Modern Coastal Rugs: Design inspired by Land and Sea

The coastline is an ever present source of inspiration in California. Surfers, sunworshippers, birders and beachcombers all find their hearts’ desires in the place where land tapers into the great waters. Poets and artists have long pursued their crafts amidst the gnarled cypress of the wind-whipped cliffs along Cali’s Central Coast. More northern tidal outposts include Bolinas, Half Moon Bay, Mendocino, and Crescent City where small town charm meets pebbly beaches, overlook trails, tidal pools, and blazing sunsets. How calming it is to spend an afternoon breathing sea air, observing birds, and watching the waters for whale sprays and surfacing dolphins. 

The coastal environment can bring oceanic inspiration to interior spaces too. Natural materials and sheer window coverings amplify light and space, melding inside and out. Wood flooring is interrupted by area rugs designating walkways and seating areas. Think sun-bleached,  weathered tones, organic shapes, and textures from nature. Think sand and salt, kelp and shells, seaglass and driftwood. Soft beiges, whites, grays, touches of silvery blues, soft greens and rust tones make up the palette for these modern coastal rugs. Texture in the rug links to direct experience and the tactility of the natural world. And simultaneously invites us in with its softness and welcoming warmth. This is the ethos of modern coastal style, and the rugs which help define it.

Looking to enhance your decor with modern coastal rugs? Take a look at Mehraban’s Sandpiper Collection. This collection of all-wool, easy neutral rugs foregrounds textural patterns with pile weaves that will inspire your feet. From whites to taupes, silver grays to russet browns– these rugs drop modern coastal style into a variety of decors. 

The Amihan rug is another modern coastal rug design that vibes with California from Malibu to Monterey. It combines organic form and modern geometries with variegated wools and a motif of long and short piles. For darker rooms try the Carbon colorway. Or Dove for a softer contrast in bright spaces. For something in between, try Metro. 

Another favorite, dubbed the official rug of Malibu, is Abrolhos from the Haute Bohemian Collection. A banded motif with a zigzag border on two sides and a Moroccan style Ghazni wool construction, Abrolhos enunciates contemporary simplicity with the perfect dash of up to the minute zhuzh.