A living room is one of the most important rooms in a house – it’s where you spend cozy nights in with your loved one, relax and unwind after a long day, and entertain guests. With this room being such a focal point in the home, it’s essential to bring all its elements together in a cohesive manner, and nothing does that better than an area rug.
When people are considering getting an area rug for their living room, the style and colour of said rug are often what’s top of mind while placement and sizing are nothing but a mere afterthought. If you’re going to be putting an area rug in your living room in the near future but haven’t put any thought into its placement, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about how to place a rug so that it suits your space!
Why Put A Rug in Your Living Room
Area rugs are wonderful additions to living rooms that have hard surface floors. Not only do they reduce noise and provide some much-needed comfort and warmth to a space, but they can also help it feel more grounded.
When the furniture in a living room is put in place without a rug, it can seem like everything is just “floating” around. By simply placing a rug in the space and having all the main pieces of furniture strategically arranged on or around it, the entire room comes together. Feng shui experts even believe that placing a rug in a room can slow down the energy flow in your home and create a calming effect.
Tips and Tricks on Placing a Rug in a Living Room
The main factor that you should consider when purchasing and placing a rug in your living room is the size of the space. Before you buy a rug, you should always take exact measurements of the room and map out your room to scale. A general rule of thumb to follow is allowing for around 18 inches of uncovered floor around the edges of your living room rug. You should also factor in the existing furniture and the layout of the space so that you know which elements you want to be focal points and which ones you want to pull together.
Here are some recommended rug options for different living room dimensions:
Option 1: All Legs On
The “all legs on” approach works best for living rooms that are large and spacious. By having all your furniture placed on top of the rug of your choice, your space will look more pulled-together and anchored. A rug that is 9’x12’ in size should be able to accommodate all your main furniture and allow you to walk around without the risk of tripping.
Option 2: Just the Front Legs
This is the most popular option for living room rug layouts as it creates a harmonizing effect that cohesively connects all the furniture without having to invest in a large, expensive rug. This approach works well for most living rooms, and an 8’x10’ rug should suffice for most spaces.
Option 3: All Legs Off for Furniture Surrounding the Rug
If you’d prefer to incorporate a small rug into your space, having no legs on the rug is the way to go. This approach works well for bold, patterned rugs that are being put in narrow rooms. Be sure to account for the space between the surrounding furniture and not just the dimensions of your coffee table when you select the rug. It needs to fill all the negative space to make the room appear inviting.
There you have it – the ultimate guide on how to place a rug in your living room. Now you’re all set to get a rug that’s perfectly suited to your space! Happy decorating!
Why Love Your Rug
Love Your Rug has been offering professional rug cleaning and rug repair services throughout Southern Ontario for Over a Century. We clean and repair all rugs and have a weekly rug pick-up service that makes it that much easier for our customers to get their rugs cleaned and repaired. Contact us today to get your living room rug looking its best!
