Rugs are one of the best ways to add warmth and style to your room. If you are out shopping for the perfect rug, it is important to keep in mind that a rug’s size has an equal influence on a room’s atmosphere as the rug’s pattern, colors, and texture. But how do you what size your rug should be? Unfortunately, there is no cookie-cutter answer, but there are general guidelines that you can follow to ensure that your rug is the perfect size for your space.
The bigger the room, the bigger the rug
Make sure that you get a rug size that is right for the right room. A rug with a large size relative to that of the room can make a room seem larger. The recommended rug size is 2 feet less than both the length and the width of the room. If your room size is 7’ x 10’, it means that the recommended rug size should be 5’ x 8’. If your room size is 14’ x 17’, your rug size should ideally be 12’ x 15’. If you have a big or open plan room that is used for different functions, you can use multiple rugs to visually divide the room. Be sure to secure the rugs to prevent it from slipping.
Be consistent
When deciding whether the furniture should go on top of the rug or near it, remember, all of your furniture should either be on the rug or off the rug. If you, for example, have one couch that are facing two chairs, all three pieces of furniture should be either on or off the rug. If you only have the couch on the rug and the chairs on the tiles, it may make your seating area look divided. You can also have the front feet of all the furniture in your conversation area standing on the rug and the back feet on the floor.
Orientation
The longer sides of the rug should be parallel to the longer sides of the room and the shorter sides of the rug should be parallel to the short side of the room. Orientation has a big influence on the dynamic of the room and can make it easier to place your furniture in a way that makes the room look pulled together.
Rug sizes for tables
When finding the perfect rug for a dining room, board room, or any other room with a table and chairs, remember that the legs of the chairs should always be on the rug. Pull out all the chairs until their seating areas are no longer under the table. Measure the floor area underneath the table and all the pulled-out chairs, and you will have the minimum size of the rug.
Bedrooms
When it comes to bedroom rugs, you can get a rug that is big enough for the entire bed and two nightstands on either side of the bed. For rugs that are big enough for the entire bed, get a rug size that can be oriented to the measurements of the room. You can also get a smaller rug, a 5’ x 8’ for example, that you can place vertically next to the bed or horizontally underneath the foot-end of the bed so that the sides of the rug are visible on either side.
Conclusions
If you received a rug as a gift or if you really like a specific rug that doesn’t meet these guidelines, buy the rug anyway. You can always use it to accentuate a special feature in your living room or to brighten up your hallway. The power of visualization can also help you determine what size your rug should be.
