First rule of thumb. Do not leave the rug until last. 

I wanted to show you how we would potentially style some of our favourite rugs and give you a few suggestions. I am always led by what I love and never follow trends as I think they date and I definitely do not want to have a room that looks like everyone elses.. Buy things from the heart and remember, your house should be a self portrait of you.

If your rug has a few colours in, you can incorporate some of these colours into other elements of the room. This might be the sofa, art work, textiles or even lamp shades. We love to mix pattern, with pattern and it only works if you scale the patterns up correctly. For example, I would never use a strong design on a sofa. I much prefer a plain or a ticking stripe. That way you can layer the bold, bright stripes and floral fabrics onto it with cushions. If you tire of the cushions they can easily be changed. I also suggest a mix of vintage cushions and more expensive cushions as this makes the whole room feel less contrived. 

My favourite saying, by Celia Birtwell. Textile Designer. 

“My life has been a happy accident without path or planning”