Laura Ashley Rugs: Archive Florals, Damasks and English Country Style

Few British names are as closely tied to the idea of home as Laura Ashley. For generations, its prints have dressed curtains, cushions, wallpapers and armchairs in houses up and down the country. The Laura Ashley rug collection, produced by Brink & Campman, takes designs from that archive and translates them for the floor. Some are faithful to the original prints; others reinterpret them as carved texture, embossed borders or softly faded medallions. The result is a range that feels unmistakably English but sits comfortably in a modern home. Browse the full Laura Ashley collection.

Archive florals

The florals are the heart of the collection, and many have a documented history in the Laura Ashley archive.

• Summer Palace began as an antique Edwardian chintz in the archive and was first launched as a print in 1988. On the rug, an exotic bird with a long trailing tail sits among peonies and leafy branches. The Cranberry/Grape colourway is rich and romantic on an ivory ground; Truffle/Seaspray sets a blue bird on a soft truffle-pink ground.
• Gosford is a signature print of bold parrot tulips, first launched as a drape fabric in autumn/winter 2003. The Cranberry rug draws large, blowsy tulips in cranberry, plum and rose.
• Wendling Floral is a large-scale print of stylised roses, carnations and chrysanthemums with the feel of a traditional English chintz, available in Poppy Red and a softer Heather Purple.
• Pussy Willow, first launched in 2012 and inspired by an antique wallpaper sample, sends fine branches of willow buds rising up the rug. See Dove Grey.
• Parterre, launched in spring 2020, shows trailing stems carrying wisteria-like blossom on a misty blue-grey ground in Sage.

Pattern as texture

Not every Laura Ashley rug announces itself with colour. Several designs are carved into the pile, so the pattern appears as soft relief that changes as light moves across the room. This is an excellent way to bring a famous print into a calmer scheme.

• Cleavers, first added to the archive in the 1970s, is a silhouette of trailing leaves and daisies, hand-carved in loop and cut pile in 100% pure new wool. See Natural and Seaspray.
• Coleby Petals carves a stylised floral tone on tone into hand-tufted wool, in colourways including Ivory Cream, Chalk Pink and Hedgerow Green.

Damasks, medallions and tailored borders

• Josette, launched in 2003 and inspired by antique printed silk, forms an ornate damask medallion inside a patterned border in dove grey and white.
• Newborough is a classic medallion with a deliberately weathered, antique look, woven on a jacquard loom as a thin flatweave that sits easily under furniture.
• Redbrook takes its cue from wood panelling: a plain field framed by embossed border lines picked out in viscose. It is hand-tufted in New Zealand wool, in shades including Silver, Duck Egg and Midnight.

Indoors and out

The collection also includes an indoor/outdoor range tufted from yarn spun from recycled PET bottles, including the deckchair-stripe Lille and the cottage-garden Thorncliff Daisy. These suit conservatories, garden rooms and covered terraces; our guide to conservatory and garden room rugs explains what to consider, and you can browse further in our outdoor rugs collection.

How to style a Laura Ashley rug

Let the rug be the pattern. A large floral underfoot is a confident statement. Keep upholstery plain or lightly textured and pull one or two colours from the rug into cushions and throws. Our guide to mixing patterns covers the rules if you do want to layer prints.

Match the period, or contrast it. These designs are a natural fit for cottages and period houses; see our guide to rugs for period properties. They can be just as striking in a pared-back modern room, where a single chintz-style rug brings warmth and a sense of history.

Use the carved designs in bedrooms. Tone-on-tone pieces such as Cleavers and Coleby Petals give a restful room pattern without visual noise.

A decorator's note

Laura Ashley florals are often bought to sit alongside existing curtains or wallpaper, so it is worth checking the colours together before you decide. If you would like a second opinion on how a particular design will work with your fabrics, send our team a photograph and we will happily help you find the right match.