink—including a pink range hood and a pink kilim—abound in this Palm Springs kitchen designed by Studio Gild.
24
Pattern Play
Look carefully and you can see how designer Summer Thornton created cohesion in this captivating kitchen by putting hexagons on repeat in both the backsplash and the Turkish-style runner.
25
Collected Charm
Designer Zoe Feldman selected a rich red antique rug to energize an otherwise modern, all-white kitchen. The rug’s antique pattern also works to tie in the vintage accessories that populate the space.
26
Feelin’ the Blues
Pops of powder blue—including those featured in a statement-making flatweave rug—are repeated throughout this cheerful kitchen designed by Studio Gild.
27
Floor Art
A rug needn’t always be placed in front of cabinets. As Studio Gild shows, one can be just as arresting when positioned between a hallway and a kitchen.
28
Minimalism Meets Maximalism
studio CAK selected an elaborate Persian-style rug to serve as a stunning counterpoint to steel cabinetry and appliances in a minimalist high-rise kitchen.
29
Palette Cleanser
A softly colored pink and lavender rug is the perfect complement to classic white cabinetry in this elegant kitchen designed by the firm Pappas Miron.
30
The Color Between Us
A colorful runner nestled between banks of black and white cabinetry lends this San Francisco kitchen designed by K Interiors a sense of allure and intrigue.
31
Tread Games
Cabinetry in two shades of gray is united by a graphic two-tone gray rug in this refined kitchen designed by KitchenLab Interiors.
32
Haute Hacienda
Vibrant striped rugs, vaguely reminiscent of Mexican serapes, lend this kitchen designed by Tim Barber Architects an eclectic spirit.
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