In a big open-plan space, the rug should sit under the front legs of both the sofas – or if you have a large rug, then both sofas can sit completely atop the rug. If you have chairs in the space as well, then the front legs of the chair should be touching or "hovering" on the rug.
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.
However, depending on the size of the room and the style of sofa, Gorsline says a couch doesn't always have to be perfectly centered on the rug. "In the example of a large sectional, the sectional should be more in line with the corner of the rug—leaving a little margin if you can—instead of centered," she says.
Angle the rug under the sectional so that one short end is under the middle portion of your sectional. Next, have the other end point to the room or space connected to the living area. The diagonal line you've now established directs the eye and the traffic pattern so your two adjoining spaces flow together.
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.
In modern interior design, it is possible to choose carpets and furniture with the same colour and design or choose them to be different from each other; So you have no limit making your home comfortable. Remember; All of these tips help you make the right choice, and you do not have to follow them.
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.
Match the furniture shape, style, color, fabric and/or back height for a cohesive look. This system works whether you are purchasing brand new furniture or if you have a really special piece that you love and need to build out the rest of your room around that one item.
We suggest picking a rug size from 8×10 feet to 9×12 feet and ensuring that the rug you buy is at least six to eight inches wider than your sofa on all sides. Run the rug the length of the biggest sofa piece and give 30 to 36 inches of walkway between the larger furniture pieces if your space allows for it.
If you have a Corner sofa like this one, by Hay, it makes sense to follow the lines of it by placing a small or even extra small rug at the centre of it. Allow a small gap between the rug and sofa on both sides, then position your coffee table centrally on top of it.
Consider Room Orientation
No matter where in the room you put your couch, it should face the focal point of the room. This might be a television, a window with a view, a fireplace, or any aspect of the room that you want to emphasize.
The most popular, perhaps unsurprisingly, is gray. Ben White, design and trade specialist at Swyft Home, explained why gray topped the list: “Gray is a likely a slightly more popular sofa color choice as it's the most versatile of all the neutral colors.
If you want timeless furniture, go for a timeless color. Yes, a color! A blue, yellow, or black sofa will be a lot more timeless than the popular gray. The gray sofas of today are just the brown leather sofas of 10 years ago.
Absolutely yes, grey goes very well with brown (as it does with most things). Try and lean towards the more neutral and natural tones rather than something bold like a battleship grey.
As mentioned before, bigger is almost always better. A few inches can make a world of a difference. If your rug is too small, not only will it make the room look smaller, but it will also make the room appear choppy. Going with a bigger size is worth every extra penny if you want your room to look flawless.
However, to tie the room's look together, you will want to choose a rug that complements the two or three primary colors of the room. Make sure a solid-color rug complements the color of your sofa and matches the accent colors in the room, like a work of art or pot.
In a feng shui living room layout, the sofa should be placed against a stable wall to evoke the feeling of safety. Avoid floating the sofa in the center of the room, and never place a sofa in front of windows.
In an open-plan space, ideally, the front legs of your sectional should sit on the outer borders of your area rug. If you have a larger area rug, then your sectional on the whole can sit completely on top of the area rug. If you have a larger area rug, then your whole sectional can sit completely on the area rug.
Let Furniture Float
Don't push all your furniture up against the walls. Pull your sofa (or other seating) out at least 12″ from the wall. That's right; your couch doesn't have to be against the wall. It will make the space seem more inviting and cozy instead of creating a big bunch of weird dead space in the middle.
Bronze and white are also solid colors when it comes to recommendations of Feng Shui living room colors. Light gray or off white walls along with statement furniture pieces work beautifully. Not just visually appealing, having this kind of living room in your home makes it energetically charged and joyous.
Unsurprisingly, grey topped the list as the most sought-after sofa colour for 2023. "Grey is likely a slightly more popular sofa colour choice as it's the most versatile of all the neutral colours," says Ben White, design and trade expert at Swyft Home.
The sofa color that will work in pretty much any style sofa with almost any color palette is beige. With cooler beiges and warmer beiges available there's a beige for every space.