If you're a fan of interior design, chances are you're already familiar with husband and wife design duo, Chris Loves Julia. With close to 11 years under their belt as a blog, they started sharing about their first home renovation in April 2011 and haven't stopped sharing their love for home decor, design, DIY projects, and yes, even tasty recipes from Chris. We're excited for their newest rug collaboration with Loloi Rugs and caught up with Julia for a fun Q+A to learn more about the rug collection, Julia's favorite home scent, design tips, and more!

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started in the design world?

When I was a kid, I decorated and redecorated my bedroom, pulling rugs in from different rooms, swapping in a lamp when I was allowed, and paying special attention to styling the bookshelf. I was 11 years old when I asked the local bakery if I could design their storefront window (they not only let me, but they also paid me in cookies!). I went to art school, but the real impetus for Chris Loves Julia, the blog, was to keep our family and friends up to date on home projects and pictures of our girls. Documenting our home design has made me embrace that our tastes change, and that’s a good thing!

How would you describe your design style?

Modern Traditional with a cottage vibe

How do you approach decorating a home?

We’re pretty casual. Chris and I decorate our home so that it’s family-friendly first, very livable.

What do you consider the most important element when designing a room?

The rug! A rug is the literal foundation of the room’s design. It’ll set the tone, determine the vibe, and even choose the color palette.

What was your favorite part of designing your own rug collection?

My favorite part of designing this rug collection was imagining all of the places where the rugs will go. Instead of finding “the perfect rug” for our living room, for example, we were given the opportunity to DESIGN it. It’s a very exciting process!

What was the inspiration behind each of your rug collections?

Jules was inspired by my love for vintage rugs. It’s low pile and printed, so it’s really affordable. We wanted something that looked vintage but felt really current.

For Rosemarie, we wanted something classic, traditional. There is an inspiring range of colors, like sage green, blush pink, gold, and lavender. These rugs look like they could have been around for 100 years — and like they’ll last for 100 more years.

Alice is the modern line. It’s super soft, has great texture, and can go anywhere.

Do you have a favorite rug design in your collection?

My favorite is the Lagoon/Brick from the Jules collection. It has all of my favorite tones in it, and the pattern is so subtle that it can go in so many different types of room. It’s the perfect chameleon.

A fun fact: Rosemarie and Alice are my grandmothers’ names.

What’s your favorite space in your home? Why?

Our favorite space is the living room. It’s central in our home — you can see it from the second floor, the dining room, the kitchen — even outside. We don’t have a TV in this room because it’s all about being comfortable and having conversations.

Do you have a favorite design tip?

Don’t wait. Don’t wait until you have the house of your dreams or the budget of your dreams to start improving where you live. It’s so easy to say “We’re moving in a year; I’m not doing anything.” But a year is a LONG time to not love where you live. Invest in things you can take with you (like a new rug!) and start now!

What is your favorite part of interior design?

Combining form and function. If it’s not functioning well, it’s not designed well. If it’s only functioning well, you’re not getting to enjoy the way it looks.