Dabbieri Blog

Elevate Your Home Office with Area Rugs

Over the past year, we’ve discovered just how important it is to have a space of your own to create within your home. Home offices are essential for anyone dealing with a work-from-home model. With COVID-19 restrictions still in place and maximum office capacities at limited numbers, much of the working force is still dealing with a hybrid work-from-home schedule. 

Carving out a quiet space in your house designed for maximum productivity is crucial to producing successful work. And, with the brisk fall months quickly approaching, creating a cozy office never sounded better. Area rugs are one of the simplest —and most beautiful—ways to do this. But what’s currently trending in the realm of home office area rugs? We’ve put together a list of our five favorite styles to elevate your home office design and provide that extra bit of comfort this fall.

Traditionally Global Statement Pieces

Ankara Global in Grey/Multicolor by Nourison

We can all agree that hardwood floors are aesthetically gorgeous in any home office space; however, when the temperature dips, you’ll want something a little softer to prop your feet up on. If you have a traditionally set up space with an office desk and chair, we suggest adding an area rug under the furniture. This not only protects your hardwood floors but also cushions another layer of warmth into the space. Vintage area rugs reminiscent of the classic Persian and oriental rugs are making a splash this year with fun modern twists. Contemporary colorful motifs, detailed borders, and unorthodox patterns can add texture to your home office while remaining grounded in tradition.

Deep Pile Shags

Luxe Shag by Nourison

Longer pile lengths in the form of new era shag rugs are making a comeback this season. And really, what better way is there to get comfortable during your day of endless Zoom meetings than by sinking your feet into a deliciously soft shag rug? These new shag rugs are available in mod hues from light and airy grays to rich creams, making them suitable for modern home office decor. Plus, high-pile shags add dimension and texture to your space which can help make a contemporary monochromatic office feel warmer.

Bold Colors and Patterned Rugs 

Vibe Collection by Stevens Omni

If you’re feeling like your home office needs a splash of color or you’re trying to break up the space, try a bold-colored area rug. Select vibrant colors and patterns that express your personality. The advantage to area rugs is that they’re available in an endless array of colorways and design options. Maybe you want to find an art-inspired pattern, or you’re leaning more towards a deco-inspired rug —either way, you can use bold color to lend a dynamic quality to your office space. 

A Touch of Blue

Whimsical Collection by Nourison

Many people find it hard to commit to a colorful office space, fearing that the bright hues might be too distracting. If you’re hesitant to decorate in an amalgam of colors, just stick to just one. The color blue is timeless and never fails to elevate a space. Blue palettes have a naturally serene quality, and some scientific studies have shown that blue increases calmness and boosts productivity. From distressed bohemian floral rugs to basic navy blue friezes, there’s an infinite number of blue area rug styles, so you can be sure to find one that will match your office decor. 

Warm Tone and Natural Materials

Double Weave Jute Bowery by Karastan

Last but certainly not least are warm-toned area rugs made from natural raw materials. This year we’ve seen an increase in eco-conscious awareness, and many people are decorating with elements inspired by the natural. Hop on this trend by investing in an area rug made from all-natural fibers like jute, seagrass, and sisal. Whether you opt for a boho-chic Moroccan rug or a simple flatweave, these earthy tones imbue a sense of calm, plus these materials are quality able to withstand the test of time and perform well in high traffic areas.

Tile for Your Laundry Rooms

From wet towels and dirty clothes to tricky stains, the laundry room is essential for any household. Sometimes these rooms are left to the wayside when it comes to interior design. Maybe yours is off the first level bath next to the mudroom or hidden in a hallway closet. But there's one thing that all homeowners can agree on when it comes to their laundry room: it needs to be functional. This might mean extra shelving for immediately storing away clean towels, a utility sink for stained items to soak in, or maybe waterproof flooring that can withstand the messiest of messes.

Nothing elevates a curated laundry room like beautiful tile flooring. Whether it's porcelain, wood-look ceramic, or natural stone, tiles take the cake when it comes to durable laundry room floors. 

Retro Mosaic Tiles

Memoir Glazed Ceramic by Daltile

Lean into vintage designs with retro tile in the laundry room. Whether you want a bold geometric mosaic tile or a modish Morrocan patterned ceramic, installing retro ceramic tiles creates a beautiful focal point for your laundry room. In this case, let your tiles take center stage and influence the colors in your laundry room walls. If you aren't ready for an overwhelming amount of pattern, you can always try a tile backsplash above the laundry room sink. As one of the best tiles for a laundry room, ceramic tiles are water, and chemical-resistant, plus they come in a variety of styles and natural finishes. 

Wood-Look Tile Flooring

Hanley Wood in Orlando by Daltile

If you already have wood-look flooring installed throughout your home and want to keep a consistent floor throughout the house, you might consider wood-look tile in the laundry room. Often, your laundry room is connected to another room, so you can keep conformity by installing wood-look ceramic tiles throughout your kitchen and bathrooms. Sophisticated and modern, wood-look tile is a great way to show off gorgeous flooring that's still tough enough to handle the mess in the laundry room.

Natural Stone Flooring

Franklin Tile in Cream by Daltile

Maybe you're leaning towards a natural look, so you opt for matte stone tile in the laundry room. There's an endless array of natural stone options, from travertine to marble to concrete. We recommend investing in wide tiles and large-format options as these are trending and will open up your smaller laundry space to make it feel bigger. Give your interior design a rustic modern feel when you opt for darker stone options like slate or go for a sleek and polished look with lighter hues and cream-colored porcelain tiles.

Alternatives to Tile Floors

Tuscany Vinyl Sheet in Midnight by Armstrong

If you love the look of tile but have young kids or pets around and need a softer surface that's less prone to slipping, try vinyl or luxury vinyl tile in the laundry room. While sheet vinyl is a convenient solid surface that can easily roll and cut to size, luxury vinyl tile performs better in moisture-prone environments. With advances in floor engineering, luxury vinyl tile can be installed using a simple click-and-lock system and often has advanced sealants that seamlessly lock out water to protect your subfloors. These waterproof, pet-proof, and stain-proof floors are available in a wide variety of designs, from wood-look to stone-look tile.

How have you incorporated tile in your laundry rooms?

Floors to Match Your Trendy Dark Cabinets

Bright white kitchens are a thing of the past, and instead, we’ve traded in those illuminating white cabinets for dark rich woods and moody tones. Dark cabinetry leads in kitchen and bath trends this year—and we can see why. The appeal of designing a space that balances contrast with color is bold and yet simple to manage. Styled with lighter countertops, backsplashes, mixed metals, and bright finishes, the dark cabinet trend is here to stay and will carry over into 2022. So, how do you elevate your flooring to complement this trend? We have several simple tips on how to do this, from installing white oak hardwood to beautiful luxury vinyl plank in various colorways.

Gorgeous White Oak Hardwood 

Normandy Oak in Brulee by Mannington

White oak flooring is a hot commodity and is popularly used not only in kitchens and baths but throughout entire households. Its white-washed look and light grain patterns work to balance out the navy blues or greys in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Of course, whenever you’re installing hardwood in the moisture-prone areas of your house, you need to consider the water damage that can occur. We recommend looking towards engineered hardwood for your kitchen and bath needs, as these planks have an enhanced seal that can lock out moisture in case of spills.

Brightening Hardwood Looks

Bengal Bay in Sand by Mannington

Other lighter hardwoods such as white-washed hickory, maple, birch, and ash are easy choices to complement dark cabinetry. Light floors will open up your space to give it a contemporary and livable feel. Natural wood floors never go out of style with their asymmetrical knotting and graining, infusing organic life into your home. If engineered hardwood isn’t for you, luxury vinyl planks are another excellent flooring solution and come in a variety of wood finishes so you can find the perfect light hardwood to brighten your space.

Gray Undertones

Cheshire Oak Rigid Core in Buttermilk by Armstrong Flooring

If you’ve chosen a cool dark tone such as navy, dark green, or dusty blue for your cabinetry, install floors that have gray undertones. For instance, this luxury vinyl plank balances out the black of the cabinets with a contemporary gray mid-tone. Notice that the kitchen doesn’t feel cold or stiff thanks to the beautiful warm graining of the wood-look plank with low gloss and brass metal finishes.

Neutral and Earthtone Tile

Epitomize Glazed Ceramic by Daltile

For those looking to venture out of the woods and into the tile arena, try to find neutral tiles in pretty creams, marble whites, and earthy tones, as these colors will tie together brilliantly with the rich hues of darker cabinets. With tile making such a big comeback right now in the interior design world, now is the time to elevate your space with the latest tile trends. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are known for their incredible durability and naturally waterproof abilities. With so many stunning colorways and styles available, tile is an easy choice for your kitchen, baths, and laundry rooms.