Leave at least 6-8” between the rug and the floor on all sides. This will ensure the rug looks intentional in the space. At least two legs of all main furniture pieces should rest on the rug. The rug should extend 12-18” beyond the sides of the furniture underneath.
General Rules:
Make sure your rug is at least 6″ wider (8″ is ideal) than your sofa on both sides. Typically run the rug the length of the sofa. Give 30″ to 36″ of a walkway between large furniture pieces (if your living room allows for it) if not then at least 18″-24″. That will help to inform your rug size.
Controversial Question #1: Can your living room rug be shorter than the length of your sofa? Generally speaking we prefer for the rug to be at least a few inches longer than your sofa on both sides so it feels anchored by the rug instead of top heavy and a bit too bulky.
A rug that is too small for your space can cause the room to feel uninviting. A rug that is too large for the room can, paradoxically, make the room feel smaller. The right-sized area rug will bring warmth and balance to the room, creating the perfect finishing touch.
One large area rug — rather than several small ones — makes a room feel larger. Measure the room's dimensions first. Then select a rug that will rest within 12 inches of all four walls. Don't forget that adage “Measure twice, cut once.”
Rug Size (Too Big or Too Small)
If a rug is too small, it will appear as if it is floating in the room. If it is too large it will overpower the room and make the room appear smaller than it is.
Leave at least 6-8” between the rug and the floor on all sides. This will ensure the rug looks intentional in the space. At least two legs of all main furniture pieces should rest on the rug. The rug should extend 12-18” beyond the sides of the furniture underneath.
If your sofa is a light neutral and all one color, go for a patterned rug to break up the solid block of color. If your sofa is patterned or more than one shade, choose a solid-colored rug. A light-colored rug will make the room look bigger while a dark color will close it in more.
Use light-colored rugs
The work of light colors is to brighten up a room and its décor. Rugs in tones of beige, sand, and taupe will make your room seem bigger and sprawling.
The most common living room rug sizes are 5′ x 8′; 8′ x 10′; and 9′ x 12′. You can apply these sizes to rectangular and oval area rugs. Bigger is usually better, especially if you have a large living room. If you have plenty of floor space to work with, a large rug can make the living room feel even bigger.
In a living room, for instance, all of the furniture should be on top of the rug. If this isn't possible, it's okay to have the front legs of major upholstered pieces on the rug and the back legs off. However, all the legs of smaller pieces should be on the rug.
Always ensure the rug is at least wider than the couch to comfortably fit the rest of the furniture and space. Leave floor space around the perimeter of the rug. This will avoid making the room appear smaller than it is. The rule of thumb is to leave a 12-inch to 18-inch perimeter.
Just be sure to choose a color that's different enough from your floor color to provide a bit of contrast. Step 3: Think about how lighting will affect the colors in the room. Also, don't just consider how dark your flooring is; consider how dark your room is in general.
You can have whole pieces of furniture placed on top of a rug, or you can just place a part of your sofa on it. If you have an open floor plan, setting all of your floating furniture on the rug helps anchor the space. Other than that, it's mostly a matter of preference.
A 5x8 is usually too small for a living, family room or bedroom. An appropriate place for a 5x8 might be under a twin bed, in a small seating area away from a sofa or under a 60” long or less dining table. 6x9 rugs can work in small rooms with petite furniture, like under a sofa that is less than 80”.
The width of the rug should be at least equal to the width of the sofa, but ideally be 15 - 25 inches wider than it on both sides. A spacious sofa corner can be accentuated by a large, cuddly rug - a shaggy rug provides a very soft surface and creates a perfect feel-good zone.
The 8x10 ft or 240cm x 310cm area rug is the most common standard rug size. The math tells us it covers about 80 square feet, or 7.5 square meters of floor space, which means it fits comfortably into most spaces - living rooms, bedrooms or under dining tables.
If you have an L shaped sectional couch, put your rug in the middle of the space in front of the couch. Rectangular and square rugs can be lined up with the corners of the couch. Circular and oval rugs can simply be centered in this space. You can make this rug placement idea work with any shape of a rug.
Use light-colored rugs
The work of light colors is to brighten up a room and its décor. Rugs in tones of beige, sand, and taupe will make your room seem bigger and sprawling.
We don't recommend using area rugs to fill a room, and using several small rugs will make the floor look cluttered and smaller, but if you want to fill a room with one big rug, there are a few things to keep in mind. First to consider is size.
Light colors don't soak in the light from the room; rather, they reflect it, resulting in the appearance of a larger space. Selecting carpeting that matches the paint or wall covering also helps to make the room feel bigger. Light shades of green or blue are relaxing colors, which are ideal for bedrooms.
Highlights. Dark carpet hides stains and dirt better than light colors, but cleaning dark carpet can leave more noticeable spots if you use harsh cleaners. A darker color offers a cozy vibe, making it great for living rooms and bedrooms, especially in colder climates.
If your sofa is a light neutral and all one color, go for a patterned rug to break up the solid block of color. If your sofa is patterned or more than one shade, choose a solid-colored rug. A light-colored rug will make the room look bigger while a dark color will close it in more.