Tropical Outdoor Rugs

How a Tropical Outdoor Rugs Can Highlight Your Room Decor

A tropical outdoor rug can highlight your room’s decor by setting the base for the room’s style, establishing a color scheme, or serving as the basis for the space’s color palette. You can carry the rug’s colors through other pieces of decor, such as pillows, blankets, and artwork. Another option is to allow the rug to be the sole pop of color, but you can still have the rug highlight the decor by carrying the rug’s imagery through to the artwork and decor (ie if there’s palm leaves in the rug, you can have palm leaves on display elsewhere in the space. 

Decorating with a Tropical Outdoor Rug

When you’re decorating with a tropical outdoor area rug, you can obviously use it in outdoor spaces, but you can use an outdoor rug indoors as well. Outdoor rugs are tailored to withstand outdoor weather and climate, so it can also stand up to foot traffic inside your home and serve you both functionally and stylistically. 

Choosing which Tropical Outdoor Rug is Right for You

Choosing which tropical outdoor rug is right for you may feel like a daunting task, but if you think through just a few of the following topics, you’ll be able to shop confidently and find the tropical outdoor area rug that’s perfect for your needs. 

Position: Early on, it’s important to establish your space’s layout and how the rug fits into it. If you are using your tropical outdoor rug in a seating area, you can center the rug with the seats for an organic set-up. It can rest all the way under the furniture, under its front two legs, or directly in front of the seats. If you’re looking to spice up your outdoor dining space, you can center the rug beneath the table and have enough excess on the sides so that the chairs sit comfortably on the rug at all times. 

Shape/Size: The shape and size of the tropical outdoor rug also connects to how you position it. Rectangular rugs are a popular choice, but your space may be better suited for a tropical outdoor area rug that is round, square, or a runner shape. The biggest thing is that the rug’s shape and size should fit your space and serve your function, whether it’s establishing a seating/social area or placing a runner rug as a path. Consider whether you’re using the rug on an outdoor deck or more of an enclosed patio space to determine the scale of the rug in comparison to the space around it. 

Pattern: Tropical outdoor rugs come in both subtle and bold patterns. Some patterns are dense and show off many tropical leaves, flowers, and animals, while others might just use one type of leaf as its primary design. Other rugs may not even have the pattern as the primary focal point of the rug; it may simply have a tropical border around its edges. The complexity of the design and how much of the rug it encompasses can help set the tone and guide you towards certain accessories and decor, so think carefully about the pattern’s tone and mood. 

Colors: The color pattern of the rug and the intensity of those colors is another huge component of setting up the mood. Bright greens and teals can create a youthful and bold tone, while muted greens and neutral tones can create spaces that are more calming. When you’re choosing your color palette, think about the mood that those colors inspire and how/if you’re going to connect those colors to the other artwork and accessories.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tropical Outdoor Rugs

Are tropical rugs popular?

Yes, tropical rugs are currently popular. Tropical rugs often feature bold, bright colors and bold patterns inspired by nature, such as palm trees, leaves, and flowers. This design style creates a fun, playful, and lively atmosphere, making tropical rugs a popular choice for adding a touch of whimsy to a space.

Can you machine wash a tropical rug?

Some tropical rugs can be machine washed, while others cannot. Before washing, it's important to check the care instructions that came with the rug, or the manufacturer's website, to see if machine washing is recommended and, if so, what the proper process is.

Where should you place a tropical rug?

A tropical rug can be placed in various indoor or outdoor spaces to add a touch of tropical flair. Some common spaces to place a tropical rug include a living room, bedroom, outdoor patio or deck, or near a pool area.

Ideas and Advice

Check out our latest how to's + design tips to find the perfect rug for your space.

Rug Buying Guide

How to Clean a Rug

How to Keep Rugs from Sliding