Selecting The Perfect Living Room Rug Size For Your Home

Seattle, Washington interior design by Elegant Simplicity.

Final year, we shared Everything Yous Need To Know About Rugs Under Your Bed + information technology was a HUGE striking which is why this time nosotros're earthworks into the nitty gritty details of selecting the perfect living room carpet size. Afterward all "what size surface area rug should I become?" is quite literally one of the most ordinarily asked questions in the living room.

Simply when it comes to furnishing your domicile, most people go about selecting their living room area carpeting the wrong way because they start by making decisions that are based solely on appearance + the way it looks instead of scale. Not to mention, the overall size + how large or small a rug is (a.k.a. scale), plays a pregnant office in impacting how open or chaotic a room feels.

Then, let's swoop in, shall we?

THE Floor IS THE 5TH WALL

When selecting an area rug for your living room, you need to recollect of the floor as being the fifth wall. Do you lot want the area rug to be a focal indicate of the seating area or fall off into the background? If you want information technology to be a focal point + for it to help set the mood of the living room so peradventure you'll be thinking of a vibrant, textured or even a bold patterned rug. While on the other mitt, if you want the area rug to visually fall off, then you'll be because something that has more subdued colors, textures or patterns.

Once more, out of curiosity, how exercise you desire the spacing to feel in this area? Do you want a infinite that feels open + expansive or are yous going for a quaint + intimate seating expanse?

In either instance, thinking about the floor in this context, every bit a 5th wall, will go a long mode in helping you narrow in + focus on what you actually need considering the terminal thing nosotros want is for you to get lost in the infinite rug options that are out there.

Common LIVING ROOM Carpet SIZES

We always say when it comes to picking the size of your carpet, that in full general, the larger your living room surface area rug can be the amend because it's going to make the space feel bigger + deed every bit an anchor for your furniture to residual upon.

Typically, living room carpet sizes are:

Living room rug sizing chart by Elegant Simplicity a Seattle, Washington interior design firm.

Keeping in heed that ideal walkways around or in-between furniture are eighteen - 30" wide, we suggest taping out your living room layout, especially, with area rugs. P.South. nosotros're huge fans of using blue painter's tape!

WHAT TO Exercise WITH SMALLER Expanse RUGS — LAYER THEM

Ideally, you don't want a living room expanse carpeting that'due south smaller than your sofa but peradventure it's a sentimental rug you purchased while traveling or you're just feeling like a rebellious dominion-breaker *wink!* Well my friend, the proficient news is –– layering expanse rugs are an excellent choice.

A couple of thoughts:

  • On top of a significantly larger rug similar an 8' x 10' or a nine' 10 12' layer a smaller carpet like a 3' ten v' in front of the sofa or exclusive.

  • You could also layer a slightly smaller rug like a 6' 10 9' on height of an 8' x ten'

  • Consider using texture, pattern or color to create a little sass to the space — like a vintage rug on top of a sisal or jute rug.

Living room interior design in Seattle, Washington by Elegant Simplicity.

HOW TO LAYOUT YOUR Article of furniture WITH A LIVING ROOM Carpet

At Elegant Simplicity, nosotros live past the cardinal belief, that when information technology comes to designing or organizing your domicile there are no rules, only guidelines that assist point you in the right direction. Each abode and every family unit has different wants + needs when it comes to the everyday clothing + tear of their home. And then, when information technology comes to figuring out exactly what living room furniture gets to sit on that gorgeous new rug of yours –– welp, nosotros arroyo the living room rug size + furniture from a handful of different angles.

Every bit a general rule, you lot never want a carpeting that covers, wall-to-wall, the entire flooring. What yous want to do is leave between 10-twenty" of breathing room between the wall + the edge of your rug at to the lowest degree. If your living room is larger + that would mean a HUGE carpeting, this certainly doesn't apply then but in general, an area carpeting should cover an "area", not the entire floor.

Hither is a quick listing of our go-to living room carpet sizes…

ALL LEGS ON THE RUG

Living room rug size and layout for a living room designed by Elegant Simplicity a Bellevue, Washington, interior design firm.

  • In a large living room, you take the option of having all of your furniture (particularly the sofa, chairs, coffee or side tables) on the living room rug.

  • Ultimately though, what you want to exercise is ensure there'due south 8-10" from the edge of those pieces to the border of the living room carpeting. Otherwise, the furniture feels like it's as well close to the edge.

  • Over again, ensure that at that place's 10-xx" of breathing room from the carpeting to the base of operations trim. If you're besides close the living room rug can sometimes feel overwhelming for the space + make it look bad-mannered.

  • Go along in mind, those are guidelines considering if your sofa is backed up to a wall + yous want all of your furniture on the carpeting then it makes sense to have less than eight-10" from the back of the sofa to the edge of the carpeting.

Front end LEGS ON THE RUG

Living room furniture layout with living room rug size by Elegant Simplicity a Bellevue, Washington interior design firm.

  • This living room carpeting layout is likely the most common considering information technology creates a cohesive + withal spacious experience where each piece is curated + close plenty for conversation simply can as well stand on its own.

  • Front legs on the rug is exactly what it sounds similar. Where all the front legs of the chairs or sofa rest on the living room rug but the dorsum legs sit down on some other surface.

  • So — the question is how far should each piece sit on the surface area carpet? Well, we similar for the article of furniture pieces to sit on the living room rug about ⅓ of the article of furniture piece'southward width. Let'due south say for instance that your sofa is 36" deep, then you want the carpet to sit at well-nigh 12" under it.

IS A Carpet OVER Carpeting OK?

We thought yous'd never inquire! Depending upon the carpet in your living room, an area rug can however work, if it'south a low-pile carpet, an area carpet over peak volition await amazing + help to tie the entire room together.

WHY Carpeting PADS ARE ESSENTIAL

Fifty-fifty if you have carpet in your living room, a carpet pad is an essential in our playbook. But put if you're investing in a loftier-quality carpeting you desire to take care of it and then investing in a quality carpet pad is important.

This will obviously make walking on the living room expanse rug — regardless of size — more comfortable (specially if you have hard-surfaced floors) but it will continue your rug from moving or "walking" beyond the floor, rippling in the middle or minimize the fibers from breaking down + looking worn out.

Of course, retailers will try to sell you a rug pad (which is fine) simply we recommend waiting until you accept your carpet, measuring the rug + so ordering a carpet pad (designed specifically for placement over the carpeting or hard floor) from your local carpet cleaning company.

WHAT IF I HAVE KIDS OR PETS?

If yous have kids, pets, or both, then you actually want to consider a carpet that will wear well over time. Hellllllloooo Captain Obvious *flash!*

A rug is only equally proficient every bit the ingredients and skill that went into making it, and so if y'all are looking for a quality rug y'all desire to run into adept fibers, good dyes, and good structure.

The real question is how do you do this? Or rather? What do you look for?

  • Well, consider a low-pile wool rug. Wool is 1 of the most durable materials + easy to make clean.

  • When it comes to color or design, consider what will piece of work all-time for your pet. If nosotros simply said dark rugs but you have a labrador retriever with blonde pilus (whoops).

  • In full general, stay away from looped textures, tassels or fringe so the nails of your pets don't snag on them.

Well, there yous have it...everything you need to know!

A living room carpeting size isn't equally straightforward as it seems because at that place are a ton of moving parts unique to every domicile. Only for you nervous rug shoppers, y'all now know some of the design secrets nosotros use + the things we consider when selecting living room rugs for our full-service pattern clients.

Think, these are guidelines — not rules :)

And don't forget, if you're in the preliminary planning stages of your next projection, let'south chat.

P.S. If you lot loved this commodity then y'all're going to really enjoy the 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.