The secret to Angela Scanlon's cohesive dining room boils down to one clever design trick, say interior experts

And it's easy to recreate

Angela Scanlon
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Angela Scanlon is easily our go-to girl when we need bold and whimsy interior inspiration, so you can only imagine how pleased we were when we spotted that she had taken to Instagram to share a stunning, cosy corner of her dining room.

Embracing all things warm, rustic, and slightly more eclectic, Angela's taste in home furnishings and design has always been something we've resonated with – and the presenter referencing the trending 'mob wife' aesthetic in a recent post is proof that she's certainly in the know of the latest home decor trends. Therefore, it's no surprise she's nailed this key design trick: using rugs to zone an open-plan space.

Commenting on using rugs to your advantage when considering home design, Lucy Mather, interiors expert at Arighi Bianchi says, 'Rugs offer a multitude of benefits beyond adding colour, texture, and decoration. They serve as practical and aesthetic tools for effectively zoning areas within a home.'

'Using rugs to zone areas of your home can offer several benefits, playing a key role in creating a cohesive and stylish look,' begins Cassandra Leisz, creative director at Ruggable. 'Rugs can visually separate and define different areas within a room, such as a seating area in a living room or a dining area in an open-plan layout.'

This creates distinctive zones for different activities in your home, bringing purpose and organisation to a room without structural dividers. Explaining further, Daniel Prendergast, design director at The Rug Seller says, 'They act as visual cues that delineate different areas within a room, helping to define separate functional zones without the need for physical barriers.'

Dining room with rattan chairs, wooden dining table, and rug underneath

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

'By placing rugs under furniture groupings or within specific areas, you can clearly define spaces for various activities such as dining, lounging, or working,' he adds. In this case, Angela has shown how she uses this corner in her dining room for relaxing, sipping your daily cup of joe or quiet activities like reading.

Better yet, if you size your rug generously and place it under furniture just as Angela has, it's one of the simplest ways to make your dining room look more expensive. Or, any room for that matter. Not to mention, it's a surefire way to instantly add a touch of cosiness and make a space feel inviting – even more so if you opt for a warmer dining room colour scheme like Angela's.

Living room with hollow fireplace holding plant, console table, and rug

(Image credit: Future PLC/Richard Kiely)

When zoning with rugs, Cassandra's biggest tip is to incorporate rugs of different textures, patterns, and colours to add visual interest to your interior. 'In particular, an oversized rug can make a bold statement and act as a focal point in the room, drawing attention to itself and tying together the overall design scheme.'

Therefore, if you're keen on snapping up a new oversized rug to zone a room in your home, here are some of our top picks to bring into your space to emulate Angela's coveted look.

Shop rugs

So, whether you're looking to make a statement with bright colours, introduce new patterns, complement existing textures in a room, or enhance a specific zone of the room, Johanna Constantinou, trends expert at Tapi Carpets & Floors assures that your choice of rug can help achieve your preferred look.

'For example, if you have an open plan kitchen and dining area, then placing a brightly coloured, patterned rug under the dining table as Angela has done can help you separate the dining space from the rest of the kitchen, creating a sense of purpose and giving character to the specific zone without looking clustered,' she continues.

We'll be following the presenter's lead for our springtime home decor refreshes.

Jullia Joson
Junior Writer

Jullia is Ideal Home’s Junior Writer and the Ideal Home Certified Expert in Training on Vacuums, having spent over 60 hours testing different models. She’s always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham where her love for writing blossomed following her internship at ArchDaily. Now focused on home tech and cleaning, Jullia works on writing features and explainers to help people make the most of their home appliance investments, putting the newest launches through their paces. When she isn’t writing, she loves exploring the city, coffee shop hopping, and losing hours to a cosy game or book.