Scandis love rugs! If there is one accessory that can change a room instantly at very low cost it is the rug. Rugs work wonders when you have a wooden floor, often white, as many do in the Nordic countries. In seconds you can turn a minimalist style conscious living room into a boho boudoir haven of colour and warmth. More often than not, the rug is used to highlight the Scandi fondness of clean lines, symmetry and a sense of space. Here we explain rugs Scandi style and how….
The Scandi rug usually features only a few colours en bloc – stripes, spots or squares. But increasingly, we like the contrast between the ornate and the typically Scandi. Although the Nordic countries are experts in design, rugs from different cultures and traditions have helped create the distinctive Scandi Boho look. But what kind of rug you get also depends enormously on use – do you have children or pets? These are things to factor in when choosing a rug.
Scandinavian Geometric Rugs – the Nordic carpet look
The geometric look is a Scandi favourite – it is the perfect metaphor for our ordered, tidy homes. The diamond shaped pattern, the trellis, the crosses, the hatch pattern and the cross-word pattern are firm favourites. Not so much paisleys, as favoured by the British, or “busy” patterns stealing the limelight from paintings on the wall or books on the shelves.
What is the Price of Rugs Scandi Style?
Whatever your budget there’s a rug that fits…but we are looking at the £50 or $70 mark for a piece to go in the living room. For a typically Scandi looking rug check out this gorgeous geometric rug of blue, grey, brown and cream triangles on Amazon. Wall-to-wall carpets are a rare phenomenon in Scandi homes – with underfloor heating there is little need for a carpet to keep the room warm.

The flexibility a large rug offers is a huge plus. It is almost as good as a carpet but gives the opportunity to change up easily. If someone spills wine or otherwise stains the rug or if a change is needed to match new furniture or just to create a new look. And, of course, you can lay the carpet yourself, not having to hire professionals and save a small fortune. The short answer is with a rug it goes wherever you want or need it to be. But there are ways to create a special look and atmosphere in the room using rugs.
Add warmth to a cool space
They inject warmth or life into a cool space, or cool into a busy room. You can create an “area” within the living room to give the impression of a room-within-a-room. Create a chill-corner, or Hygge space, by placing the rug partly under a comfy chair and perhaps a coffee table. With clever patterns and colours you can renew the space constantly, keeping your home fresh looking and somewhere you never tire of.
If there is one room where a rug is almost must, it’s the bedroom. We still want a wooden floor for style and aesthetic reasons but it’s cold for the feet in the morning. A gorgeous, thick, soft rug on the floor makes it easier to get out of bed.which to put your feet as you roll out of bed is a treat.
How to place a Rug in the Bedroom for maximum Impact
Shagpiles are on trend, super cosy and pure hygge – they are virtually a must in every Scandi bedroom. Even if they are high maintenance. Placed, as here, by the clothes rack, next to the bed so we have somewhere soft and warm to put our feet when getting up in the morning. Or placed mid floor, floating in the room and creating a boho focus point.
The softer and fluffier the better…everybody thought the sheepskin rug was finished as the 1970s disco decade came to an end. But no. The long-haired mini carpet is here to stay – if anything, it has made a huge comeback over the last decade or so and is now a must in every millennial’s starter home.
Even IKEA sells their version of the rug. Most sheep skin rugs are clearly synthetic, but such good imitations it’s hard to tell. Others use the sheepskin rug as a throw or placed on a chair for added comfort – and glamour.

The Scandi Boho Rug – How to add Color and Atmosphere to the Nordic Living Room
Which leads us to rugs Scandi style in the boho home. The rug is so key to the Scandi Boho vibe that it almost defines the look. This is also where there is real room for experimentation with different styles. The new Scandi Boho Millennials are known for their free spirit and eagerness to experiment.
Most items in their homes signify some experience or memory – and rugs are mainly from foreign countries. Their colours and patterns stand out beautifully and interestingly agains the pale Scandi palette. But not everybody gets to travel much and we can now get a fabulous rug from anywhere at the click of the mouse. Here’s a perfect Scandi Boho piece which caught our eye: red vintage patchwork style.
Modern Designer Rugs – Taking Flooring to the next Level
There’s a growing industry in designer rugs. Painters and graphic designers transfer their best works of art onto the rug. This then becomes a limited edition, practical work of art in itself. It’s a perfect way for an artist to licence his or her work and make it accessible to more people and it gives us home lovers the chance to buy into something super chic.
Some do place this designer rug or art rug on the floor, but increasingly people hang the rug on the wall. Depending on the status of the artist or designer, the rug can shoot up in value if the artist is in demand…
Carpet vs. Rugs vs. Mat – Area Rugs and how to decide what Flooring to go for
