The best rugs for underfoot luxury

A minimalistic take on the trad, pattern-laden Persian rug, this 'Boho' rug by Think Rugs is defined by its deep and shaggy pile (40mm thick, BTW), and scribble-esque, geometric design. Trimmed with tassels, this rug ensures a rich, relaxing feel underfoot, primed for sinking your feet into and leaving the stresses of the outside world behind. Breathe in, and get comfy. From £100 £90. At rugsdirect.co.uk

An artful centrepiece for any room, Jonathan Adler’s geometric, brightly hued Op Art rug proves you can use more than just walls as a canvas for attention-commanding design. The beauty of it doesn't end there – Ruggable is fast emerging as one of the most versatile rug platforms on the internet thanks to its machine washable designs available in up to 10 sizes, so you can make whatever takes your fancy work for your space. From £119. ruggable.co.uk

The beauty of shopping with the Land of Rugs, is that once you settle on a design you like, after browsing their hundreds (potentially verging on thousands) of options, you can really pick and choose between a range of sizes and shapes to find something that fits perfectly for your own space. Available in both circular and rectangular options, this Ankara rug taps nicely into the Boho trend, but mixes it up a bit with a bolder, brighter shade of red than you’d normally find on the more muted pieces that have dominated Pinterest boards. And if you have a minimalistic, neutral room, the red adds that eye-catching pop that brings your personality into the space. From £45. At landofrugs.com

Essentially the inverse of the classic white and black geometric rug that’s been trending for a good few years now (see the Rugs Direct Boho Rug above), this navy design is perfect for adding a pop of colour, while also bringing some depth to spaces that are otherwise pretty neutral. The navy/white colourway is pretty classic and traditional for a bedroom, while you can also get it in dark green if you fancy something a bit different and a bit more toned down. And when it comes to the comfort, the rug is one of the thickest we’ve found, ideal for ramping up the cosiness factor in the winter. From £115 £105. At landofrugs.com

Tassels are one of the more fun features that you can find on a rug, and while they can be a bit of a nuisance for those with children or dogs who fancy playing with them just a bit too much, if you’re in the clear in that department, it looks super chic. Available in two colours, its the beige and cream version of the Sami Rug that’s caught out eye, giving off Bohemian vibes that look like they’re straight off our Pinterest board. Pop it next to your bed and your bedroom will feel like a whole new place. £219 £109. At amara.com

Berber rugs are some of the most traditional styles, and while now many berber rugs are merely made to look like the originals did rather than with the classic looped process, they still bring a really chic feel to interiors. Inspired by the look, La Redoute’s Asli embellishes a plain colour scheme with fringed ends and a geometric indentation, giving off a full feel thanks to the depth of the indents and making it look plush and soft underfoot. We’d say it's best suited to contemporary homes, just make sure you can keep the white colour as clean as possible or it’ll instantly start to look less elegant. From £130 £65. At laredoute.co.uk

Best placed as a doormat or in a welcome area, this rug from Third Drawer Down adds a bit of eclectic fun to the mix, opting for bold colours and a contrasting black design to keep things modern and playful. The rug’s design also has a fun story to it, coming from Third Drawer Down, a design studio that works to showcase art by adding it to your standard household items (aka a rug in this instance), so that’s one to share when your guests ask you where you came about this chatty rug. £60. At selfridges.com

This is a hand-woven fringed carpet that manages to strike a careful balance between being both colourful enough to liven up your space, yet also still subtle. Made from 80 per cent wool and 20 per cent cotton, it is designed with a flat weave and built to last. £190 £104.50. At laredoute.co.uk

The sheepskin rug is to interior design as the white t-shirt is to the wardrobe: a perennial classic which can be deployed wherever, whenever to great effect. This, from John Lewis, comes in nine different colours (though whether you really want it in, ah, plum rather than a natural colour we’ll leave up to your taste), and is thick and soft, made from New Zealand wool. Treat it well and you’ll have it for your whole life, and any four-legged pets you own will be eternally grateful for a plush, comfortable place to doze. And note that John Lewis also sells faux fur rugs for vegans. £45. At johnlewis.com

It looks like something taken off the wall of the Tate Modern and laid on the floor – in a good way. Heal’s collaboration with luxury clothing brand LF Markey (which was founded by ex-Burberry designer Louise Markey) is an abstract expressionist declaration of a love of the colour blue in wool. Perfect to tie together a sofa, coffee table, armchair or other pieces of lounge-able furniture into a coherent seating area. And while it has a definite modernist aesthetic, it’s neither too striking nor too specifically-designed not to fit in almost any room you might choose. Just make sure you have the square meterage to throw down your new, hand-tufted acquisition; it’s a fairly large rug. From £559. At heals.com

Not only is this star-motif rug a charming underfoot option for a playroom or a child’s bedroom, but we reckon it’s actually versatile enough to style up and add a touch of whimsy to an adult space, too. The mid blue background is calming, scattered with slightly art naïf six-point stars, but we like the light grey too – plain is not always boring, not least if you plan on your main source of colour coming from something else in the room (a blue rug under a sofa of a slightly different hue could be very disconcerting). And at £45, there’s no harm taking a very small risk and just seeing how it looks with your scheme. You might be pleasantly surprised. £45. At johnlewis.com

This russet rug sold by John Lewis is hand-knotted in India, which gives its multicolour stripe pattern the look and feel of a boutique-found kilim. Look at those rich colours: primarily earthy reds, washed-out greens and neutral tones, we love how the occasional blue stripe punctuates the rhythm of the rug and makes it pop a little. John Lewis describes this rug as giving off a “dark and moody vibe”, which we’re not convinced by, necessarily, but we certainly agree that it taps into the ongoing trend for hotel-inspired design. Durable and attractive, it’s a chic addition to any living space. From £80. At johnlewis.com

For chanelling those super-luxe vibes, this Anthropologie rug incorporates rich, indulgent colours and an intricate bengal tiger design to elevate your room. Ideal for bringing more neutral spaces to life by adding colour, the rug acts as a statement piece in itself, drawing in your eyes and off-setting more monochromatic sofas and soft furnishings. Design aside, the construction is made to be long-lasting and suitable for higher traffic areas, meaning you needn’t worry about giving it the centre-stage prominence that it deserves. From £98. At anthropologie.com

Some people think of William Morris designs as slightly mumsy. They are wrong. Not only is that a little disrespectful to the women who raised us, but Morris himself should be seen as radical – a forward-thinking artist generations ahead of his time who wanted to open up design to the masses at value. And that’s exactly what this is: an affordable rug bearing a timeless motif of floral fruits (apricots, lemons, pomegranates, at least in our minds’ eye), available in different sizes and weaves. From £129. At ruggable.co.uk

Fluffy and soft rugs look great, but opt for a low quality piece and you’ll find they start to fade, pill and come apart after a short while. To really get the most out of the style, you’ll want to be looking for a wool rug, like this Makalu design from Rowen & Wren, capturing that soft and cosy texture, but with a durable and long-lasting construction. Specifically, this rug is produced traditionally in Nepal, handwoven on looms with Himalayan wool to create a heavy rug that’s even machine washable, should you want to place it in a higher traffic area like a hallway, living room, or even a children’s room. We’d say it’s best saved for prime placement though, as it’s got a beautiful and elegant construction that should really be shown off. Just make sure to get your pre-orders in early, as the wait can sometimes be a bit lengthy. £598. At rowenandwren.co.uk

Soho Home designs are all based on the items found in different Soho House branches around the UK and the world, and this particular rug is influenced by the graphic geometry of the decor at White City House. With a hand-drawn design by the Soho Home design team, it’s a great fit to go under a sofa, dining table or bed to add a touch of the brand’s vintage stylings to a home. From £1,095. At sohohome.com

Like a sort of frozen-in-amber Jurassic Park diorama or a cabinet of pinned-down Victorian insect samples, Iris Apfel’s rug design for Ruggable is teeming with zoological whimsy. Apfel – one of the few people who can be called an “icon” without it sounding trite or clichéd – is still going strong and setting taste at 102 years old, and she still has an eye for the bizarre and the visually engaging (this rug included). Ruggable also offers a vast range of different sizes and shapes of rug, including runners and round rugs, woven or tufted, so you can amend its dimensions to ensure your creepy-crawlies fit into whatever space you have planned for them. From £129. At ruggable.co.uk

If you're looking to shop the simple, minimalist design trends that we've been seeing everywhere over the last few years, there's really no place more suited to it than The White Company. Tapping into that aesthetic, while also bringing a natural, rustic vibe, the Woodbury rug is our favourite of The White Company's collection, designed to be long-lasting and hard-wearing, made from woven Indian jute. Whether you want to bring a more relaxed look to your bedroom, or to add some texture to your kitchen, hallway or living room, it's suitable for all spaces, from hard floors to carpets. Our recommendation? Place it in your bedroom to contrast nicely with some of the brand's white bedding sets. From £375. At thewhitecompany.com

It wouldn’t be hard, were one so inclined, to put together an entire list or guide to buying Louis de Poortere rugs alone. We’re committed to having some range within our interiors coverage, so we’re not going to do that – however the Lagoon rug is impossible not to delight over. In pale, graded brown and cream, it has a deeply natural feel, as though made from stretched cow hide, where in reality the rug is power-loomed in Belgium, where this storied hand has been based since 1929. From £175. At therugseller.co.uk

Sitting somewhere visually between burnished brass, the glare off a wet beach at sunset and a particularly gestural Expressionist painting, the Land of Rugs’ Prismatic wool rug is awash in ripples of colour. Slip it under a coffee table to enliven an otherwise drab room, or one which doesn’t get quite enough natural light. From £699. At landofrugs.com

Kilims are all the rage at the moment, with interiors magazines around the world running stories aimed at answering readers’ questions about them. Namely: what are they? These tapestry-woven rugs have their roots in the Middle East, having been produced historically between Persia and the Balkans (in other words, the territories of the Persian and Ottoman empires). The way they are woven means they are very flat, with no pile, and they are often either purely decorative or used as prayer mats. Whatever you intend to do with yours, this Louis de Poortere example is inspired by Morocco, comes in three sizes, and is entirely made from polyester, meaning it’s fully recyclable should you ever want to change things up in the future. From £599. At heals.com

Oh, Keith Haring. We’d be a little apprehensive about yet another adoption of the late New York pop artist’s motifs being whacked onto a carpet if it wasn’t for two things: first, the certainty that Haring himself would have approved of the mass distribution and reproduction of his dynamic forms, and secondly, the fact that this Freestyle rug is irresistibly eye-catching. Use it to infuse an otherwise simple room with a graffiti sensibility, or make it the underfoot centrepiece of your main living space. Either way, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into a loft party on the Lower East Side in the 1980s every time you host. From £119. At ruggable.co.uk

With rustic, muted feel, the Holstein rug from Soho Home is inspired by those at the brand’s flagship countryside outpost, Soho Farmhouse. One hundred per cent wool, each one is hand-knotted over six months, to allow for a dense 64 knots per inch, all designed in-house by the brand’s expert design team. From £3,795. At sohohome.com

While we’d suggest you look away immediately if you have a pet or small child who might take the fringes of this rug immediately off, for anyone else, consider this your new essential for a beach bedroom look. Simplistic in appearance, but with a few elevated touches like the contrasting beige and cream design, the fringed ends and chevron style pattern, it makes for a great choice for rooms where you can afford to play around a bit with some stylistic elements, but don’t want to tread too far into bold colours or statement patterns. And despite the fragility of the fringes, it wears really well and should be able to withstand a good amount of traffic underfoot. £259. At landofrugs.com

In more of a Bohemian style, this rug from West Elm pairs bright tones with more muted natural ones to create a fun, yet still aesthetically pleasing rug that’s a great contrast to more minimal settings. Pair it with some white or cream bedding in a bedroom, or next to a neutral sofa and you’ll have yourself a chic statement piece that doesn’t go too over the top, but still adds enough colour to bring your home to life. And thanks to the distressed design, it also has a nice, worn, and vintage look to it that we’re loving. From £579. At westelm.co.uk

However you plan on decorating your home, a faded and distressed blue rug is bound to complement your colour schemes and give your space an elevated look. Perfect for both a living room or a bedroom, the Ombre Distressed Rug from So’Home has a relaxed yet contemporary feel to it, adding a touch of colour to the room without overwhelming the space. Available in three sizes and four colours, we’d say it's pretty hard to go wrong with this choice. £85 £72.25. At laredoute.co.uk

The interiors world has been all over shades of green this year, and this rug taps right into the trend with its woven design. Featuring a non-slip backing, you can rely on it to be practical too. £380. At selfridges.com

Get a rug that reflects your personality and your favourite musicians with Curves by Sean Brown, a series of rugs designed to reflect the records you love. An easy way to bring a bit of edge to a room. £260 £195. At ssense.com

Heal’s Arguto rug goes full contemporary in its geometric design, with triangular and rectangular shapes woven together, paired with light pastel-style colours for a touch of more retro style. Working nicely in more industrial aesthetics, it brings a light touch to a look that can often be more intense, off-setting metal or dark wooden furniture easily. We’d recommend this for a home office, or to give your living room some pizazz. £695. At heals.com