How To Measure And Place An Area Rug
One rug or two for open concept living – Interior Design Tips
The right rug can breathe life into a room and unify your decor, especially in an open area. But before you start shopping, you need to know two things: how to choose the right rug size and how to place your rug. Taking rug measurements will help you narrow down your choices so its easier to start sifting through Rug Styles and Colors.
Follow these steps to visualize how an area rug will look in your space:
How To Place Rugs In Your Dining Room
Determining the proper area rug for a dining room depends on the size and shape of the dining table itself in addition the configuration of the actual room. Deciding on a rectangular vs a round shape rug should be an easy choice based on the room and table shape.
Position The Rug So That All The Dining Table and Chair Legs Are On The Rug
In terms of rug placement for dining rooms, it is clear-cut: place all legs of the table on the rug itself. The bigger rule of thumb is to make sure that the rug extends a minimum of 24 inches from the table legs. This should ensure that the dining room chairs will remain on the rug even when pushed back as people get up from from the table.
*If applicable, do not forget to take any extendable leaves into consideration. If you rarely open the table fully then most people will opt to chose a rug that will look good in the dining room as it is used most of the time.
Rectangular Rug Positioned Under A Rectangular Dining Room Table:
Rectangular Dining Room Table Layout With Rug Positioned Under The Table
Round Rug Positioned Under A Round Dining Room Table:
Round Dining Room Table Layout With A Round Rug Positioned Underneath
What Are The Benefits Of An Outdoor Rug
Due to UV stabilization, an outdoor rug can withstand all weather conditions. High-performance outdoor woven rugs last longer while retaining their new look.
The rugs include anti-bacterial chemicals that help prevent mold and mildew. Outdoor rugs are easy to clean and do not require professional cleaning. You can use a garden hose and soapy water to remove stains.
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Get The Skinny On Runner Rug Size
Using a runner rug helps guide the eye, especially in an elongated space. Placing a beautiful runner rug in a high traffic area keeps your style flowing throughout your home. Make sure to use a rug pad to prevent your runner from scratching hardwood floors. To measure for the right size of rug pad and protect your flooring from excessive wear and tear, read our full Rug Pad Guide.
First Measure The Width Of Your Sofa
Once you have the width of your sofa worked out, the general rule is that you want the longer edge of the rug to be wider than the sofa width. Under no circ*mstances should your sofa be wider than your rug.
Even in small living rooms, you still want the relationship between rug and sofa to be right. Were after a balanced look, after all, so ensure the rug extends beyond the width of the sofa.
And on a sidenote, always remember that the front legs of your sofa should sit over the edge of your rug .
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Bare Floor Vs Area Rug
This is the main question, isnt it? It boils down to personal choice. I love the look of a nice area rug on top of hardwood. I also like that it helps reduce noise, adds warmth to the floor and softness when in stocking feet.
All in all, I think its a no-brainer to opt for an area rug if you have hardwood or laminate flooring in your living room.
Finding The Perfect Rug Is Easy With Rugs Direct
Rugs Direct are on-hand to help you maximise your living rooms potential with your dream rug. Our huge selection of stylish rugs and all the sizes and styles they come in means were sure to have the right one for you.
And if youre looking for something bespoke, just get in touch with us directly and well be happy to help.If you know what size you want for your rug but still need more inspiration for choice, just check out our living room rug ideas.
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Consider The Size Of The Rug
For bedrooms
For dining room/dining areasFor family room or living room
Custom Sizing And Square Rugs
How to Choose Rugs for Your Living Room
Maybe the shape of your room is an odd one, or perhaps youre working with an open concept living room where a rectangle rug just doesnt make sense. Different spaces call for different size rugs, but they might also call for a different shape .
In this case you might be thinking about a square rug. But most retailers dont stock them. What you can do with many designs though, is buy a standard size rectangle rug and have someone cut it down for you.
For example, a 300 x 400cm rug can have 100cm cut off the longer side to make it a square. Ask your retailer if they can put you in contact with someone. There are professionals who do this all the time.
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Common Area Rug Sizes
Standard area rug sizes are the ones that are most readily available, but that doesnt mean there arent other sizes. And even the standard sizes vary a little by an inch or so.
Below are the most common standard sizes of rectangular rugs from small rugs to large rugs. These will be the easiest to find and should work in most spaces with most furniture.
Large Living Room: All Furniture Legs On The Rug
This style of furniture and rug placement is the best choice for bigger rooms or open concept living rooms that have a lot more space. Here, floating furniture is placed with all legs on the rug to create a clearly defined, cohesive seating area.
Youll need a large rug for this so that you can leave at least 20cm between the edge of the rug and the back of the furniture, or it can risk looking uneven.
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All Furniture Legs On
This may be the best option if you have an open-concept home. A larger rug size will define a large open space, dictate a conversation area, and give your living room a foundation. It will also accommodate all four legs of your furniture, and youre living room will feel pulled together and cozy. Its a very elegant look, but you must have the space for it, or your living room will feel like an awkward version of almost but not quite wall-to-wall carpet.
The key is to be consistent. If your legs are half off, make sure theyre all half off. If your legs are all on, make sure all pieces have all four legs on the rug.
How To Choose The Right Size Of Area Rug For Your Living Room
The size of the rug in your living room is important because it can affect the way your room looks and feels. It can also affect how much space you have to walk around.
There are a few things to consider when choosing the right size of area rug for your living room. The first thing is what kind of furniture you have in the room. If you have a lot of furniture, then you will need a bigger rug than if you had less furniture. The second thing to consider is how much space there is between the furniture and walls. If there is a lot of space, then you will need a smaller rug than if there was not as much space between the furniture and walls.
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Striped Living Room Rug
To draw the eye from one part of your living room to the other, try a striped rug. In this room, where busy textures and patterns are the primary elements, a striped rug allows the eye to move across the space. The gold tones in the rug match the coffee table and tie together the light fixtures and gold accents. Although there are quite a few patterns at play, the stripes act as a neutral to help ground the room.
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We will cover everything from the size of the living room rug, the do’s and don’ts and some placement inspiration and ideas. By the end of this article, your living room won’t know what hit it – you’ll be able to transform it into your dream living room space!
People want a dining room rug for different reasons, and knowing how to best use the space available to you and choosing the right rug can make all the difference.
“There are three reasons you would want a rug,” explains Eugene Colberg, principal at Colberg Architecture. “One is for comfort under your feet. Two, the acoustical benefits that might come with it. Third is space delineation you want to have the rug helping to structure the room. For small, medium, and large rooms, these factors hold true. A good way of segmenting and structuring a room’s appearance is with a rugâespecially larger rooms.”
Meet the experts
At Living Cozy, we work closely with expert designers and top brands to provide the best information about the products you share your home with. In this article, youâll hear from:
- Veronica Sanders, Interior Designer and Founder or Design with Veronica
- Eugene Colberg, Principal at Colberg Architectureâ
- Farah Dhalla-Singh, Founder and CEO of A Lady’s Touch Incâ
- Hope Austin, Interior Designer and Founder of Hope Austin Interiors
- Zara O’Hare, Interior Design Consultant at Land of Rugs
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Rugs For Small Spaces
If you have a small living room, consider round rugs or runners that take up less floor space than an area rug. Due to their respective curved and narrow designs, these rugs help your small room look bigger while providing the same comfort and style benefits as larger rugs. As long as you work within your living room rug layout constraints, you can find an option to suit your look.
More Living Room Rug Tips And Tricks
How to Choose the Right Rug Size | Lisa Holt Design
As I said earlier a good rule of thumb is an average size living room needs an 8’x10′ rug minimum.
But be sure to also keep these additional tips in mind the next time you’re shopping for a new rug.
- Use blue painters tape to mark off an area that’s the same measurements as the rug you plan to get. It’s a great way to see if the rug will work before buying it.
- A rug pad is great for preventing your rug from bunching up and slipping and sliding around. They also add additional padding for rugs on the thinner side.
- Ideally, your rug should be wider than your sofa on each side .
- Try to have at least the front legs of your furniture pieces on top of the rug.
- Sofa tables do not need to be included in the rug area but can be.
- Preferably side tables should be completely on the rug or off the rug. Although sometimes it can’t be helped.
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How To Determine Size Of Area Rug For Living Room
Area rugs are a great way to add warmth and style to your living room. They can also be used as a focal point in the room. But how do you know what size rug to get?
The size of the rug should depend on the size of the room and how much space you want it to cover. If you have a large living room, then you will need a larger rug than if you have a small one. You should also consider where the furniture is placed in the room when deciding on rug size.
What Size Area Rug Should I Use In My Living Room
Everyone asks decorators What is the perfect size for an area rug? While I think there are exceptions to every rule, I believe an area rug should be at least large enough so the front furniture legs of your pieces will be on the rug. For example, If you have a sofa, coffee table, side tables, and two accent chairs grouped together in the space, then at minimum, the front legs of all the pieces should be on the rug.
But ideally, the rug should large enough for the whole furniture grouping to fit on the rug. However, you do not want a large rug that it acts like the walls in a room consuming all of the furniture in the room together. . If its a small living room then you will likely want the rug large enough to leave an even border around the edge of the rug. In other words, center the large area rug in the middle of the room, then place your single furniture arrangement on the rug.
You also, and most importantly, dont want a small rug that is smaller than your furniture. For example, a common mistake I see is people using a smaller rug that is just a bit bigger than their coffee table. All this seems to accomplish is to make your coffee table comfortable. If its all you have to work with, , then use it, but if you have the choice of a larger rug then use the larger one.
When at all possible you want to use the right rug for the space. The perfect rug size rug is one that anchors your seating arrangement in the room.
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What Rug Is Best For A Small Living Room
According to Ruggable, “Smaller area rugs, like a 6’x9′ or 5’x7 â², work best in an 11’x13′ or smaller living room. These rug sizes leave about 2 feet of flooring bordering the rug on each side” There are a couple of ways to style your rug in small living spaces:
It is best to use rugs in smaller living rooms to make the room look bigger and visually open up the space.
What Size Rug For My Narrow Open Concept Living Area
My house is a narrow DC row house, and we’ve been decorating and furnishing it. My current project is my living room rug. The width of my open living/dining room is about 9′ 7″ wide, and we need to leave room to have a hallway where one can walk from the living room to the dining room and kitchen and the rest of the back of the house.
Originally I was thinking about using an 8×10 rug to cover most of the space and try to “define” the living area while making it look bigger. But my smart husband pointed out that that would leave us walking kind of half on half off a rug whenever we head to the back of the house, which would probably get annoying. The next size down seems to be 6×9, but that feels both too narrow and too long to fit properly, since it would go under some of the furniture but not others, and it would be almost exactly the length of the couch. See photos attached of both sizes with our furniture layout.
Am I wrong about 6×9 feeling off? Are there other rug sizes/options?
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For Small Or Extra Large Rooms
If youre working with a larger room, of course you can get a large area rug in custom dimensions, but you may have to go outside of a standard retailer to do this, and youd expect costs to go up here.
One other thing to touch on as a last tip is for those of you who think a small room demands a smaller rug. This is most usually not true.
In small living rooms, if you go too small with the rug, the zone just looks tinier. As long as there is some visible flooring between the edge of the rug and the outer walls in the space, a larger rug is a great way to make the area actually feel bigger I promise!
Use An Area Rug In An Open Concept
James Nathan Schroder
If your living space is open and airy, a large area rug in the center of the room can bring the space together and provide a focal point. It can also be especially helpful as the starting point for a living room furniture arrangement. This open living room’s furniture is intentionally gathered around the fireplace, with a neutral rug anchoring the design.
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