What Makes a Rug Style Contemporary?

In the past, we’ve written about how to find your personal design style when it comes to decorating your home. When choosing a style that suits your personality, many things must be taken into account: color palette, textures, and most importantly, aesthetic. 

In the design world, there are several different categories used to describe certain decor aesthetics. Among these are Contemporary, Modern, Traditional, Boho, Eclectic, and Farmhouse. With so many different design techniques to choose from, it can be difficult to identify which aesthetic style fits into each category. 

At Tumble, our washable rug comes in several different designs suited to match several different decor style categories. We have no doubt that once you settle on an aesthetic for the room you’re decorating, there is a Tumble to perfectly match your design style. But, before committing to just one look, we believe it’s important to have an in-depth understanding of what makes each design category unique.

In this new rug style series, we’ll dive into several different design styles each month. Knowing the history of each category, the best way to style a rug that fits into that category, and the best washable rugs within that category will help you to feel confident when planning out the decor for your home. This month, we’re taking a look at Contemporary design:

What is Contemporary design?

First and foremost, it’s important to have an understanding of what Contemporary design actually is. In many ways, Contemporary looks similar to Minimalism with its clean lines and crisp designs. What sets it apart, however, is the way that Contemporary design strives to continuously evolve along with the current trends and styles of society. Contemporary is also unique in the way that it borrows trends and techniques from the Art Deco era. 

You may be wondering what exactly Art Deco is. Originating in Europe during the 1920s and eventually making its way to the United States in the 1930s, Art Deco was the bridge between modernism and fashion. The style is most commonly identified by its bold use of shapes and geometric patterns. 

Contemporary design pulls the natural color palette from minimalist design and blends it with vibrant color from the Art Deco era. So, if you’re settling on Contemporary for your home’s design, you should look to incorporate bold, geometric patterns and not shy away from bright pops of color! 

How to style a Contemporary rug:

Look for shapes: When choosing your decor pieces, look for items that have an out-of-the-ordinary shape. A classic desktop lamp is great for functionality, but a lamp built with a hexagonal structure adds dimension to the room. Similarly, a wall mirror above your vanity is a nice accent piece, but one with a geometric frame will really make it pop.    

Accent with color: Because Contemporary design pulls a lot of inspiration from the neutral color palette of minimalism, we encourage you to get creative when bringing colors into the space. The best way to do this is to look at the accent pieces you’ve already chosen for the room. Items like throw pillows, picture frames, and, of course, your Tumble washable rug are great places to add a bold pop of color.

Allow art room to breathe: When thinking about Contemporary design, open space can be just as important as the amount of space used to house decor. This is especially true with hung wall art. In order to avoid making the room feel cluttered, choose only a few pieces of geometric and/or colorful wall art, ensuring that each piece has enough open wall space and room to breathe. If you do want to hang several pieces, make sure they are placed close together to give off the illusion of one large art installation!

Utilize metal and glass: When looking for pieces of decor for your Contemporary room, look for pieces made out of metal or glass. The clean, strong texture of these materials will create the crisp lines and dimensional shapes that you’re looking to add into the room.

Contemporary rug styles from Tumble’s
best washable rug collection:

At Tumble, we pride ourselves on having a rug design to fit every style of room and Contemporary design is no exception. Our contemporary rugs like Prism and Ogee utilize the geometric look to add multidimensional shapes to your space and act as the perfect statement piece. Other designs like Fez really embrace the Art Deco inspiration by adding this dimension to your space in a more artistic way. Whichever your preference is, you can’t go wrong with any of Tumble’s Contemporary rug styles!

Are you looking for a more personalized recommendation on how to bring Contemporary style into your home? Our designer Kerri Besse wants to help! Visit the Ask A Designer page on our website to schedule your consultation today.