A rug brings new life to a room, pulling all its disparate edges together, while adding that necessary touch of coziness that makes your home feel lived in. It’s something to gather around, and on, and rub your toes into. And it’s also a great way to add a pop of surprising color into an otherwise neutral space. But buying a rug doesn’t need to feel like splurging for a couch (even though we’ve found the best affordable ones of those, too). So we’ve asked a few designers to tip us off on the best rugs under $500, and we ended up with a bunch under $250 too.
“I love the subtle fading on this rug — it’s been vintage-washed and worn to achieve the super-trendy antique effect. Such a great way to get the vintage look for less.” — Nidhi Kapur, CEO and founder, Maiden Home
“This rug looks like it came right out of Westworld. It’s awesome in a Western kind of way (not in a humanoid way, duh). I love the colors — that bold red-and-black combo with the yellow-and-blue tints is captivating. You’ll find yourself just staring at this rug all day.” — Brooks Atwood, design director, R&A Architecture
“The jewel-tone trend is going strong (for good reason!) and Lulu & Georgia’s overdyed ‘Kuma’ rug has the perfect deep turquoise hue. This monochromatic stunner is a great way to add color to a neutral space.” — Molly Torres, designer, Homepolish
“This rug is such a beautiful blue color. The tassel trim gives it a really cool, bohemian vibe, and the lightweight, distressed-cotton material reminds me of a pair of well-loved jeans.” — Emma Lesser, designer, Homepolish
“I love how this rug shows a juxtaposition between its playful pattern and lush texture. It can easily become a focal point in any room. There’s also this fresh perspective on the traditional kilim rug with some subtle color, that I love.” — Douglas Graneto, interior designer
“It has a sense of bold masculinity, yet it’s a rather simple rug — allowing for malleability between spaces.” — George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, founders, Yabu Pushelberg
“I’m obsessed with Cold Picnic rugs because the pastel-on-primary palette and abstract compositions make me feel like I’m experiencing the double fantasy of lounging on a deck chair at E-1027 and chilling inside a Milton Avery painting. I also really appreciate that they name their rugs like Lydia Davis short stories.” — Hopie Stockman, co-founder, Block Shop [Editor’s note: Cold Picnic also makes that well-known Private Parts rug you’ve probably seen on Instagram. It’s also under $300.]
“If I can toot my own horn, I am really excited about this collaboration I did with West Elm. They made these monochrome rugs in my slash print, which I think came out really great. They come in both white and charcoal gray.” — Ellen Dusen, designer, Dusen Dusen
“We love how this rug took its inspiration from traditional Indian dhurries. While graphic, there’s a subtle ease with this rug, allowing it to pair well with relaxed spaces. And then this other Versify rug has a playfulness that we’re drawn to. It’s a funny hybrid between a shag and a flat-weave.” — George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, founders, Yabu Pushelberg
“This rug is so luxurious and soft, you’ll want to use it as a blanket. It’s made of Australian sheepskin with an almost 3-inch pile, so it feels very rich and plush underfoot. I like the idea of using this in a bedroom, so that you can step out of bed onto something soft, or in a nursery to make the room feel extra warm and cozy.
For something a little different, there’s the Seagrass rug, which is the perfect solution for an off-size space. The custom length and width options ensure perfect sizing without the price tag that’s usually associated with custom rugs. ” — Emma Lesser, designer, Homepolish
“Completely unexpected, this overdyed chroma pink is stunning. It will look good in both modern or traditional spaces because it’s so perfect. Perfect pink meets edgy vintage.” — Brooks Atwood, design director, R&A Architecture [Editor’s note: There is also a similar, even less expensive version on Amazon.]
“Land of Nod has some really great, affordable rugs. This one looks like it’s channeling Dieter Roth’s pattern books, which I love very, very much.” — Ellen Dusen, designer, Dusen Dusen
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