Weekly Design Inspiration: How To Choose The Right Rug Size For Your Living Room
One of the biggest mistakes I see is the “too small rug.” However, today I’m going to walk you through how to not only pick the right size but show you how to lay it out. It’s easy to say “don’t buy too small” but I have some formulas, rules, and general no-no’s that can help you along.
I know… it can be daunting to find THE rug for your living room, but it’s a main design piece so it needs to look right. So first let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the rules for each of the CPD approved layout options…
General Rules:
Typical living room rug sizes are 8’x10′ and 9’x12′
Make sure your rug is at least 6″ wider (8″ is ideal) than your sofa on both sides.
Typically run the rug the length of the sofa.
Give 30″ to 36″ of a walkway between large furniture pieces (if your living room allows for it) if not then at least 18″-24″. This will help to inform you of your rug size.
Tip: Measure out your desired rug size with painter’s tape to get a sense of how it will feel. I promise it’s a lifesaver and will help!
All Legs on Board
If you have enough room, then you may want to have all of your conversational pieces on your rug (ie; sofa, chairs, end tables, etc.) If so, make sure you give yourself about 8” from the edge of your furniture pieces to the edge of your rugs.
For reference, here’s a great example of this done really well. You can see that all the furniture legs are sitting on top of the rug.
Amber Interiors
CC + EM Interiors
Keep in mind that you’ll also want to give yourself approx. 10” to 18” of space from the edge of your rug to the wall. If you go much closer, your space will feel awkward and it will almost appear to be wall to wall carpet. You want to have breathing room and show off your beautiful hardwood.
Emily Henderson
Front Legs Only
This layout is personally my favourite. With this option, you want the front legs of the sofa and all chairs to sit on top of the rug (t’s ok for the back legs to be off the rug).
Studio McGee
This layout is going to make your room feel spacious even if it’s not. The general rule is to have the rug go under each piece of furniture about 1/3 of the piece’s width.
Example: if your chair is 21” deep, make sure your rug is about 7” under it (give or take).
Tip: Layering rugs is a fun way to make your conversation area bigger - think smaller cowhide over a larger sisal.
Green With Envy
Rebecca and Genevieve
There you have it. I’ve included a few cheat sheets to help you decipher between the above options and help you along.
If you require further help or are looking for the perfect rug to complete your space, we have tons of options to choose from.
