How to Choose the Right Size Rug For Your Living Room
A rug can go a long way in making a space feel just right. It can add color and texture, help ground a furniture arrangement, and even help define different areas of a large space. Getting the size and placement correct is definitely the trickiest part, though. One of the most commonly made mistakes is having a rug that is way too small for the space or the furniture it is paired with.
To help with that, I’ve put together some visual guidance to illustrate what works well in living rooms with several different furniture options and configurations. In some instances, you’ll see that there is more than one rug size that can work well, so here are a few extra guidelines to help you land on the right option for your individual space.
The front feet of your furniture pieces (sofa, armchair, or sectional) should be on the rug and the rug should extend under the piece by at least 3 to 4 inches.
In a very large room, a rug that allows for all four feet of your sofa and chairs to be on it may be the best option.
While “bigger is better” frequently applies to rug sizes, a rug should NOT feel like wall-to-wall carpeting. Leave at least a foot of space between the rug and the wall.
So before we dive into what TO do, let’s first start off with what I don’t recommend. This first example is a 7ft long sofa with 2 armchairs paired with a 5ft by 8ft rug. At first glance, this might seem like an okay option, right? But if you take a close look, you’ll see that this 5x8 rug really only allows for the front feet of the sofa to be on the rug but not the chairs. If you moved the chairs so their front feet were on the rug, the whole arrangement would start to feel cramped. And as is, the rug feels kind of like an island with just a coffee table on top of it and chairs and sofa jutting off the island. Not so good after all, you see?
Now here is the same furniture arrangement with an 8ft x10ft rug and then a 9x12 rug…
So much better! The 8x10 definitely helps ground the furniture arrangement and would allow for a couple small side tables on either side of the sofa. The 9x12 also works really well in this arrangement and would allow for a more substantial side table.
If you have a really large room or perhaps an open concept room and need to define which area is which, a 10ft by 14ft rug could also work and would allow all the furniture pieces to be fully on the rug. Be sure to still have a foot of open floorspace between the rug and wall so the rug doesn’t start to feel like wall-to-wall carpeting.
Sectionals make rug sizing and placement even trickier because of their large size and numerous configuration options. This post would go on forever if I tried to cover every possible configuration, so I’ve stuck to using a 100in by 100in sectional or a 94in by 58in “chaise” style sectional. (Of course if you have questions about your room and specific sectional situation, you can reach out to book a quick consult here!)
With an equal sided corner sectional of this size (100”x100”), you’ll see both an 8x10 and 9x12 rug work well. I do think that the 9x12 helps balance out this arrangement a little bit better since I’ve included an armchair. Without an armchair, an 8x10 would feel more proportional.
Chaise sectionals are very popular these days but since they’re sized more like a sofa with an affixed ottoman that juts out, it can be hard to figure out how to place a rug. In the case of chaise sectionals, it’s especially important to consider the placement of any side tables. If the chaise end of the sectional is going up against a wall or is someplace it where it won’t make sense to have a side table, then an 8x10 rug is a great option.
However, if you have a side table on the long end of the sectional, you’ll need a larger rug to help that side table feel like it’s part of the grouping and not just hanging out by itself! A 9x12 rug placed all the way underneath the sectional allows for side tables, a coffee table, and even an armchair or two.
I’ll end this post with a disclaimer: these are just general guidelines and since every home is different, there will always be exceptions to the rule! I’ve used standard-ish sizes for these examples, but sofas, rugs, chairs, side tables come in a zillion sizes. If you’re feeling like you need some extra guidance or have a super challenging space, I’m here to help! I offer 30min. quick consults as part of my e-design services, you can learn more about them here.
If you want to remember these tips for next time you’re buying a rug, Pin the graphic below! And follow me on Pinterest while you’re there!
