There have been number of times my E-Design Clients ask me about how to place a rug in living rooms and bedrooms!

Area rugs are undoubtedly one of the best healthier alternatives to traditional wall-to-wall carpeting.

They are bound to add an overall refined look to your spaces while giving you a lesser headache when it comes to cleaning and mopping.

So, wondering how to place a rug in your living room and other spaces? Well, I have got some perfect tips and tricks to achieve the best appearances along with some dos and don’ts that you must take care of.

The reason why I recommend opting for area rugs over wall-to-wall carpeting is mainly cleanliness, maintenance, and the fact that you might get bored with them very easily (Also, it is a plus point if you have pets around)!

For all those who constantly like to renovate and upgrade their existing interiors, you might want to pick a simultaneous rug that you can constantly change. For example, using a faux rug is great for the winter season whereas a linen rug for the summers!

So, whether it is the living room or the bedroom, dining, bathroom, kitchen, and hallway – I am going to brief out the best possible ways on how to place a rug.

But first, let me brief out the do’s and don’ts when it comes to placing a rug – ANYWHERE!

How To Place a Rug – Do’s and Don’ts

• First and foremost, I recommend choosing the area rug after you have decided or purchased the furniture pieces you intend to use. So, determine the size of your couch or the dining table and then plan to pick a rug that is at the most larger or almost equal in size to the furniture pieces. (A lot of homeowners tend to pick the rug before and then end up regretting later when the furniture doesn’t fit at all)

• Once you know the furniture and their sizes that you plan to use, it is time to determine the size of the rug. Measure it in such a way that it extends up to the bottom of the front leg of your furniture (I will talk about the individual spaces later in the blog). But you get the idea, right? This is also the way to place a rug under a sectional sofa. However, you have to make sure that the space looks cohesive!

• Don’t compromise on the size of the rug! It is quite likely that you may end up buying a smaller one after looking at the price of the larger rug – but let me tell you, that small rug is absolutely a waste! Waste of money as well as the waste of the product. It is not going to fulfil the purpose, and after all, it still costs something, right?

It all comes down to the size and shape!

• Determine the shape of your room as well as the shape of the furniture! Is it Square? Rectangular? Circular? Ovular? Well, depending on the answer should you place the rug! A round dining table should have a round rug whereas a rectangular 8-seater dining table should have a rectangular rug! Don’t confuse it all!

• It is crucial to determine the material of the rug before you place it in a specific high-traffic or a low-traffic area. Rugs made of natural fibers such as seagrass, wool, jute, and sisal are bound to get dirty and can’t be cleaned easily. So, in case of a major spill, you might have to replace the entire rug. Hence, try placing such rugs in areas with low traffic, for example, by the foyer or as a focal point in the corner spaces.

• Got pets and kids at home? Well, I know how tempting it is to flaunt off your best rug pieces in the dining and living rooms. But the truth is that you should place them away and try to incorporate the lesser expensive options in these high-traffic areas. And especially if you also have kids and pets around!

Now that you are aware of a few do’s and don’ts, let’s talk about the individual spaces and how to keep a rug in place!

How to Place a Rug in Living Room

Well, there is no one solution for all here! Every living room has its own size, shape, and characteristics that set it apart from the rest. Some of you might have a loveseat and accent chairs, whereas some of you might have a sectional along with ottomans.

Hence, here I am going to enlist a few design ideas about how to place a rug in the living room.

Option 1: Place a Rug in Small Living Rooms

Rugs are not only a great way to add an aesthetical value to the homes but also tend to create an illusion of making your living room look comparatively larger than it is.

So, in such cases, I recommend adding a rug underneath the coffee table as well as the front leg of your sofas (whether sectional or a loveseat).

This is also a great idea to make your space larger if you have the sofa placed against the wall and there is no buffer space at all.

In case you have a smaller rug (approximately 5’ by 8’ or smaller), then you may want to float the rug underneath the coffee table between the sofa pieces.

However, remember to leave a total of 12 inches in the front of the furniture for a nice circulation space around.

Option 2: Place a Rug in Medium-sized Living Rooms

For a mid-sized living room, prefer to place the rug up to the centerline of the furniture piece (Mainly, the front legs of your furniture and halfway through).

A rug of about 8’ to 10’ may cohesively create a sense of balance here.

Also, make sure the rug protrudes out from the sides in this case.

Secondly, you can also layer rugs – just in case if you have two smaller-sized rugs, you can either place them parallel (like adding depth to that space) or simply place the one over the other in case you have a larger and a smaller rug.

Option 3: Place a Rug in Larger Living Rooms

A large and majestic living room requires a larger rug (approximately 9’ by 13’).

Here, in such cases, I recommend placing the entire furniture piece over the rug!

However, make sure that there is some room around the rug to easily move around in the living room.

Moreover, if you have an open space plan, these rugs can simply help distinguish the functions of the various areas blended.

But what if you like irregular-sized sheepskin rugs?

Well, in this case, just simply try to attain balance. Place it either in the center at an equidistance from both the sofas, and in the corner trying to play a focal point in your living room.

How to Place a Rug in the Dining Room

The rug is one of the essentials when it comes to sprucing up the dining rooms or the dining areas.

Hence, you want to make sure that the rug is large enough to accommodate the dining table as well as the dining chairs (even when you pull them back to sit over).

So, make sure that the dining chair isn’t half on and half off when they are being placed. Of course, the primary key is to sit comfortably while your chair is absolutely stable.

Again, I recommend measuring your dining room and the dining table (along with dining chairs when stable or pulled back) to determine the exact size of the rug needed.

Make sure there is at least 1 foot extra after pulling the chairs.

How to Place a Rug in a Bedroom

Well, this is quite subjective.

Depending upon the type and size of your bed should the size of your rug vary?

So, whether you have a queen-size or a king-size bed, the rug laid out should greatly differ upon the total size of your room and the bed.

Hence, there are two major options on how to place a rug under a bed!

First and foremost, place a large rug underneath and center the bed accordingly that the rug reaches halfway through while leaving some room towards all the three remaining corners of the bed.

This way you get a few inches from the sides so you can easily step on the soft surface early in the morning after waking up.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to use a perpendicular rug all the way underneath the bed, just simply place two runners on both edges of the bed so you still have a cozy experience in the morning.

How to Place a Bathroom Mat

Did you notice something different here?

I replaced the ‘rug’ with ‘mat’!

And that is because you should definitely avoid using a rug or wall-to-wall carpeting in the bathroom as it may further cause molds etc.

So, it is crucial to know the ‘difference’ and use the ‘correct’ product! Hence, for your bathrooms, mat it is!

So, you can spruce up your bathroom and use the matching decorative mats to add a sense of depth to your spaces. (Some of them are really beautiful!)

Apart from aesthetics, these bathroom mats absorb water while preventing your feet from slipping.

Moreover, they also provide a soft and cozy landing in front of the sink and mirror or by the shower or the bathtub.

So, just in case if you are wondering the number of rugs you would need in a bathroom – it really depends upon the size of your bathroom.

Generally, there should be around 2 to 3 mats in a bathroom – one by the shower or the bathtub, the second by the sink and the mirror, and the third somewhere in the center.

Know that it is important to analyze the shape of the bathroom. An elongated or rectangular bathroom can also have a runner mat that can easily run along the perimeter of the utility.

In smaller bathrooms, choose a round or a square-shaped mat in the dedicated spaces.

How to Place a Rug in the Kitchen

Just in case you are wondering if the kitchen is the right spot for a rug – well, of course, yes!

This is one of the most asked questions by the homeowners and you know why – because kitchens are high-traffic areas and there are often a few food spills.

Hence, I recommend choosing an indoor-outdoor rug to add layers and depth to your kitchen.

You can use a long runner across the cabinets throughout the kitchen space.

Or, in some cases, if your kitchen is smaller, then simply add ovular or square rugs by the sink (for you to feel cozy while washing dishes) and by the stove and refrigerator where there could be possible spills.

Moreover, choose rugs that are neither too expensive and at the same time are easy to maintain (because you might need to wash and rewash these quite often)!

How to Place a Rug in the Hallways

Undoubtedly, the key to adding a cozy and comfortable vibe in the hallways is through adding a long runner across the hall.

Make sure that it leaves little space along the edges to majorly provide you ample room to walk through.

For example, on a 4 feet wide hallway, make sure that the runner is at the most 3 feet wide.

These runner hallways also add an inviting vibe to your visitors as soon as they enter. Nevertheless, you can also use it in all the corridors!

Last Word

Remember one thing before placing a rug in the living room or bedroom – the larger the size, the greater the illusion of making your room look larger.

So, just in case if you want to make a bedroom or the dining room seem larger – the ultimate solution is to add a larger rug!

Too small of a rug can end up looking incomplete and disconnected while making your space seem smaller than it is.

Styling with rugs is necessary to add a refined and feeling of luxe throughout the space. So, now that I have enlisted various styles of sprucing up your rooms, are you excited to incorporate any?

Do let me know your thoughts in the comments below or check out my interior decoration packages if you need a hand in styling!

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