The idea of redesigning and redecorating your home is always a welcome notion, especially if you’ve been staring at the same old rearrangement for years. While collecting little trinkets to display can help transform your spaces, nothing quite compares to the magic a statement piece can bring—such as a Moroccan rug.
These must-have pieces come in various sizes, patterns, and colors, all of which reflect more than just style. They depict thousands of years old tradition and culture, which reflect the artist’s tribal life, beliefs, and other forms of art. They also come in numerous types, hailing from the tribes of Berber, down to the Azilal. All these are made to be versatile, making it the perfect addition to any home.
If you’re looking to invest in a piece soon, styling your place with a Morrocan rug should come with a little preparation. That said, here are a few tips to ensure your interior design plan stays foolproof:
Tip #1: Don’t be afraid to play with patterns and colors
The best thing about Moroccan rugs is that they come in various patterns, but most of them are minimal in design. If you already have a statement rug with intricate and bold designs, you can easily pair it with a more neutral rug, or perhaps even furniture pieces for the perfect balance.
If you’re truly looking to switch things up a bit, however, don’t be afraid to match your statement rugs with equally eye-catching pillows, velvet sofas, wooden coffee tables, and even art wall pieces. Ultimately, however, your design will boil down to personal taste and preference—whatever your choice may be, don’t be afraid to embrace it!
Tip #2: Layer things up
If you can’t get enough of rugs, fret not—layering is now the latest trend. Moroccan rugs can easily be mixed and matched, allowing you to create an even more comfortable and cozy atmosphere. More importantly, however, you make sure to accomplish a more textured room, one that adds a little more spice and a touch of personality.
If you own a more neutral carpet, stack it up with bold colors and vivid patterns. Your layering shouldn’t stop there, either. Create a patchwork of rugs, and mix your Moroccan rugs away! You’ll be left with an eclectic look, one that simply cannot be replicated.
Tip #3: Style them everywhere
While it’s logical to have Moroccan rugs grace your living rooms and entertainment areas, Moroccan rugs can be styled anywhere. They’ll easily blend well into any room, always adding a touch of color in various ways. Your dining room area could be adorned with a Beni Ourain, serving as a tapestry to keep food stains away.
Your children’s playroom can benefit from a Berber rug, adding an extra layer of cushion for protection. Your bedroom, on the other hand, can now be outfitted with a reading nook with a good vintage Moroccan rug. There are just a few options, so allow your imagination to run wild.
The Bottom Line
While most seem to be naturally gifted when it comes to interior design, you don’t have to be—especially if you’re working with Moroccan rugs. They’re incredibly versatile and flexible, as they are statement pieces that don’t need much work. They can be used in any room for every function, and the only thing you need to think about is your personal preferences.
For the bestMoroccan rugs, allow Atlas Weavers to help. We are a fair trade artisan project, dedicated to supplying the world with the wonder of authentic Moroccan rugs. Order your new favorite pieces today!
Ok here’s the deal. I spend likely too much time “fantasy shopping”. I can’t help myself. I see a new line drop or a beautiful new item on Instagram and my adrenaline goes through the roof. It’s involuntary but also a deep passion. So since you all probably have better things to do with your time or you know, have self-control and not scour online shops daily, you might have missed some of the new things to hit the market recently. Fear not because I have no life and want to talk about beautiful new products ALL. DAY. LONG.
Originally this was supposed to be a small but fun post. Maybe 20 or so items that I was really lusting after. Well, my friends, let’s just say self-control isn’t my thing and there are more than 20 items I’ll be showing you today (and that’s not even including the new outdoor goods that popped up after Ryann did this post). I mean when it comes to decor I have a very hard time not wanting to celebrate all of the things I love. The libra in me simply can’t make a decision when needing to cull back products that deserve their time in the sun. I think ultimately you all benefit.
Now, this post isn’t meant to be a “BUY THIS! AND THIS! O AND DON’T FORGET THIS BEAUTY!” But if you are in need of a little decor shake-up or have searching high and low for the perfect “fill in the blank,” I want to show you how even swapping out (or adding) something to your home can really make everything feel brand spanking new.
First off the original side table on the left is still perfection. But let’s say we really wanted to “modern the joint up”. This graphic and bold table still has the same silhouette and natural wood material but gives off a much bigger edge and contrast to that beautiful vintage chair.
Again, Julie’s current pendant is perfect but trying out something new is fun! Both pendants are made with organic materials but the softness of the wicker one gives a totally different feel from the geometric one. (P.S. The scale of the mocked up example is likely off so make sure to measure for your own space:))
Ok, the photoshopped stools are NOT the right scale either but I do think it’s fun to see a totally different look (except for having backs… Emily Henderson is VERY pro backed stools for the comfort they provide). Also, these are from Target!
Let’s mix up some wood tones! That Article sideboard is an EHD favorite but look at how different the room looks with a new and lighter wood tone in town. Both are so pretty (though a dresser as a media console would be tricky… but THOSE HANDLES!)
Last but not least we have my old living room. I love that little Target table lamp (no longer available) but throwing in that wicker shade BEAUTY gives a ton of texture to space that it didn’t have before. Both are great but I really like how the new one makes my eyes feel!
Hopefully, with these examples, you can see the value of switching out something (or moving it to another room) and how it can really inject new energy into your space if you want it. So I’ll stop gabbing and get to the real reason you all clicked in…THE PRETTY STUFF.
Lighting, lighting, lighting you are my favorite (as also proven in this post). I feel like there is something for everyone in this roundup! For the more natural lovers #2, #7, #8, #9, #11, and #21 are right up your alley. Actually, #7 is a pretty great affordable dupe for Em’s favorite table lamp. For the ultra-modern you have #4, #5, #13, and #19. And of course the vintage-inspired lovers (shout out to the CB2 and Paul McCobb collab!) there’s #1, #3, #12, #14, #15, and #17. Clearly, I love ALL of these lights and hope if you are looking there’s one that’s perfect for you:)
I love all of these pieces (duh) but can we just take a moment to admire the beauty of that Target sofa. So chic! Also, #6 is a DOUBLE reclining sofa so yes, dreams do come true and that leather sofa is so freaking cool without being too loud. Then for the beds, they are all so special and so different. Which is your favorite??
My top pick is #4 because while not inexpensive, it looks like it costs triple that. Everything from the fabric choice to the thickness of the legs is SO GOOD. But if storage is what you need, both #2 and #3 are awesome options. Then #1, #5, and #6 are all testaments to the fact that texture is chic in any style (plus that pom pouf is so fun and great for that price:))
Wow can a special chair make/change a room. While all of these are pretty neutral in color, the shapes are incredibly special. Take #12. Those arms are so freaking cool and really elevate what could have easily been a perfectly nice (but not that interesting) recliner. However, comfort doesn’t have to always be sacrificed for shape. All I want to do is curl up in #4, #8, and #14.
You already know the handles on #1 are very dear to my heart to but #15 has a similar vibe at almost half of the price. Also, can you believe that #9 is from Target?! There’s a matching side table too juuuust in case you were wondering:) The last thing I’ll say is that #7 is a freaking kitchen island and would make any kitchen so pretty (and done right could give off some serious deVOL energy).
Room dividers have been coming back into style for a little while. But now there are some INCREDIBLY cool ones that will kick up your room’s style into the highest of gears. #5 is definitely more decorative than function but is insanely cool. Then while the striped Sarah Ellison one is a pretty penny, it’s also so clear that’s it’s a forever, pass down to the kids/grandkids kinda piece.
I promise that I didn’t pick out all of these checkered patterns on purpose. I don’t know if I have a problem (likely) or they are just everywhere (another BIG possibility) but I’m not tired of them yet. Actually, #10 was a last-minute add-on from the new Sarah Sherman Samuel Etsy Edit. It took every inch of willpower I had in me to not hit add to cart (to be fair I was meeting with a financial planner and buying a pillow that I don’t have a definite plan for seemed counterproductive…also growing up is SCARY). But there’s a high chance of it sneaking into my MOTO once I get to the finishing touches so keep an eye out.
Oh man, I love getting into the little pretty things and if my last kitchen was any indication, I love candlestick holders. I also have a vessel obsession as proven by my EHD prop garage loot. I love “the age” of that dark wood vase (#2) so much. A definite “instant soul” piece. I also think that the mix of the modern clean shape and black wood of #6 is so stunning. #7 is kind of an EHD no-brainer piece because it can be used as a vase or pitcher! Those circle handles are so awesome. Lastly, if you don’t know Virginia Sin of Sin Ceramics go now. Her vessel (#8) is such a statement and will bring in a true piece of art into your room.
Did you think I could end this post without grouping of beautiful stragglers?? No way. So here they are. #1 is an AWESOME object that will surely make your space both cool and will be a conversation starter when people can come to your house again. Those food containers (#2) are incredible and affordable! I can’t tell you how hard it was for me to find food containers that were stylish and not a million dollars. I did find some that are fine so I won’t be switching them out for these. But if you are still on the hunt CONGRATS because you can be the owners of these cuties! Now I could talk about each piece but I will spare as you can clearly see how great they are. BUT that grid tray is incredible and such a freaking great styling piece. DON’T MISS OUT. I know it’s not cheap but if you need a tray and can swing the $129, DO IT.
See? Wasn’t that a blast??? I hope that either your fantasy shopping itch was scratched or you found a great new piece to make your home feel even better. As design lovers, I think it’s kinda our duty to appreciate design whether it’s just looking or buying. So let me know what you think? How do you feel about these cool shapes? Has there been anything you’ve seen recently you need to show us? Let’s talk shop in the comments:)
Jean Brownhill (you might remember her from this post and the incredible company she started) reached out about promoting her new program SAW which is all about uplifting women contractors. We were super inspired by this and of course wanted to support because we also want to see waaaay more women contractors!
I have personally seen a lot of women go into interior design or architecture and work in these industries for many years. What I saw was that oftentimes we were doing the job of the general contractor: managing subcontractors, choosing materials, or coming up with construction details. It’s so obvious to me that women are already doing that work and just not being compensated for it. I think that is the reason why I started SAW (Sweeten Accelerator for Women), and why I started Sweeten in general, because I believe that with internet technology and the web, it allows for new access points. It allows for new opportunities. In the past, a woman would have had an incredibly hard time becoming a general contractor, to be able to get clients, or to get the subcontractor networks that they needed.
Now there’s so much transparency and opportunity. Sweeten can provide that job deal flow to help a woman-led general contracting firm not only in its first few years of business but as the company continues to grow. We are so excited to support that.
The general contractor and the industry of construction in general has long been dictated by nepotism and through union participation. Union participation is related to commercial work and we don’t typically do that type of project. In residential, however, it’s mostly through nepotism. Fathers would hand down their construction businesses to their son—an intergenerational transfer. In some ways, Sweeten’s platform can help with the mentorship and tutelage to help women grow their business.
We’ve had conversations with our male general contractors and have said, “Hey, you should think about giving this business to your daughter.” In fact, we have one in our network right now whose daughter went to architecture school. And I said, “Your daughter should take over your business.” He said, “That’s so funny you’re saying that. I just was having that conversation. I didn’t even think that she would want it.” And she does.
Through the power of storytelling and our blog, we’re highlighting the incredible projects that our women general contractors have completed and are really changing the narrative around what the job is.
The job of a general contractor—it is logistics, it is communication, it is delegation. You have to marshal labor and materials to a job site, and orchestrate the labor and the materials to come together to finish a project. You do not need to swing a hammer. You do not need to be a burly guy. Whenever the image of a general contractor is, it is a false one. Those executive functioning skills, women are great at that.
For all those reasons, it was clear to me that a program like SAW needed to exist. We’re so excited to be able to support these women general contractors. Hopefully, it will encourage more women to join the industry, because they have the skillset for it. It’s a great profession and offers a path to small business ownership. The hours can be very flexible if you have children at home.
In some of the challenges that our woman general contractors face, getting hired by a homeowner is not one of them. The challenge is when women need to secure additional subcontractor labor and get them to work on their projects. Subcontractors still have a very outdated idea about who a general contractor is. The good news is that if there is a steady deal flow and steady work, money does talk. They can break that up really quick.
In general, when it comes to renovating homeowners—women or men—they’re at a disadvantage. There’s such a high information asymmetry, because as a homeowner, you don’t renovate that often. And this is a general contractor’s full time job. That’s why resources like our blog and Emily’s blog are so important, because the information imbalance is just huge.
No one likes being told they’re wrong. Especially in a public forum.
I was in a creative writing class at U of O when I really learned that lesson. It was a small group, maybe twelve of us, all of us trying to prove how well-read and literary we were while critiquing each other’s work around a large wooden table. The first couple of weeks had gone better than expected. I had made some well-received comments, and my pages were getting good marks, so I was really feeling myself during that third week.
It was during a discussion on another student’s story when I confidently chimed in about the main character. I used a certain word in my overly-verbose dissection that would ultimately cause me to never raise my hand again.
I was mid-sentence into my second important point when a dude (who I think was trying to show off for the cute girl in class) interrupted me,
“Sorry, did you say ‘volumptuous’?”
“…yeah. Anyway I thought that–“
“Ummmm. It’s voluptuous.” He looked around the table, like can you believe this idiot? Then hammered it home,
“Volumptuous isn’t a word.”
The air went out of the room and my lungs. All the faces swung back to me like spectators watching a tennis match, but like, if one of the players was a baboon. My cheeks flushed. My tongue clinched. I couldn’t believe what an idiot I was. I had always thought the word was volumptuous. I mean, just like in an onomonpea way it makes way more sense. It sounds more rotund and sexy. I think. But I could tell by the faces staring at me, I was wrong. I went white-hot. This guy had just called me out in the worst possible way, basically pointing out that there was toddler at the table.
Now. I could have graciously accepted the correction, admitted my mistake, and continued like a big boy. But that’s not how a stubborn guy rolls. I really don’t like being wrong. Especially when people are watching. So naturally, I doubled down.
“No. It’s volumptuous.” I snipped.
The little titters around the table broiled my cheeks even more. I was ready to triple down, louder and more emphatic. There was no way I was going to lose ump-gate, dammit. But thankfully, right before I gave a version of “Yeah-huh“, the professor stepped in and moved the discussion along. I think he saw how embarrassed I was and graciously forced the room to ignore the exchange without taking a side on the issue. I learned a lot about myself that day.
I haven’t seen that hot-faced indignant kid for a while, I’ve developed a more grown-up set of responses and recognitions. But I have to tell you, he was back in full-force when I read all your comments about the farm floor plans. I was pissed! I was indignant! I couldn’t believe how wrong you all were! We had worked for like two months straight trying to figure out the best possible floor plan for the new house, and even though there were little things that we were still kind of bumping on, it at least felt done, like we’d done the best we could have.
I think Emily has learned from getting negative comments about her work before. She is very good at letting things roll off her back, or just ignoring them. Living your life somewhat in public teaches you to accept that haters are gonna hate. It’s been a hard-won victory for her, and took many years of crying before she learned to not let the comments get under her skin which I’m super happy about. Sometimes I’d rather she didn’t read them, because all it takes is one Mean Jean or Asshole Casserole to ruin all the positive comments (and now the comment policy is so much more strict towards cruel or inflammatory comments). It’s all you focus on. But she’s become very zen about it. In fact, she hadn’t even gotten around to read the comments that day, despite it being such a popular post. I think she knew what she was in for. Let me say right here, it’s a very vulnerable thing to share your work with the world, I don’t think I could do it. At least not in a place where I’m allowing immediate feedback. So my hat’s off to her for even doing it. I’m a little different. Because this was the first design plan where I had skin in the game, I definitely felt personally attacked and angry. Like, how could you not like this thing? We worked so hard on it! We really love it and so should you! But then I started noticing a pattern form in the comments.
First off, they all ended with “but I’m sure it’s going to be beautiful” or “can’t wait to see how it turns out”. Even the negative ones ended with a nice note of care and investment, which settled my hot cheeks down. I started to read them with more of a willingness to listen, not just through defensiveness. And the more I read, the more I started to see that there were consistent areas of concern. A few of them really hit home, because I had felt some of those concerns myself, but not like in a major way. Just like little naggings of, “I kinda wish this wasn’t like this, but I don’t know how to make it better.” So when those areas were highlighted it made me reluctantly admit that they might be bigger than I thought. And there were a few that I didn’t agree with or I think can be eased by some explanations. So here we go. I’ll start with the ones that aren’t getting changed.
1. Y’all Really Like To Pee But The Bathroom Isn’t Moving
Yes, the powder room on the lower floor is tucked into the family room, which means that if you’re hanging out inside and have to go, you have to walk past a sofa. But this one isn’t a concern for us for two reasons – first, if you could see the whole layout of the property, you’d find that the majority of the time is going to be spent directly out the west side. It’s where the kids will play, it’s where the stables are, it’s where the deck is. So anytime someone needs to go, they just come in the door at the family room and it’s right there. Second, there’s no other place to put it without disrupting the entire layout. So you’re just gonna have to do a pee-pee dance twenty steps further than you’d like. Sorry.
2. Stackable Laundry In Our Closet Is Staying
Yes, if this was meant to be the primary washing station it would be insane. But it’s not. This is a small unit that is just for our bedding, towels, and clothes from the main bedroom. We are installing a proper laundry room up on the second floor (well, it’s shrinking by the second because we are trying to add another WC up there). We’re doing this because we’re teaching our kids to wash and fold their own clothes and we want that mess out of sight down on the first floor. Oh, and for the commenters who see this as wasteful, I hear you, it seems like a lot, but it’s not like we’re going to be using twice the electricity or water, we’d still be doing the same amount of laundry, it will just be split between two units rather than an all-day marathon of one. I promise, we’re very conscious of wastefulness and will not be running these things day and night (and we make ourselves and our kids wear things until they are filthy, never washing after one wear). And for those concerned about not having it in the mudroom, well, now we barely have a mudroom so there’s no space. Also, is the concern that muddy pants will drip all over the house? I’m a little confused. It would be nice, but then that means you’re literally washing clothes every time you come in the house? I don’t mean for that to be condescending so don’t get your cheeks flushed but I’m genuinely confused as to why having your laundry in the mudroom is a “must-have”. But like I said, it’s not even an option anymore.
3. Family Room “Too Close” To Main Bedroom But We Have A Plan
I actually voiced this when we were designing. It does seem like it will be annoying to have the TV going when we’re sleeping but there are a few things that keep it from being a big enough concern to re-work the space. First, there’s a large walk-in closet between the wall that the TV is on and our bed. So noise won’t be an issue. Yes, I don’t love the idea of a bunch of smelly teens hanging out by my sanctuary of a bedroom. But here’s the thing you didn’t know – we’re planning a whole teen enclosure, like a zoo, out in the 1850s original house. If you look at the original post about the property, you’ll see that there’s an adorable little one-bedroom structure that Arciform labeled “The Victorian House” because of its style. Well, it needs a LOT of love but we’ve got some years to do it, and it is scheduled to become the teen-zoo. We’re gonna put a TV and sofas and maybe some games out there. I’m lobbying hard for a shuffleboard table and a pinball machine, so maybe it’s a Brian-zoo too. All that to say, hopefully by the time the kids are teenagers, all their friends will be out there so the adults can be in the main house talking about adult things like broccoli and economics.
4. The Sunroom/Dining Room (I Call It The Office) Distance Drama
Many people thought that it was a waste to have a breakfast nook and a dining room, and you’d be right if that dining room was meant to be our nightly eating area. I wanted to rename this just “Sunroom” because I didn’t see us using it for eating very often. Only when we had guests. Most days it would be used for Emily’s writing space (until the Victorian is done). We’re a casual eating family and we were planning on using the cozy breakfast nook for our day-to-day dining (which seats 4-6). What we have here at the Mountain House is kind of a nook, and we use it all the time. So that wasn’t a big deal to me. I really don’t mind walking a few more steps than normal to bring a steaming dish of Brian’s Famous Ribeye to a table of happy guests. The distance really wasn’t a concern. What WAS a concern was the fact that we’re adding an expensive (albeit beautiful) addition to the structure. We needed to make sure it was going to be used. Well, when you get to number 5, you’ll see that it may or may not have become obsolete. Saving us money, but leaving us a bit sad. What do we do?
5. The Kitchen/Living Room Situation (You Had Some Good Points)
This was by far the most commented upon aspect of the floor plan. Many of you thought it was too modern to have a great room and many thought it encroached on the living room too much. Both of which I had felt for a while but didn’t really know how to express. It’s also hard because the Chief Architect program makes everything look like a video game, and therefore more modern and sleek than it would be in real life. It can feel a little lifeless in the program. In reality, Emily had found an amazing ten-foot apothecary table with ornate drawers and labels that looked aged and had so much character. It would have made the space really unique and cool. But it was in the middle of the room, and it made the living room kind of hunch over to the wall away from the fireplace. Also, the fridge so close to the living room always seemed a bit odd, but there was no real other place for it that made sense for the flow of the kitchen.
Also, by pulling the kitchen into the living room, it would allow us to have that big beautiful mudroom, which was one of our favorite moments. AND it meant we could keep the cabinets that the previous owner had built and use them as like a pantry. Which I know would have made a lot of the “preservationists” happy.
But all the comments started scratching at an itch that we realized needed to be addressed. For some reason, we had just kind of thought, we either keep the small kitchen that’s there or we move it to the center and make it the hub of the house. The way it’s set up now is just not functional, it’s on the Eastern wall, with no real access to the rest of the house, even if you open up that eastern wall, the kitchen is like an afterthought. But you guys had a great idea – what if we put it up where the breakfast nook was?
Well, I had to fight my urge to double down and say that IT IS PRONOUNCED VOLUMPTUOUS! YOU’RE WRONG! but then we tried it out. And after the initial wave of nausea, we think we came to a new design that makes much more sense. We even wrote out a pros and cons list for each floor plan and we think the new one wins. We’re going to lose three major elements that everyone involved had come to adore -the mudroom, the breakfast nook, and the sunroom (potentially). They were all stand out, like, magazine pieces. But were they totally necessary? A reluctant no. Would removing them save us a lot of money that could be used on the Victorian, or even landscaping? A resounding yes. Does this new design keep things beautiful while making everything a little more functional? We hope so. It definitely moved the adjectives from luxurious to sweet. Is that a good thing? We think so. Especially when you’re trying to raise two level-headed children.
The reason we didn’t originally do this is also because there will be 3 different ceilings in the kitchen/living room – which is odd. We also thought that you’d have to have a load bearing post to hold up the second floor in the middle of this new kitchen. We’ve since talked to our engineer and Arciform helped come up with a solution. It of course will cost, but it will be a much better room. Moving the kitchen had a domino effect on everything else. It took away the mudroom, which is now like a six-foot area off the side of the house, and it took away the breakfast nook. But now we’ve got a small dining area right off the kitchen that flows into the living room or around into the family room. We have opened a ton of new light into the cavernous living room and put the kitchen in the best light. And instead of a separate sunroom we’re thinking about a wrap around deck. And we’re really digging all of it…… or we WERE.
After days of being sad about the sunroom we realized that we missed it too much. Anne showed us that if we made it a few feet narrower (so we don’t have to redo all the rooflines) it won’t be as expensive. So now we have a smaller little dining area near the kitchen, we have a ton of flexibility with how we lay out the living area AND Emily gets her sunroom/writing room back.
So I want to thank you guys for being so generous in your comments. It’s a strange thing, designing by committee, we probably would have just pushed forward with the great room design if I hadn’t spent the morning pouring over everything you wrote. And as much as it was painful, it was also very helpful. So bravo you designers. You all should have your own blogs. And when they get up and running I’ll come over and comment about how I would do things differently. And maybe I’ll be right!
