1 Round Rug, 3 Different Rooms: How Emily Haufler Styled the Lemonade Yellow Round Rug

As home decor enthusiasts, we love a good design challenge. Figuring out how colors and patterns work together without overpowering each other is a mental challenge we’re happy to tackle any day. 

And so for this month, we challenged one of our favorite Instagram stylists, Emily Haufler of House and Hens. We gave her one rug of her choice—and she came back to us with three ways to style it in three different rooms. Her rug of choice: the Lemonade Yellow Round Rug. Not only did she choose a bold design, she also went with a round rug! How did Emily design such a bold design, shape, and color choice? Read on.

Ruggable: Emily, you picked a bold rug choice. Why did you choose a round rug?

Emily Haufler: I love the uniqueness and depth round rugs bring to any space. Their non-conventional, fun shape makes them one of the main focal points in a room so our eyes are usually drawn to the rug first!

R: And what made you choose a bright yellow color and a lemonade design?

EH: Since the round rug would be one of the main focal points in my space, I chose the lemonade yellow design for its bold colors and fun pattern. I love that I’m able to bring in fun pops of color in the lemons that will last all spring and summer to brighten my home! 

R: How did this rug change the look and feel of your space?

EH: With so many furnishings and structures being naturally rectangular (tables, sofas, traditional rugs, walls, etc.), round rugs can drastically change the look and feel of any space by offsetting that “box-like” look and complementing other round elements in the room. The soft edges on round rugs can also make any small space feel larger and more open! The curve in the rug creates visual interest that distracts from the limited amount of space and makes the furniture appear more spread out. 

R: Tell us how you styled this rug in your breakfast nook.

EH: The curvature of the walls in this space makes it the perfect spot for a round rug. The rug echoes the shape of my table, place settings, and centerpiece tray, harmonizing all of the circular elements! 

I placed it right underneath my breakfast nook table, making sure that my chairs were also on top of the rug so the design was completely visible. When using a round rug under a round table, it’s important that your rug size is larger than the table so it doesn’t go unnoticed! 

R: What about the sitting room?

EH: This is one of the smaller areas of my home so adding a round rug made it appear so much larger. The sofa, console, and coffee table are also all rectangular, and the round rug helped to offset some of those box-like shapes and became more of a focal point for the room.

I placed the rug in the center of my sitting room, with the rug touching both the sofa and coffee table, to balance these two pieces together and maximize the use of my limited space. 

R: You also placed this rug in the entryway, which was unexpected.

EH: Being the main entrance of my home, a round rug was perfect to use as a “first impression” focal point and space enhancer, making the entryway feel more grand and elegant. I centered this rug under my round chandelier, which brought together the front door and the entryway bench. 

R: What challenges did you encounter while styling your rooms with this rug?

EH: One challenge I encountered when styling the rooms with a round rug was making sure the size of the room didn’t swallow the rug, and that the furniture on top of the rug looked balanced. Round rugs do best in smaller spaces where they can make the room feel larger, but in very large spaces they can sometimes look “out of place” and the eyes aren’t sure what to focus on.

R: Do you have any tips for anyone intimidated by round rugs?

EH: Every home has an area that would benefit from a round rug! Here are just some of them:

1. Complement round rooms: Round rugs look great with round or curved furniture or in a round room to echo all of the circular and soft edges.
2. Soften minimalist-styled homes: Pair a round rug with a minimalistic style. The curved edges will soften the harsh lines typically found in minimally styled rooms.
3. Make small spaces look bigger: Use a round rug in a smaller space to make the room appear larger.
4. Make a grand entrance: Use a round rug in an entryway as a “first impression” focal point.
5. Make a statement: Pick a fun pattern or color, and make sure the round rug touches the major furniture so it doesn’t appear smaller or goes unnoticed.

READERS: Did you like what Emily did with her space? How would you design this rug? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!