Fitting an Area Rug into Your Living Room

Fitting an Area Rug into Your Living Room

You should never take a one-size-fits-all approach when fitting an area rug into your living room. If you choose a rug that’s too small, it can make the furniture seem overpowering. When the rug is too large, it can hide your beautiful floors and make your furniture appear out of place. You need to select a living room rug that is proportionally sized to your specific space.

Before you go rug shopping, use Kirishian’s guide to determine the right size rug to fit into your living room.

Determine the Right Size Area Rug for Your Living Room

There are a few factors to consider when determining what size rug is best to fit your space, including both the shape of the room and the furniture within it. Is the room a square or is it rectangular? How do you want your furniture positioned on the rug? Will all legs of the furniture be resting on the rug? Only the front legs? Or will all the legs of the furniture be off the rug? The answers to these questions will help guide you in the right direction for selecting the ideal size rug for your living room.

How to Measure for a Living Room Area Rug

To get started measuring your living room for the properly fitted rug, measure the length and the width of the room. This will help you find proportionate dimensions to work off of when reviewing your options. Once you have the length and width of the living room measured out, subtract approximately 4 to 5 feet from the width of the room and 6 to 7 feet from the length of the room. In most instances, you’ll find yourself with an area rug ranging from 8’x10′ to 9’x12′ within the living room. If you’re torn between two sizes, use painter’s tape to lay the dimensions on the floor so you can get a better understanding of how each size will fill the space.

Arranging Your Living Room Furniture on the Area Rug

Now that you have the ideal rug size for your living room, you need to place your furniture. You have three options:

  • All furniture legs on the rug
  • Furniture front legs on the rug
  • No furniture legs on the rug 

The larger the rug, the more of the furniture can be placed upon it. If you’re leaning towards a rug with smaller dimensions, it is recommended that you place the rug between the furniture with no furniture legs atop it. The most common setup for a living room is to have the front legs of your living room furniture on the area rug, with the rear legs resting on the floors. 

Voila! Your room will look beautiful with your new area rug.

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