While the cold weather keeps us indoors, there’s no better time to refresh our decor. Cooler temperatures rejuvenate the love for textiles within the home, allowing us to start a new take on the year with the season’s hottest layers for warmth and comfort. This weeks Five Finds has rounded up the best of my most favourite home decor item – the area rug. Neutrals are the perfect palette for floor decor as it allows us to play with pattern and texture while maintaining an overall look that suits almost any space; from flat weaves with a graphic appeal to historically inspired pieces, here are my top five faves.

1. Willenz Area Rug in Stone; available at Vancouver Special, 3612 Main Street. $945 for Medium size, 88.6” x 63”, other sizes available.

The Willenz uses it’s four-tone monochromatic palette and graphic patterns to create a three dimensional effect to the surface. Designer Sylvain Willenz has spent his life between Brussels, the U.S. and the UK to round out his design career, completing his educationat the Royal College of Art in London. Drawing on his global inspiration, the Willenz area rug takes a fresh approach to tradition by eliminating both corners and round edges to create a unique, geometric style all it’s own.

2. Ceres Dove & Angora rug; available at The Cross Decor & Design, 1198 Homer Street. $625 for 5’x8’, other sizes available.

The intentionally distressed elements of the Ceres area rug show respect to it’s Turkish descent;  with a blend of grey-tone geometric symmetry beautifully interrupted by a teal seemingly paint-spattered pattern, the textile creates a modern take on tradition for area rugs. Whether your decor is minimalist modern or formally traditional, the Ceres offers itself as an upscale, globally chic floor covering.

3. Aerial ’48 Rug; available at Burritt Bros Carpet and Floors, #60 – 8385 Fraser St. Prices available upon request.

As one of the stunning introductions to the Burritt Bros new River Design Quarter collection, theAerial ’48 area rug embodies, on a literal level, the impressive landscape of the design house’s new digs in the River District. The abstract imagery within the rug was inspired by a City of Vancouver archival photo depicting the 1948 flood of the Fraser, and is an aerial view of the farmlands and mighty Fraser pre-industrialization. The river itself in the pattern is created by a low-loop Chinese silk, while the surrounding landscape is made up of Himilayan wool; the contrast in materials and pile height offer a subtle yet stunning sense of movement within the rug, reflective of the area it is honouring.

4. Trace Mat by Ferm Living; available at Vancouver Special or via Ferm Living, www.fermliving.com. 

Monochromatic colour blocking creates the punchy effect of this rug. Playing within the tonal ranges of soft to striking grey, the Trace offers a playfully geometric pop to any room; it’s smaller size of 24”x40” allows the mat to be ultra versatile, suiting nearly any space from the entryway to the kitchen or even a fun bedside rug. The fringed edges soften the overall design and create 

a more relaxed vibe for the piece, while machine washability make the mat a practical addition to the home.

5. Agua Asgar Rug Drizzle; available at The Cross Decor & Design. $475 for 5’x8’.

This rug offers my most favourite effect, tie dye methods in a subtle neutral palette. We have seen beautiful dyeing techniques from around the world take their place in decor this last year, and the Agua Asgar Drizzle pays homage to that in a fresh new muted colourway. This flatweave piece is made in India, and is made of 100% wool, allowing it to be dirt and stain resistant and ultimately easy to care for.