There is such a huge payoff in mixing patterns, which I love to do in every room of my house. But sometimes it can be overwhelming to know how to coordinate a space together. Don’t be afraid to match patterns with patterns when it comes to pillows and rugs!
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The basic rules apply to the application of complementary colors and scale ranges, but there can be more depth than that. I’m going to walk you through some of the pillars I swear by for matching pillows and rugs.
Plus, I loved seeing your response to our new CLJ x Loloi collection for Spring 2024. Keep reading to see the eight mood boards I’ve curated that match the newly launched pillows with our rugs!
Rug and pillow pairings: find scale and texture for any space
I find the texture to be like a pattern when I mix and match. Some of our rugs have a high texture like our Judy rugs, while some like the Briggs rugs have a lower texture but a highly patterned design on them. Both can be treated as a pattern. If you have a large pattern like our Polly rugs, you might want to mix it up with a smaller patterned pillow like one of the Ruffled Dinah Pillows. Or try a solid velvet Liza pillow to add some soothing features to the space.
When a rug or pillow has a loose texture, it can also be read as a pattern. For example, the Bradley collection has some high and low pile options. Additionally, I would incorporate a heavier pattern into one of the most textured pillows — like Ellery — to create a dynamic feel with more pattern play.
Shop Polly’s Room
You’ll see the Judy Natural/Ivory rug in Polly’s room: it’s a highly textured, large pattern rug. So I paired it with a set of two similar Dinah pillows in soft colors and a textured Harvey lumbar pillow. This makes them secondary to the bolder carpet. And the carpet is secondary to the wallpaper, let’s be honest. Each individual element works together even when standing alone in a space.
Here are some of my perfect pairings for CLJ x Loloi rugs and pillows, along with some basic principles you can apply to any combination.
Polly Graphite/Pebble rug
Polly Graphite/Pebble Rug | Cushion Ivory/Black | Ivory Velvet Pillow | Cinnamon Velvet Pillow | Red textured cushion
Since the rug is darker, I like to add some lightness. I chose a solid cream velvet Liza pillow and a smaller black and white patterned Dinah pillow, which echoes the plaid pattern on the rug. To complete the look, I chose a contrasting color to balance everything out. This warm merlot color is beautiful in solid velvet, and the patterned pillow offers a different scale than the checks.
Francis Spa/Granite Diamond Carpet
Francis Spa/Granite Carpet | Fern Plaid Pillow | Moss Dinah lumbar pillow | Gray Velvet Liza Pillow | Blue Harvey pillow
This diamond pattern rug features green, blue and cream colors. I really wanted to highlight the greenery, but also highlight the little bits of spa blue in the rug. I pulled in three different patterned pillows in neutral tones. They work together because they range from small to medium to large patterns in similar colors.
Briggs rug in mist/ivory
Briggs Mist/Ivory Rug | Blue Textured Harvey Pillow | Blue Velvet Liza Pillow | Checkered fern pillow
A Briggs rug is so versatile that it reads almost like a solid. It has a really small pattern, so you can go anywhere with this rug. I brought in a cream pillow with a large pattern with navy blue and lighter blue to play off the blues in the rug. Any color velvet pillow will work with this rug!
Polly Smoke/Sand Rug
Polly Smoke/Sand Rug | Textured Poe Pillow | Harvey Lumbar Pillow | Ivory Velvet Lisa pillow
This is one of my favorite combinations because it has a really big play on texture. The carpet has a large pattern that makes it read almost like a texture. The lumbar pillow is a solid color, but it’s fun to pair this cream texture with another cream “texture” in the rug. Complete the look by bringing in another pillow in a contrasting pattern.
Judy rug in natural/ivory
Judy Natural/Ivory Rug | Dinah Ivory/Black Pillow | Cinnamon Velvet Liza Pillow | Dinah Ocean/Blue pillow
This range is based on primary color essences with a twist. The jute in the rug can be read as yellow, and we have red and blue cushions to round out the color wheel. It’s a really simple color scheme that doesn’t have to be juvenile or overly saturated. I kept smaller patterns in the pillows because the rug is so bold.
Jules Ink/Terracotta rug
Jules Ink/Terracotta Rug | Plaid Cricket Cushion | Ivory Velvet Liza Pillow | Dinah Chocolate/Latte Lumbar Pillow | Rust Velvet Lisa pillow
This vintage-inspired rug has many warm tones. Plus, it has a really organic pattern so it goes well with the geometry. Since the rug has a lot of smaller motifs, I wanted to start with a base color like dark brown. (If you have a couch in a solid color, that can also serve as your base color.) Then I wanted to bring in a fun plaid to contrast the more organic shapes. Finally, the two solid colors of the warm-toned cushions match well with the rug and balance the whole pattern.
Bradley rug in ivory/beige
Bradley Ivory/Beige Rug | Dinah Ocean/Blue Pillow | Ellery Clay Pillow | Harvey Lumbar Pillow | Blue plaid Earl pillow
This pairing offers a complementary color scheme and range of pattern scales. Blue and orange are complementary colors and will look great on a neutral rug. If you have blue pillows in the room, introduce an orange tone to warm up the space. Since each piece has a pattern, I made sure we used a range of sizes. The rug has a really big geometric pattern, so we’re balancing that with the smaller patterns in the Dinah Ruffle Cushions. The lumbar part has a firm texture with a small pattern. Plaid offers a medium-sized pattern for a seamless flow.
Humphrey Forest/Multi Rug
Humphrey Forest/Multi Rug | Green Velvet Liza Pillow | Gray Velvet Liza Pillow | Ivory Velvet Liza Pillow | Cinnamon Velvet Liza Pillow | Textured Poe Pillow | Dinah Chocolate/Latte lumbar pillow
The rug has a large patterned flannel look along with highly saturated colors. One trick I recommend is to pull all your colors out of the rug to match them in the pillows. This would work really well with a neutral sofa to bring those colors back into the room. Most of these cushions are solid materials to balance the high pattern on the floor. The small Dinah steering wheel in a dark pattern provides everything for the foundation. I then brought in one medium swatch that pairs well with the smaller frill pad to extend the color.
Another tip you may have noticed: When I mix and match pillows, I like to bring one from each collection. That’s why you’ll often see a velvet Liza pillow with a ruffled Dinah pillow. Or a textured sheer lumbar pillow with a bolder square color or pattern. There are so many combinations to match your space when it comes to matching pillows and rugs!