5 Christmas Color Scheme Ideas (with Affordable Coordinating Runners & Rugs!)

As we tiptoe toward the end of October and start looking towards the holidays, today, we’re gonna have some fun! Each year, when I consider Christmas color schemes/themes, I rely on something for inspiration. Sometimes, it’s a piece or ribbon or a swatch of wrapping paper. Sometimes, it’s pillow covers or throw blankets. And sometimes, you can get the most unexpected color combos by typical items in your home… like rugs. In this post, I’ll be sharing five different rugs alongside coordinated Christmas color themes — whether you’re looking for a scheme that goes with a runner or rug you have/want, or you already have a color palette in mind you’re looking to pair with a seasonal rug, I’ve got you covered! Read on for the first semi-holiday post of the season with some expected (and some unexpected) ideas.

*This post is published in partnership with Wayfair, one of my favorite home retailers. As always, all opinions, concept, and creation are my own. Posts on KelleyNan.com may contain affiliate links. Click HERE for full disclosure.

New Kitchen Addition

Before we get into the rugs and color schemes, I wanted to share the latest addition to our kitchen. You may remember in my recent Windsor Furniture Favorites post that I referenced a modern classic I was waiting on for the stationery desk. We’ve never had a chair in this spot but finally, it just made sense. I’ve also been wanting a Windsor-style chair for a while and the stationery desk in our kitchen seemed the perfect spot. It’s simple and classic and I love how it goes with the rest of our kitchen — lots of tradition with a slightly modern update.

Kitchen Stationery Desk Inspiration

Windsor Chair (set of 2 — comes in multiple colors)

These actually come as a set of two and currently $179.99 for the pair; you can find them HERE. They also have over 1200 positive reviews and while I’ve only had mine a few weeks, I’m incredibly pleased. They come in a few colors (like white and gray) and the only assembly was screwing on the legs — super simple!

Kitchen Desk Area Inspiration with Wine Lattice

Windsor Chair (set of 2 — comes in multiple colors)

Kitchen Stationery Desk Area Inspiration and Decor Ideas

Windsor Chair (set of 2 — comes in multiple colors)

Wayfair has a ton of Windsor style chairs and barstools, along with some of my favorite occasional pieces —  all orders, even furniture — ships free at $35+. You can find a few affordable favorites here…

Scroll & Tap to Shop Chairs, Barstools, Benches & Accent Pieces

 

Now, let’s chat rugs and Christmas color schemes! All rugs I’m sharing today are affordable and come in several options — colors, shapes, sizes. Whether it’s the texture, style or color, sometimes, all it takes is the addition/switch of a rug to coordinate your holiday theme to the rest of your room. Most of my rugs are in runner format since our kitchen is the easiest place to take on any color scheme, but there are a few area rugs (even one duplicate!) I couldn’t resist 😉

Neutral Rugs & Possible Christmas Color Schemes

Without a doubt, neutral rugs are by far the easiest to coordinate with just about any color you can think of. From classic Christmas colors to all white and flocked, a neutral rug is safe and hard to mess up. But, while they coordinate with a ton of different color-ways throughout most any season, I have a few favorite themes I’ve pulled together — especially for textured, natural rugs. The first — and a first sneak peek of this year’s color scheme — is a black watch tartan, with blues, greens, and gold.

Christmas Color Scheme Ideas with Coordinating Rugs

Jute Rug (comes in several sizes & shapes)

I’m so excited to get to work on this year’s decor and see it come to life! I’m planning for my annual Christmas home tour to launch on 11/17, so I definitely you’ll be back to visit then. You can see last year’s Christmas home HERE.

I actually loved this natural, chunky rug so much, I got it as a runner for the kitchen…

Affordable Kitchen Runners and Rugs

Jute Rug (comes in several sizes & shapes)

Transitional Cream Kitchen Inspiration

Jute Rug (comes in several sizes & shapes)

… as well as a 3′ x 5′ rug for the entry. Again, ike all the rugs in today’s post, this is incredibly affordable and comes in a ton of sizes. This is handwoven with a higher pile than a flat jute, which makes it a little more cushy, too.

Affordable Jute Rug for Anywhere in the House!

Jute Rug (comes in several sizes & shapes)

THIS rug is incredibly similar but has a pretty fringed edge.

Affordable Jute Rug for the Entry or Anywhere in the House

Jute Rug (comes in several sizes & shapes)

Another neutral style with a little bit of a different vibe is a flat, woven cotton. I opted for the Anthracite color — it comes in three colors and multiple sizes — and I love it paired with a more minimal, organic and natural Christmas scheme.

Christmas Color Scheme Ideas with Coordinating Rugs

Striped Flatweave Rug — in Ivory/Anthracite (comes in several sizes & 3 colors)

This is a really easy rug to help marry multiple neutral tones, like mine did as a kitchen runner. It adds a slight, dark contrast that coordinates with the hardware but still appears light.

Affordable Kitchen Runners & Rugs

Striped Flatweave Rug — in Ivory/Anthracite (comes in several sizes & 3 colors)

All of the rugs pictured are anchored in place with THIS non-slip rug pad. They are thin which makes them easy to trim, also.

Affordable Kitchen Runners and Rugs

Striped Flatweave Rug — in Ivory/Anthracite (comes in several sizes & 3 colors)

Affordable Kitchen Runners and Rugs

Striped Flatweave Rug — in Ivory/Anthracite (comes in several sizes & 3 colors)

I love the color variations in this one — here’s a closeup of the pattern, colors and texture.

Affordable Kitchen Runners & Rugs

Striped Flatweave Rug — in Ivory/Anthracite (comes in several sizes & 3 colors)

You can find other affordable neutral and more muted rugs below.

Scroll & Tap to Shop Neutral Runners & Rugs

 

Now, let’s talk a little less traditional and a little more of a surprise…

Colorful/Bold Rugs & Possible Christmas Color Schemes

While most of the rugs I’m sharing are a little more predictable, there are so many fun colors and patterns to play with. Using a single rosy/ivory rug, I came up with one of my favorite color schemes in the post, mixing pinks, coppers, bright and deep reds, and gold.

Ideas for Christmas Color Schemes -- with Affordable Coordinating Rugs!

Rug — in Ivory/Red (comes in several colors & sizes)

How fun is that?! Even if these aren’t your typical colors, tying a neutral room together by adding a colorful rug with a coordinating Christmas tree would be beautiful for the season! Most of the rugs in today’s post are in runner format, for the kitchen, but I got this inexpensive rug specifically for Eliza’s bathroom, in the 2’6″ x 4′ — it’s only $35.99 for that size.

Affordable Pink and Cream Rug for a Little Girl's small bathroom

Rug — in Ivory/Red (comes in several colors & sizes)

There are some really fun, colorful rugs you can grab on a budget below! If you’ve always wanted to try color, trying it temporarily for a season or in a smaller/secondary space with less “commitment” is a great option (think powder room, hallway, entry, mudroom, etc.)

Scroll & Tap to Shop Colorful/Bold & Unexpected Runners & Rugs

 

Can you imagine some of the cool concepts you could create, using some of those purple and fuschia rugs as inspiration?!

Blue and White Rugs & Possible Christmas Color Schemes

Blue and white is so classic that it can essentially serve as a neutral. It works with most of the same color schemes a truly neutral rug would, but there’s an opportunity to get a little more vibrant and a little more bold. THIS navy and ivory rug comes in almost 30 sizes and the 2’6″x 8′ runner pictured below is under $60. And, it works beautifully with a spin on my primary Christmas color scheme from last year — tartan with lots of red!

Christmas Color Scheme Ideas with Coordinating Rugs

Rug — in Navy/Ivory (comes in several colors & sizes)

These rugs come in several colors and work well for high-traffic areas or places where spills and accidents are likely. The soft but thin material will need to lay to flatten out a bit and running a vacuum over it will help!

Affordable Kitchen Runner Rugs

Rug — in Navy/Ivory (comes in several colors & sizes)

In a more elegant approach, I paired THIS rug with more frosty hues in straight white and silver, with lots of glitter and sparkle. Still blue and white but a totally different feel than the former!

Blue and White Christmas Color Inspiration with Coordinating Rugs

Rug (comes in several sizes)

At only 2′ wide, this runner is great for narrow spots; it also comes in almost 30 sizes and shapes from runners to round rugs and rectangle area rugs.

Affordable Kitchen Runners and Rugs

Rug (comes in several sizes)

Scroll & Tap to Shop Blue & White Rugs

 

Do you take inspiration and cues from your rugs? Have you ever felt limited because of the colors in your rugs? There are so many creative avenues to be taken when it comes to not just color mixing and coordinating, but also in the texture and finish of ornaments. From more ornate rugs paired with glitter, glass, velvet and polish to rustic rugs paired with matte and flat finishes and wood, your rug can totally set the stage for your holiday home and the inspiration for your decor. To catch all upcoming holiday posts, be sure to subscribe to emails at the bottom of the post!

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Find these featured home accents and other home updates from $39 HERE.

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14 Comments

  1. 10.22.20
    Elisabeth said:

    These are all so beautiful! I will definitely be revisiting these ideas in the coming weeks!

    • 10.28.20

      Hi Elisabeth, Thank you so much! It was lots of fun to complement the rugs with Christmas decor that I had on hand. The rugs are great and we are already enjoying them!

  2. 10.23.20
    Janice Locke said:

    All look nice! Do you have a favorite? I need a new runner for my kitchen and trust your opinion.

    • 10.28.20

      Hi Janice, Thank you for your kind words. I really like the jute one and it is currently in use. It is thick so it takes a bit getting used to. I would have to say my true favorite is the striped flatweave. Here’s a link if you should need it.
      https://rstyle.me/+79UzlGnobQiPkEVSHKFXuw

      • 10.30.20
        Kelly Fain said:

        The flat weave is the one I am leaning toward too. I have been looking for over 6 months and this may be the winner winner chicken dinner!!!

        • 11.2.20

          Yay! The colors and weave are great. It would be great in a bathroom, too!

  3. 10.23.20
    Tami said:

    I love your Blog! It’s one of the very few, like 2, that I keep coming back to. I look forward to your new content and I am so ready for the coming holiday decor. Your eat in kitchen area inspired me to go with a glass table. So thank you for that!

    • 10.28.20

      Hi Tami, Thank you! Your sweet words mean the world to me. The holidays are coming up soon, so I am getting ready and can’t wait to share. We’ve had that table for years, but it’s still used every day!

  4. 10.24.20
    Maureen said:

    So pretty! Where did you find the Black Watch ribbon? One of my absolute faves!

  5. 10.28.20
    Louise Gordon said:

    Such lovely rugs – and the Christmas colour schemes are lovely. I have been looking for soft green and ivory rug but just not having luck .
    Look forward to all your blogs.

    • 11.2.20

      Hi Louise, Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to leave your thoughtful note. I so hope you are successful in your search!

  6. 11.7.20
    Brenda said:

    Hi Kelly, everything you do is just beautiful. I have a question i am leaning to go with the ivory stripe flatweave for the kitchen however, my dinning area is open next to the kitchen what color rug should I consider for the dinning space area to complement since both rooms are so close to each other. Thank you!

    • 11.9.20

      Hi Brenda, Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by! That runner is one of my favorites. I would suggest a light neutral run in your dining area. Hope this helps!