Rug sizes usually inspire passionate comments from the Apartment Therapy community. There are those who believe that a rug should surround an entire seating arrangement, those who think it's OK to use a small rug in certain contexts, and those who have their own tried-and-true formulas for calculating rug sizes to the inch. We believe it all depends on personal taste, budget, and the particulars of a room, and we've seen a variety of approaches that we think work well...
- 1) In Emily's home, the rug comes right up to edge of the living room sofa and chair. It works because the size is large enough to provide generous space around the coffee table, the shape of the rug echoes the rectangular furniture arrangement, and the colorful pattern complements the neutral upholstery in the room.
- 2) Vinh's home follows the classic rule that a rug should surround a furniture arrangement, creating a well-defined conversation area between the sofa, coffee table, and chairs. The small apartment feels cozy and cohesive thanks to a calm, but varied, palette of browns and creams.
- 3) In Lori and Ken's living room, an animal skin rug has a free-flowing shape. By keeping the rug free of furnishings (with the notable exception of an orange chair and an ottoman) the rug's contour remains visible. If you want to use a smaller rug in the middle of a living room, an animal (or faux) skin is a good bet.
- 4) Rhiannon and Victor decided to layer a rug on top of carpeting. In this situation, the rug's softness underfoot is less of an issue; it's mainly there to provide some visual kick. This small rug works because it's the same width as the bed, the black and white pattern ties into the room's artwork, and the rug helps to define the foot of the bed.
- 5) In a dining room, your floor covering should be large enough that the chairs can be easily pulled in and out from the table without catching on the edge of the rug. Raddlesnack's apartment uses a large rug to bring color and texture to the dining room, while separating it from the rest of the space.
RELATED POSTS
• How Big Should a Rug Be?
• Room Refresh: Going Up a Rug Size
• How to Properly Place a Rug
Photos: Emily, Vinh, Lori Andrews, Susie Nadler, Raddlesnack
This is the perfect post due to timing. A couple of weeks ago, I spilled a huge cup of steaming coffee with half and half on our living area rug (brown and cream). I used dishsoap, vinegar, repeat, repeat, repeat, rug cleaner, repeat, repeat, repeat....nothing is working all the way. It now looks like someone smear poop all over a corner of the rug.
We're thinking Flor tiles so that if this should happen again, we won't have to replace the whole darn thing (it's only 1 year old). However, the husband and I have been "discussing" the size of the area to be covered...
Thanks!
view bitdot's profile
My rug is 4 x 7 and much too small. But I cannot go bigger because one I vacuum and mop once a week so rolling up a huge rug by myself to clean the floors is out of the question and secondly, a larger rug would mean walking across to and from my back patio so it would be filthy in no time.
Some times function over what looks best you learn to deal.
view LoriSF's profile
I really love that rug in #1 - it's like a work of art!
view Emily the Cat's profile
I have the rug in picture 4. Mine is on a wood floor and is way too thin for the floor. It is also way too small. The only bonus about it is that is is SO thin that I can wash it in the washing machine. Sure its a little faded, but I will take a faded rug over a dingy/dirty rug any day!
I have been searching for a new (larger) one now too and have also been considering Flor tiles. I have a dog, and would need something that can be cleaned easily. I would like a size somewhere between pictures 1 & 2.
view HeartsAndCrafts's profile
This is a good post - and I agree w/ you in most respects.
However in Emily's home, the size of the rug is just fine - but it's placed improperly...
...the edge should be under the front legs of the sofa.
view bepsf's profile
Is it highly offensive to have the rug just inside the corner of a sectional (not underneath the sectional) - with two chairs opposite the sectional completely ON the rug?
view Kelly2M's profile
love this post! i am in a studio apt rental with wall-to-wall dingy carpet, so i have a large rug that covers most but not exactly all of the room... it's fine until i have my own place
view love it's profile
In Emily's case there is enough rug to go under the front legs of sofa and it would give a better proportion.
Otherwise, it would not be improper to put the rug at the edge of the legs with a smaller rug you would just center need to center the coffee table more proportionally to the center of the rug.
view LoriSF's profile
My problem is that I'm in love with an antique (thus one of a kind) rug that is an odd size - more square than rectangular, but not entirely square, and not quite big enough to anchor my furniture on its own. I'm thinking I could get a solid color rug in a larger size and float the smaller one on top, but I'm hesitant and uncertain.
view emmelemm's profile
Emme;emm: Why not hang the run on a wall?
view spinningscreen's profile
emmelemm, why not get a rug in a natural material like jute in the exact size that you want for your room and then layer your odd size rug over it?
view Laura's profile
Scary - I own rug number one (LOVE it), have the same hardwood floor, identical wall color, and a very similar coffee table. Am I reading too much apartmenttherapy? So much for individuality.....
view Portlandia's profile
Getting a big jute (or similar) rug and putting the smaller rug on top of it is my current plan, but I don't want to get arrested by the "too small rug police," since the area of pattern and color will still be small.
I could hang the rug, but I have limited wall space and lots of art. And the art wouldn't keep my toes warm if I laid it on the floor.
view emmelemm's profile
I've always heard your furniture needs to be all on the rug or all off. I don't know how true that is but I have a very awkward shaped living room where it's really wide at one end and narrow at the other (kind of like a triangle) so it would be a bit difficult to follow that rule... any opinions on that?
view drea310's profile
where can one find "rug #1"? anyone?
view Tobiaty's profile
The rug in #1 is the Rodeo Drive patterned rug from Overstock.com.
view Diet Grrrl's profile
#3 almost looks like a fake picture. That room looks awesome though!
view youenjoymyself's profile
I much prefer the look where only the sofa's front legs are on the rug to the #2 look. I think it depends on the room and the rug though - if it were an open plan space then maybe, but that rug seems to go too close to the wall.
view AussieBird's profile
I am in the process of moving into a co-op that requires 80% of the floor covered with carpet/rug. We were thinking of using 2 rugs for the living room but do not the furniture to be on the rug so we are hoping to get away with the furniture covering space including smaller area rugs.
BTW, I have the same issue as drea310 with an odd shaped room. I can't even begin thinking about that space!
view MuffinGal's profile
*We don't want the furniture to be on the rug. It's hard to clean that way. Also, the odd shape room is actually the 2nd bedroom. Sorry I had to clarify.
BTW, does anyone have any suggestions for carpet and co-op boards?
view MuffinGal's profile