The happiest rug in the whole house

Two dots and a curve: the smiley face is one of the simplest designs ever made, and surely one of the most cheerful. A smiley rug, a big yellow smile on a round rug, a pink and green preppy smiley or a groovy smiley flower, makes a room feel friendly the moment you walk in. It's a favorite for teenagers' bedrooms, dorm rooms and playrooms, and for anyone who could use a little daily encouragement. Ours are printed edge to edge on soft velvet, so the yellow stays sunny and the lines stay crisp, and every rug goes in the washing machine.

Where the smiley came from

The yellow smiley face was drawn in 1963 by Harvey Ball, a commercial artist in Worcester, Massachusetts, who was asked to create something to lift the spirits of employees at an insurance company. He reportedly finished the design in about ten minutes and was paid just $45, and he never trademarked it. The design spread on buttons and posters through the 1970s, became a symbol of rave culture in the late 1980s and lives on today in emoji and fashion. Ball later founded World Smile Day, celebrated on the first Friday of October.

Smiley designs

Design	The look	Best in
Classic yellow smiley	Bright yellow circle with a black smile	Round rugs, playrooms, dorms
Preppy pink and green	Smileys in pink, green and pastel colors	Teen bedrooms, dorms
Smiley checkerboard	Checks with smileys scattered across them	Bedrooms, playrooms
Smiley flowers	Daisies with smiling faces in the center	Retro rooms, nurseries
Hand-drawn smiles	Wobbly, imperfect smiles in bold colors	Creative studios, funky rooms
Smiley-shaped rug	A single smiley cut to a circle	Beside a bed, under a desk chair

The classic yellow smiley on a round rug is the simplest choice, while preppy pink and green suits a teen bedroom.

Round smiley rugs

A smiley face is already a circle, so it's a naturally perfect match for a round rug, every time. A 3.3 to 4.6 ft (100 to 140 cm) smiley under a desk chair or beside a bed is cheerful without taking over the room; a 5.2 or 5.9 ft (160 or 180 cm) smiley in the middle of a playroom is a bold, happy centerpiece. Our round rugs page shows each size in a room, and our shaped rugs can add little extras, like a wavy edge or a flower outline.

Preppy smileys

Pink and green smileys, often paired with checks, stripes and bows, are a signature of the preppy look that's popular with teenagers and college students. A preppy smiley rug suits a bedroom with white furniture, a pink or green accent wall, framed prints and a few plush pillows. For more pastel and cute designs, see our cute rugs and bow rugs.

Smileys and checks

A checkerboard scattered with little smileys, or a smiley sitting on a wavy checkerboard, mixes two of the most popular patterns of recent years. In pastel pink and yellow, it's sweet; in black and white with yellow smileys, it's bold and graphic. For checks on their own, see our checkered rugs and wavy rugs.

Smiley flowers and the 70s

In the 1970s, the smiley face sat alongside flower power on everything from lunch boxes to bumper stickers. A daisy with a smiling face in its center brings both together, a groovy, cheerful design for a retro bedroom or a playroom. For more from the era, see our retro rugs and daisy rugs.

Funky, hand-drawn smiles

For a more artistic look, wobbly, hand-drawn smileys in unexpected colors, a lilac smile on orange or a red smile on pink, feel playful and handmade, like a tufted art rug. They suit a creative studio, a funky living room or a teen who really likes to stand out from the crowd.

From buttons to raves to emoji

The smiley has lived many different lives. In the early 1970s, it was printed on millions of buttons, mugs and T-shirts across America. In the late 1980s, it became the emblem of the acid house and rave scene in Britain, printed on flyers and record sleeves. And today, it's the ancestor of the emoji we send every day. A smiley rug carries a little of each era: optimistic, rebellious and endlessly friendly.

A small act of kindness

Harvey Ball's idea for World Smile Day was simple: do an act of kindness and help one person smile. A smiley rug is a gentle daily reminder of that idea, a bright face to greet you in the morning and a cheerful spot for kids to sit and talk about their day. It makes a thoughtful gift for a friend who needs encouragement.

Styling a smiley room

A smiley rug looks best with simple furniture in white or pale wood, a few bold cushions in matching colors and some playful accents: a wavy mirror, a checkered throw, a colorful lamp. Keep the walls light and let the rug be the room's bright spot. In a grown-up space, a single small smiley on a neutral rug adds humor without overwhelming.

Siblings and shared rooms

For siblings sharing a room, two smiley rugs in different colors, one beside each bed, give each child their own happy face while keeping the room coordinated.

Teen bedrooms and dorms

A smiley rug is one of the quickest ways to make a teen bedroom or a dorm room feel happy and personal. A round smiley beside the bed or under the desk chair works well in a small space. For the softest bedside rug, choose Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, about 700 g/m²; on a hard dorm floor or under a chair, choose Standard: 5 mm crushed velvet on a non-slip faux leather back, about 500 g/m², which stays put and lets wheels roll freely. Our bedroom rugs page has more layouts.

Playrooms and kids' rooms

Children absolutely love a big smiley face rug: it's bright, friendly and easy to recognize. In a playroom, it makes a soft, happy circle for games, songs and story time. On a hard floor, choose Standard so it stays put. Our kids play rugs page has more ideas.

Offices and workspaces

The smiley face began as a way to lift spirits at work, so it's fitting under a desk, too. A small smiley rug under a home office chair is a cheerful reminder to take things a little more lightly on a hard day.

Classrooms

Teachers often use smiley designs to create a warm, welcoming classroom. A big smiley rug for circle time, or a rug with smileys in different colors so each child has a spot, makes a classroom feel friendly. For more, see our classroom rugs.

Bathrooms and entryways

A small smiley rug by the bathroom vanity or just inside the front door is a cheerful little welcome. Choose Standard for its grip. In the bathroom, keep it by the vanity or the door: it's a printed velvet rug, not a quick-drying bath mat. At the front door, keep it inside, out of the weather.

Nurseries

A soft, pastel smiley, pale yellow on cream or a gentle pink smile, makes a sweet, happy nursery rug. Choose Premium, 7 mm plush velvet, for tummy time and first crawls, and switch to Standard once your little one starts walking on a smooth floor. Our kids and nursery rugs have more ideas.

Colors

Yellow and black is the timeless classic. Pink, green, lilac and baby blue feel preppy and pastel. Orange and brown feel retro. Black and white feel graphic. Through our custom rugs, any smiley can be printed in your exact colors, or with your name beneath the smile.

Gifts

A smiley rug is a really great gift for a teenager, a new college student, a friend going through a tough time or anyone who brightens a room themselves. A classic yellow round smiley is the safest choice; a custom smiley in their favorite colors with their name is the most personal.

Standard or Premium

Standard is best under desk chairs, in dorms, playrooms, classrooms and anywhere with a hard or slippery floor, because its non-slip back stays put. Premium is softer and warmer, best beside a bed. Both are printed the same way, so the yellow stays bright and cheerful, and both go in the washing machine.

Sizes, shipping and returns

Rectangles come in 2×3, 2.6×3.9, 3.3×5, 4×6 and 5×7 ft. Round rugs come from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across, and shaped rugs from 2.6×2.6 up to 5.2×5.9 ft (80×80 to 160×180 cm). Custom sizes go up to 5′11″ × 10′. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that. Unused rugs can be returned within 30 days on US orders; custom rugs can't be returned.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes, and blot spills with cold water right away. The design is printed into the fibers, so your smiley keeps smiling brightly, wash after wash, year after year.

World Smile Day

Harvey Ball, the Massachusetts artist who drew the yellow smiley in 1963, worried in later years that it had become too commercial. In 1999 he created World Smile Day, held on the first Friday of October, with a simple motto: do an act of kindness, help one person smile. Ball died in 2001, and a foundation in his name continues to promote the day.

Meanwhile, the smiley has taken on a life of its own around the world. In France, journalist Franklin Loufrani began using a smiling face in a newspaper in 1971 and built a licensing business around it. The face has appeared on buttons in the 1970s, at rave parties in the 1980s and 1990s, and in the emoji on every phone today.

A smiley rug is a small reminder of Ball's original idea. Placed by the front door, it greets everyone who comes in, and in a classroom or an office, it sets a friendly tone for the day.

Padrift is an independent studio. Our smiley designs are our own; we are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by The Smiley Company.