Living room rug placement guide: helpful tips and modern ideas

hackrea / June 24, 2021

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The living room may not have a floor lamp. You can do without curtains in it. And many go even further and refuse even console and coffee tables. However, there are interior items, without which the living room is no longer a living room – it is the couch and the rug. Even if you remain devoted to the minimalism that is trendy today and you try to be guided by the principle “the less is better”, we hasten to assure you: not a single modern, even the most laconic interior can do without a rug. Its ability to create coziness, fullness, and color and textural balance is simply unmatched.

We have previously written about choosing a carpet in the living room, depending on the floors’ color. We told you how to combine it with furniture and even discussed in detail how to choose the right size. However, it would be unfair to forget about another important factor – the rug’s placement in the room.

If you think that this moment is insignificant and the room’s interior will tell you the floor textiles’ position, then do not be surprised at the feeling of discomfort and disorder that you may experience from time to time or all the time. The fact is that the carpet has a significant impact on the interior, not only in terms of color and texture but also in the balance and symmetry of the furnishings. That is why it is worthwhile to study the living room rug placement question in more detail, especially since it is much easier than it might seem.

Determining the position of the rug: important factors

At first glance, it may seem that in the case of the arrangement of carpets in the living room, everything is more than obvious: it is enough to throw it to the couch, and if not to the sofa, then wherever you like it, and finish there. Well, in some cases, such an opinion is quite valid, especially for those who have long dreamed of bringing a little eclecticism and chaos into their overly ordered life. However, most of us still strive for harmony, and therefore you should take the placement of floor textiles seriously.

The organic placement of the area rug in your living room will depend on several factors that must be taken into account even at the stage of product selection. Let’s talk about them in more detail:

Room area. This aspect primarily affects the size of the carpet, but it plays an equally prominent role in its placement. The fact is that if the living room is small, you will have to correlate it as closely as possible with the key furniture group. In the spacious one, you have the opportunity to make the rug a more distinct and, therefore, expressive accent.
The size of the rug. Of course, the dimensions of rugs cannot be ignored at all when placed in the living room. Do not think that there is only room for large carpets in this room: even small items can add incredible appeal to the interior. However, we will talk about the sizes a little later and in more detail.
The number of functional areas. It is pretty evident that in a small living room, where there was a place for a couch, a couple of armchairs, a coffee table, and a TV stand, the rug’s position has already been determined explicitly in the recreation area. However, the happy owners of houses and cottages with living rooms from 430-540 sq ft (40-50 sq m) Have much more worries. Their task, in this case, may be to highlight and design several zones at once – for relaxation with armchairs and a sofa, a fireplace, a dining area, and even a tea area with a coffee table and a pair of chairs. In this case, you have to think about including several area rugs or one huge one to combine at least two zones.
Potential arrangement of the carpet concerning furniture and walls. The first rule involves precisely the distance between the edge of the rug and the wall: it must be at least 16-24 inches (40-60 cm). In this case, the flooring will add joy and harmony, and the carpet itself will not look like some kind of incomprehensible accessory. The second rule is the rug’s placement relative to the couches: designers insist on an open floor strip of 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) for more excellent symmetry and texture of the seating area. And finally, the third rule: make sure that the edge of the rug is at a sufficient distance from the doors – unless, of course, you are not tempted by the prospect of constantly stumbling over it.
The role of the rug in color and texture balance. If you have become the proud owner of an exclusive or simply stunning rug, then for sure, you want it to be constantly in sight. In this situation, you need to carefully consider the arrangement of furniture in such a way as to reveal a large surface of the textiles – of course, without sacrificing the harmony of the interior.

And, finally, one more important rule: do not be afraid of measurements and attempts. If possible, try to draw different patterns for placing the rug in the living room before buying. If it is already available, move it in different ways until you find the most harmonious disposition.

Popular living room carpet sizes and their suitable placement

Above, we have already talked about the importance of the length and width of the carpet in finding its optimal position in the living room. Today, designers distinguish three groups of dimensions at once, from which they start when thinking over the rug placement. So let’s take a look at what options you have with a rug of one size or another.

3×5 and 4×6 ft (90×150 / 120×180 cm) Rug

Such dimensions for living room area rugs are considered very small, but this does not mean that you can’t arrange them beautifully.

As a rule, compact floor textiles are placed under the coffee table, thereby centering the furniture group in the recreation area. The most important thing is not to forget about those same 8-12 inches of distance from the edge of the couch that we talked about earlier, especially when it comes to a group with two sofas or too bright furniture. In the latter case, you have an excellent opportunity to create outstanding balance with the open strip of the flooring.

Small rugs are no less appropriate in the fireplace area, where you can sit directly on it or a rocking chair placed next to or on top. But for the tea and dining area, this size is no longer suitable: in the first case, it will be chock-a-block, and in the second, it will be frankly small.

5×7 and 5×8 ft (150×215 cm / 150×245 cm) Rug

Carpets of this length and width are already noticeably more prominent, which directly means that you have much more room for their placement.

So, these dimensions are equally suitable for combining sofas, armchairs, and a coffee table, create a very comfortable and enlarged space near the fireplace and very effectively decorate the tea area. True, in dining rooms, such a rug can only be suitable to put a dining table on them, so designers are highly reluctant to use them.

Another trendy solution in which such rugs are involved is laying them on top of a larger carpet made of natural fibers, for example, sisal or jute. In this case, the textiles look more voluminous and bright, and the composition itself looks balanced and united.

8x10ft or 9x12ft (245×305 cm / 275×365 cm) Rug

Large rugs in the living room are a solution that can be called optimal and versatile, especially if the area of the room allows. Such textiles will easily accommodate the entire furniture group in the zone, including not only the sofa and a coffee table but also a floor vase and a floor lamp, as well as a table with chairs in the dining area. You can also equip a full-fledged fireplace area using several pieces of furniture at once – for example, armchairs and a tea table. Just in case, we remind you: do not forget about the necessary indents from the walls and doorways, which we wrote about above.

Modern living room rug placement options and ideas

So, having discussed all the critical conditions for the position of floor textiles in one of the largest rooms in your house, it’s time to go directly to the options for placing the carpet. You may not be afraid of the agony of choice: in fact, there are not so many of these options, and in some cases, the range of solutions is completely limited to one option.

Wrapping

The placement option most popular for small items. In this case, the area rug does not affect the couch: the maximum you can put on it is a coffee table. In addition, if two identical objects are used (for example, a sofa or an armchair), then the rug must be equidistant from both of them. Otherwise, the composition will turn out to be knocked down and unbalanced.

Layout patterns in your living room are another essential factor in choosing the right carpet size. Today designers offer several working schemes.

Complete furniture arrangement

If the carpet is huge, the most reasonable solution would be to place the entire furniture group on it, including accessories – from a sofa to a floor lamp and an accent table. Thanks to this approach, you get a solid, harmonious, and visually closed area. At the same time, designers warn: leave a strip of the rug at least 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) outside the outer limits of the furniture so as not to get the unfinished effect.

As for the dining area, a large carpet with an entire furniture arrangement for it is the only correct solution. In this case, the textiles should also extend beyond the back legs of the chairs by 15-20 inches (40-50 cm); otherwise, it will be inconvenient to move them away.

Front legs of the furniture on the rug

You can only install the sofa and armchairs on the rug with the front part. This solution is relevant for the following cases:

large open plan spaces;
the need to visually increase the living room space;
a desire to demonstrate the beauty of the carpet itself.

Combined placement

In this case, some pieces of furniture (most often a table and a floor lamp) are found entirely on the rug, some – only with the front part, and some do not touch the carpet at all, and a gap remains between them. This option is quite harmonious under the following conditions:

living rooms with a complex configuration;
premises with small footage;
when used in a group of a modular or corner sofa.

Area rug placement in the living room: Conclusions + Photo Gallery

The correct placement of the rug in the living room is an opportunity to add a harmonious, confident touch to the flawlessness of your interior. Think carefully about the room’s possibilities, take the time to try – and the impeccable design of the room will become an indisputable fact.