We are back again with one of our favourite topics: rugs. It is one of our most requested topics both in the “how” and in the “what”. And we get it! It is a BIG piece that is not cheap so you want to get it right the first time because also, who wants to return a rug? No one. So if you’re now in the market for a living room rug, or just want to spice things up, we hope these formulas will help you find the right one.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is the “rug too small”. However, today I am going to teach you not only to choose the right size, but also to place it. It’s easy to say “don’t buy a rug that’s too small”, but here we like to be a bit more rigorous than that. So we’ve got formulas, rules, and general don’ts that can help (and a few picks to buy). Let the rug hunt begin…
It’s a main piece in your living room, so it has to look good. So first let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the rules for each of the layout options:
General rules:
Typical sizes for living room rugs are typically (you can find exceptions like IKEA!) 67×134cm, 90×160, 120×160, 140×200 and 200×250
- Make sure your rug is at least 15cm wider (20cm is ideal) than your sofa on both sides.
- Usually the rug runs the length of the sofa.
- Leave 75cm to 100cm clearance between large pieces of furniture (if your living room allows it) if not, at least 45cm – 60cm. This will help you determine the size of your rug.
TIP
Measure the desired size of your rug with painter’s tape (masking tape) to get an idea of how it will feel. We promise you it’s a lifesaver.
All legs on board
If you have a large enough living room and want all of your conversation pieces on your rug (i.e. sofa, accent chairs, coffee table, etcetera), then make sure you have about 20 cm from the edge of your furniture to the edge of your carpet. In this way your furniture will not look like a child dangerously approaching the edge of the subway platform. Consider the 20 cm point as your official yellow line or London’s “Mind the Gap”. DO NOT EXCEED IT OR OTHERWISE.
Next, leave about 25 to 45 cm from the rug to the wall (and maybe even 65 cm if you have the space). If you get too close, your rug is going to overwhelm your space and look like an uncomfortable “almost” wall-to-wall rug.
The main exception to these rules is if your sofa is against a wall (or our recommendation a few inches away so as not to clutter the wall). Your rug can get a little closer so you don’t waste valuable common space.
Only the front legs
This layout is probably THE most used around here (and probably around the world). All furniture can “play” but has room to be individual. Isn’t that what we want for all our carefully selected furniture?
In this case, you want the front legs of the sofa and all the chairs to rest on it. Here you are not playing where the mat is the only safe zone. Let those back legs dangle and take up space.
This layout will make your living room look spacious even though it isn’t. The rule here is to make the rug go under each piece about 1/3 the width of the piece.
For example: If your chair is 55 cm, make sure your rug is about 15 cm below it (give or take).
The rug too small, but it works
“But Mike, I have a 150cm x 200cm vintage rug that goes PERFECTLY with my room. Can I really not use it? Fear not invented reader! You can put that beautiful vintage rug on top of a larger rug. Yes, it is totally legal and can be great if you find the right combination.
The almost foolproof way to try this is to choose a natural jute-type rug as a large base and then put a smaller rug (with a different colour and material) on top and in the middle. But if you want to be even more of a rogue, you can offset them as long as the front legs of your seats are on one of them.
The floater (the one who breaks the rules)
This arrangement can be very good, but you have to be careful. First of all, what does a “float” mean? Well, it means your rug is under your coffee table, but not your seats. I know, it’s shocking.
In this case we recommend that the space between the sofa and the rug should not be more than 12 cm – 15 cm. If it is more, it will seem too small and will probably make you sad.
The sculptural or amorphous float
Let’s get weird… with the shapes of the rugs. There are more options than the classic rectangle. These types of rugs are ideal for awkwardly shaped rooms (for example, if you have a fireplace in the corner) and are easy to layer.
But there are no real rules for this rug, except that you have to make sure you buy it in proportion to your sofa and that at least most of your seat legs are on top of one part of the rug.
Looking for a unique rug to make your living room stand out? Get in touch with us, we will be happy to help you.
