This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.
The perfect area rug, or so you thought. You saw it in the store, and it glowed like a magic carpet. Then you brought it home, spread it under your dining room table, and realized that it was so small that your chairs crumpled the rug inward every time they were pushed under the table. You tripped on it when you served food. The edges began to wear. This is why understanding proper rug placement is essential.
In the world of rugs, size does matter.
The adequately sized rug can make or break a room, both in terms of visual impact and in terms of visual impact and in how well a room function, design professionals say.
Interior designers know there are ground rules for rug dimensions and placement. The first rule, of course, is that these rule can be broken.
Nonetheless, understanding the basics can help those of us without a strong design sense know where to begin.
Dining Room
Measure your table, then add at least 6 feet to the length and 6 feet to the width. Three feet of the rug on each side of the table will allow for chairs to sit with all legs on the rug and will and provide enough room to move them in and out.
You should measure your table at the size you most frequently use; otherwise, the table will look dwarfed by an extra-long rug.
Buffets, sideboards, and china cabinets typically are all the way off the area rug. Otherwise, you’d be creating a visual mass instead of defining a table area that is balanced along the walls by other furniture.
Living room, family room or den
A large rug meant to cover a room leaves a margin of the exposed floor on all sides. That margin makes a room look larger than if the carpet was scrunched up to the baseboards.
A rug in the middle of a room looks best if the amount of floor showing is equal on all sides. That may not be possible, so at least shoot for similar margins on opposite sides of the rug, such as a foot of floor space showing on two sides and six inches on the other side.
For smaller area rugs, chairs should either be all the way off or on. Chairs or rugs can shift if the front legs are on the rug and the rear legs are not. This is for stability. Sofas tend to be heavy enough that they won’t move if the legs are half on or half off the rug.
Anyone sitting on the furniture should be able to have both feet on the rug.
A rug under a coffee table looks proportional if it is the same length as the sofa.
Some large rooms can be defined with more than one rug. Designers say not to divide a room in half with two equally sized rugs. You’ll achieve better contrast if you vary not just the size but also the scale of the pattern and the type of design.
Another tip when considering the room size and rug dimension: Make sure that the rug is not too thick if you have to position it in front of an open and closed door.
Bedroom
The basic rule for bedroom area rugs is to leave 3 feet of carpet showing on all sides of a bed.
Many people are reluctant to cover a rug’s design with something as large as a bed. Most Oriental rugs are symmetrical, however; if the rug is adequate, your eye will fill in the missing patterns.
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