Living Room Rug

In my first blog post from “Things I’ve Learned” we are going to talk about rugs. Rugs complete the space, rugs make any space look and feel cozy and the right rug will make any room look more stylish. Color, shape and size of a rug can make a huge impact on the way your room looks. So if you don't have a rug in your living room, it is time to get one.

Things I have learned:
​I have made a mistake in the past and bought a rug that was too small for my living room to save money. Now I know that bigger is better. So here are some tips to follow when purchasing a rug for your living room:

Prior to buying the rug, lay your room out first then outline with blue painters tape to visualize the rug and to insure you buy the correct size. But, what is the correct size?

• At least 18"-24" inches of hardwood, tile or carpet exposed all around the rug. You don’t want your area rug closer than 18" inches to your walls to avoid looking cramped. You can simply take 18"-24" off the room's measurements and that is your ideal rug size. 
• Bigger is always better. Your rug needs to be the largest element in the room. Rugs length should be larger than the largest piece of furniture.
• If your living room is significantly larger, consider dividing your room into two seperate seating areas with two rugs.  
• Rug should not be shorter than the length of the sofa.
• The front legs of sofas and chairs should sit on the rug. 
• At least 6 to 12 inches of rug on either side of the sofa.
• Center your rug with the sofa.​
• If you have a plain neutral sofa, consider patterned with a pop of color on the rug.
• Common size rugs 5x8, 6x9, 8x10, 9x12, 10x14​​

8' x 10' Rug

10' x 14' Rug

9' x 12' Rug

5' x 8' Rug - too small for the space

 In these four examples 8'x10', 9'x12' and 10'x14' rug size will work in this room. This is a big size living room, 14' x 17' therefore, even though 8'x10' rug works, 9'x12' or 10'x14' looks better in this space. However, 5'x8' rug is too small.  First, the chairs front legs do not sit on the rug and second, this rug is not the largest element in this room, it is shorter than the length of the sofa. Therefore, 5' x 8' rug is not ideal for this room and its furniture layout. Here is another view of different rug sizes: 

8' x 10' Rug

10' x 14' Rug

9' x 12' Rug

5' x 8' Rug - too small

• Sectional should be more in line with the corner of the rug

It is important to consider the correct rug size but more importantly it is important to consider having a rug.  Without rugs, room feels incomplete and cold, a room with a rug provides coziness, style and comfort.

Hopefully you found these tips helpful and ready to use them in your living room space. Next stop is bedroom rug.