Rug Placement 101

Do you know how to elevate the look and feel of a room without repainting the walls or doing a major renovation? The answer is easy: with a rug. However, many homeowners don’t how to do this effectively. That’s why today, we welcome you to Rug Placement 101, your source for expert tips on how to position rugs in the various rooms within your home!

In this class, we’ll cover five tips to help you maximize your rug placement across your home.

Lesson 1: Always measure the room first.

Much of our focus in this class will be on area rugs. However, many of the tips apply to runner rugs, round, oval, and more. Regardless of the type of rug you select, the first step you should take is to know your room’s measurements. Let’s assume your living room is a modest 14×16 space in your home. If you purchase a rug that exceeds either of those dimensions — say, a 16×20 rug, it’ll be too big with the rug’s edges curling up along your walls.

Lesson 2: Be careful not to choose a rug that’s too small.

While you don’t want your rug to be too big, you also don’t want to go too small, either. An area rug should adequately fill the space. A key component of adequate rug placement is ensuring that your rug doesn’t seem out of place.

For example, if you use an area or runner rug that’s the same size (or smaller than) your dining-room table, no one will be able to tell you have a rug beneath it. Or, if you choose one that only extends between the chairs’ two front legs, anyone who sits in those chairs will feel unbalanced.

Lesson 3: Give the rug breathing room.

There is a fine line between too big and too small. Ideally, you should leave several inches of space between your walls and the edge of your rug. The ideal amount of space falls between six and eighteen inches. This helps to make the room feel balanced and well thought out.

Lesson 4: Know your basics.

If you want to get an A in Rug Placement 101, this next section is for you. There are three basic ways to use an area rug in a living room. Each of them helps to make your rug act as the centerpiece. They are:

• Finding a rug that stops right at the edges of your furniture’s feet.
• Resting only the front legs of your furniture on the rug.
• Purchasing a rug that extends a few inches beyond the back side of your furniture.

There is no right or wrong answer here, which means to get an A in Rug Placement 101, all you need to do is decide which style suits your décor preferences.

Lesson 5: Try layering multiple rugs.

Once you feel like you’ve mastered the basics, you may choose to use multiple rugs for a layering effect. This method of decorating can be used to highlight your primary rug, draw attention to a specific part of the room, or simply act as a conversation piece.

Rug Placement 101 starts at Rug Source!

Do you still feel like a beginner in the world of rugs? No need to worry; you can contact our sales team here and let them know what you’re looking for. You can also browse our online inventory here to find inspiration and ideas for your next area rug and how you’ll place it in your home.