3 Rug Colors Designers Say to Definitely Avoid in a Living Room — They're Not Practical, and Can Create a "Visual Void"

Image of a modern living room with a neutral rug, a velvet caramel sofa, a white leather accent chair, and an abstract wooden coffee table.

Choosing the color of your living room rug is no easy feat. A dark red may be an alluring trend to tie together your fashionable pieces, while a light off-white is always a dependable base, but either color will affect the room as a whole, and not always for the better. So, as you conjure up your floor covering plans, there are certain rug colors to avoid in your living space, according to designers.

When choosing a rug color in a living room, it's less about avoiding specific palettes and more about ensuring your choice brings the rest of your room to life. "A living room rug, like a sofa, creates a huge visual anchor, so you want to choose a color or pattern that promotes harmony, not unrest," explains Maria O'Brien, VP of design at Ruggable.