Rugs are great accent pieces for any room. They can liven up a room with their pattern or act as a subtle statement grounding all the furniture. Do you get confused on what size of rugs to use? I used to until I discovered these so called rules.
Rule # 1 (and the one I’m gonna be talking about today) : Size Matters!
Whether you choose a wool, cotton, natural fiber, or synthetic rug the size is the key. The most common mistake people make is choosing a rug that is too small. In the pic below doesn’t the rug look like it is floating in the room?
Pic Courtsey: Apartment Therapy
There are two ways you can work this issue.
- Pick a rug large enough to fit all the furniture legs on it.
Pic Courtesy: West Elm
- Or you could choose a size where the front feet of the furniture is anchored on the rug.
Pic Courtesy: Horchow
Either way by anchoring the legs the rugs ground the room.
- As you can see in my living room pic the second case also works even if the front legs of the couch are not on the rug as long as the size of the rug is proportional to that of the room.
For dining rooms too pay very close attention to the size. Here’s a big no no.
Pic Courtesy: Houzz
- The rule for dining tables is, the legs of all the chairs should remain on the rug when they are pulled out.
Pic Courtesy: Horchow
When you think about it, it is sound advice. When you are at the table you wouldn’t want your chair to be wobbly as the the hind legs are off the rug.
Large rugs for large rooms can become pretty expensive. An alternative is to get your big box store to custom bind a piece of carpet of your choice in the size you want. That is what we did for our family room.
We chose a shag carpet from Home Depot had them cut and bound it to size. Way cheaper than buying a real rug this size.
You guys have any rug tips?
I SO agree. Size is everything. I love the tip for binding a carpet. That is such a great idea. I didn’t know you could do that and finding a rug the size we need for our dining room table is impossible without spending a huge chunk of money. This was very timely for me to happen upon. Thank you!!
Hey Vidya , how do u have a rug cut and bound and what would it cost ??? Would homedepot do it for us ??? Love love love ur blog!!!!
These Smithz Home Depot does it. We got out family room rug cut and bound from them. The cost depends on the type of carpet you choose. I remember ours was less than half of what it would have been it had bought a shag rug that size.
Fantastic article, there’s a lot of good info here on decorating with rugs. I have an Etsy shop offering handmade natural jute rugs, stop by and have a look! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Exotiflora
If your dining table is round, do you have to use a round rug under it?
You could do it both ways but I prefer a round rug under a round table. We have a round jute one under our breakfast table.
http://devl.whatsurhomestory.com/breakfast-room-update/