20 Beautiful Rooms with Beni Ourain Rugs

The first time I ever saw a Beni Ourain rug was in this house tour, here on Apartment Therapy. I saved the picture in Evernote with the caption: NEED THIS RUG. Then suddenly I started seeing Beni Ourain rugs all over the place. I started to wonder if I really liked them, or just thought I did because I saw them everywhere. But then there was that original picture, reminding me that it was love at first sight.

So I finally got a Beni Ourain rug (or at least, a modern Pottery Barn version of one), and I worried for a while that it would suddenly go out of style, just because I had bought one, as trendy things tend to do. But then I realized I didn’t care, because I love my rug and it is great.

And anyway, the popularity of the Beni Ourain shows no signs of flagging. For good reason — these fluffy tribal rugs are a perfect way to add a little texture and warmth to a room. Their geometric patterns help to ground the space, and the neutral color palette means they work well with minimal color schemes, and don’t compete too much with bolder ones.

A little history: traditional Beni Ourain rugs are made by the Beni Ourain tribes in Morocco’s Atlas mountains. They feature abstract linear patterns, typically in dark brown or black on a white field (but there are exceptions, like this blue on white example). According to our friends at Nazmiyal Collection, Beni Ourain rugs were first made popular in the West by Le Corbusier and other modern architects at the beginning of the 20th century… so we’re all a little behind the curve. That doesn’t make them any less beautiful.

Click the gallery to see all the inspiration rooms… and check out this list for our favorite sources for Beni Ourain rugs.