Joke: What’s black and white and red all over? Answer: A newspaper. I only know about 5 jokes and for some reason, that one has stuck with me but let’s talk black and white rugs.
I recently had the opportunity to purchase a bunch of rugs because my new house has 100% wood and tile floors. While these floors look great and are easy to clean, they are not so great for sitting on which is something that we do a surprising amount of time and the dog does all the time.
Black and white rugs are some of my favorites because they can read as neutral and they work well with most design styles (traditional, mid-century, sleek modern, craftsman) and they are not feminine but work well with pink a little girls room. If you are looking for traditional rugs with florals, I am not your gal. If you like geometrics, stripes, and Moroccan inspired patterns, there is probably something here for you.
Before getting to the fun stuff, it is important to grab a measuring tape because my friends, when it comes to rugs, size really matters. General guidelines:
- Bedrooms – 14×14’ room fits fit an 8×10’ rug under queen/full bed, 16×16’ or larger room fits a 9×12’ rug under a king bed. I like bedroom rugs placed horizontally under the bed as shown below with the bedside tables off the rug but you may need to flip the rug vertically and place under the bedside tables if your room is smaller than 14×14’ or go with 5×7′ rug.
- Living room – rug size depends on furniture placement and whether you place the furniture fully on the rug or just place the front legs on the rug. In general, there should be at least 1’ of exposed floors between the rug and the walls and at minimum, the front legs of the furniture should sit on the rug – no rug islands.
- Choose a color that that contrasts with your furniture so dark rugs with light sofas and lighter rugs with dark furniture. I recently failed here when I added a too white sofa to a room with a natural wool Moroccan rug and the rug ended up looking cream. Ultimately, I am going to swap the sofa and/or the rug – in the meantime, let me know if you like rug 1 or rug 2 in the comments below.
Option 1: Moroccan
Option 2: Geometric
Now for the fun stuff, here are 30 great black and white rugs (I own 5 of them) that would look great in most spaces. I recommend tufted rugs in family rooms because that is often where said floor sitting takes place even though our sectional can hold like 15 people. Also, be warned if you go with 100% wool there will be shedding but after you vacuum obsessively for a couple of weeks it will be worth it because you will be left with an incredibly soft and durable rug.
Ready to hit the purchase button? Check out the returns policies as sometimes you just have to see the rug in your space and it is often a good idea to order sample or smaller rug to see and feel the color and texture before making a bigger commitment. I have lots of experience with rug returns – my bathroom probably took 4 tries, more on that later. Which are your favorites?
Option 2!!!
Thanks for your help! Have already ordered the couch in a different fabric as the stark white is just too scary to sit on!