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By Sydney Wasserman , Rachel Fletcher , and Sarah Madaus
An area rug serves as the foundation for a space, and if you want something that gives you a blank canvas to work off of a neutral rug’s your best bet—not too bright, not too patterned. Because let’s be honest, the options for a rug are endless. That’s not even taking into account the pressure to actually decorate a room beginning with the area rug, which means you really have to love it before hitting “add to cart” because the rest of your furnishings will depend on it.
With this common dilemma in mind, we tracked down 17 area rugs that will ground your furniture without competing with it while also adding warmth and texture to a room and your home decor. Most importantly, they won’t burn a hole through your wallet. We chose neutral rug options at a range of price points, but most are below $600. Though inexpensive, these timeless styles can easily follow you from home to home.
Prices reflect a 6x9 rug size whenever applicable, but most of these rugs have many different sizes to choose from.
All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
All Rug by Gur pieces are hand-loomed in Portugal and designed in collaboration with artists like Cachete Jack and Atelier Binno. This selection keeps things ultrasimple with a neutral color but adds a slightly flair with a stitched black “X” in the corner, making it the perfect rug for a moody living or dining room.
Beige is beautiful when it comes to this seagrass creation. Seagrass is hardy and stain-resistant, so you can put this in a high-traffic room like an entryway and not worry about needing to replace it in a year.
We can practically feel the plush from the picture alone. The subtle trellis pattern adds visual interest, but the cream rug is simple enough to layer with other carpets or place in a heavily decorated room.
Dallas-based textile brand Loloi partners with weavers in India to create intricate handwoven rugs. There’s something soothing about the striations in this natural wool and cotton neutral area rug—making it especially ideal for a living room or den.
Another Fair Trade certified offering, this wool-blend rug stands out with copper woven strands. The bobble texture feels soft on bare feet and the warm tones instantly make a space feel more homey.
Suede and shimmer? Sign us up. We love the underlying wave design that makes it feel like a dynamic piece of art, not just another area rug.
This soft, earthy wool rug has darker threads woven in to make it look a bit more casual and cozy. And if you aren’t sure whether or not this rug will fit with your decor, Castlery offers a virtual room designer tool that makes it easy to visualize a piece in your space.
This charming neutral rug from Anthropologie is anything but basic. The signature scalloped border of Matilda Goad & Co.’s pieces feels playful without being childish, and the wool feels soft underfoot.
We’re suckers for Nordic Knots’s simple patterns and plush, high-pile rugs that feel more like floor blankets. This one is inspired by the landscapes of Sweden, with a striking black line accent that runs through the creamy, fluffy wool (which is fair-traded straight from New Zealand).
Interior designer Justina Blakeney’s handwoven Playa collection amps up the bohemian vibe with plenty of braided texture and different natural fibers. If you’re hesitant about how this piece will look, Jungalow offers 18" x 18" swatches so you can see the textile for yourself.
You love Quince for its affordable travel gear, basics, and cozy blankets, but they also have a handful of versatile area rugs that won’t break the bank. Take, for instance, this beige shag rug, with a contrasting border and frilled edges.
Inspired by modern art, this West Elm geometric rug is visually interesting but not to the point where it’ll draw attention away from your statement furniture and decor.
Found on Wayfair, this affordable handmade flat weave rug is customizable in multiple sizes. Try layering it with plush, high-pile rugs to create the ultimate hygge feeling. Buy it in five different rectangular sizes, in a square size, or as a runner rug.
Another pick from Blakeney’s collaboration with Loloi, the raised, contrasting medallions and shapes on this wool pile are a treat. We love it as a runner in an otherwise boring hallway, or as an area rug in a room with dark wood furniture. And if you’re not sure what size is best for your space, we have a guide.
This sweet, checkered cream area rug from Anthropologie uses low- and medium-pile wool to create texture and softness. It’d look great as a neutral piece in a kid’s room or under your kitchen table.
The thick fringe and stripes help this Quince area rug stand out just enough from underneath your sofa, and the dark backdrop adds a little bit of depth and drama.
We’d be remiss to leave out this neutral (albeit less neutral than other picks we’ve highlighted) machine-washable rug we created in collaboration with Ruggable. The gridlike design uses different sized stripes and colors with playfulness at the heart.
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