In 1839, Erastus Bigelow invented a power loom for weaving carpets, making large rugs accessible to all and allowing you to have the right rug for the space. Read on to find solutions to picking the right rug for the space.

Rug Placement

When decorating, picking a rug that delineates the space is a natural solution. The sofa and chairs can be located just outside the rug’s perimeter, making it easy to vacuum without having to move the furniture around, as seen in this PEDINI living room. You can choose wallpaper designs for living room it is also in trend.

If you’re putting the sofa completely on the rug, you should aim to have at least 6″ of rug exposed on each side of the sofa for proper scale and at least a foot and a half of bare floor beyond the edges of whatever rug you use.

In general, advice for choosing rugs for living room spaces dictates that you should select the largest area rug that makes sense in the room. A rug that’s too small can throw off the sense of proportion and look lost. If you’re enchanted with a smaller rug, then you can opt to make a focal point and just situate a coffee table on top of the rug. For colors, you can consider hues in the same tone as your furniture or complementary color on the color wheel, as shown in the below PEDINI decor.

Area Rug Sizes

Standard rug sizes for living room rugs are 5×8, 8×10, or 9×12 feet, but don’t feel you absolutely must limit yourself by these rectangular shapes and dimensions. You can also get creative by layering rugs in various ways, as shown in this PEDINI living room interior.

This can often work well with various textures or geometric prints or rugs with different variations of related hues, like below:

As you’ll observe in the living room above, keeping the number of unnecessary elements to a minimum is good design logic anyway. Do note that if you choose a living room rug with a strong design element, you will want to keep most of the pattern unobstructed by interrupting furniture. See the design below as an example:

Looking at images like the ones above can help you figure out what size rug for your living room would look best, achieving a cohesive design and modern, timeless look for your space. Take a look at the types of furniture that go well with the rug designs in these expertly pre-styled, complete room images.

If you intend to have full room size rugs, choosing the rug first before furniture or drape selection may be advisable. The options for a large living room rug should be plentiful, as a great variety is available. Most major rug retailers have an online or in-store rug size guide to help you with your selection, or just ask a sales associate for help getting the right size for your space.

More on Choosing the Right Rug

You can find rugs to start your decorating journey in a surprising variety of places. Room size rugs tend to look better with a floating furniture arrangement, where furnishings are pulled away from the wall and rest entirely on the rug. 

When opting for area rugs for living room spaces, think of the texture underfoot. If the space does not have high foot traffic, closely adjoining food activities or access from the outdoors, it should be easier to keep clean. You may want to splurge on a bit of luxury. Once you acquire the rug of your dreams, consider giving it a cautionary spray all over with Scotchgard for Rugs to prevent stains and help repel dirt. Follow the care instructions that should be attached to your new rug for vacuuming and treating any spills that happen. To truly help find the best rug that will stand up to traffic and even potentially pet paw prints, you may want to research the fiber content. Perhaps surprisingly, wool is prized for not only softness but also its durability and stain resistance. It’s not, however, ideal for locations with high humidity.

Synthetic materials like polypropylene and nylon are also durable and affordable. If you wish to have a more natural-looking material, you might try jute, sisal, or seagrass. When you get the right rug size, you will want to consider purchasing padding under the rug. The padding will give extra cushion for your feet and help prevent slippage, wrinkling, or stretching of your rug. For some additional modern living room area rugs that work well with the space and other design tips for this essential space, see our post on Modern Living Room Ideas.

The Takeaway

Once you find the ideal rug, you may want to update your cabinets in your living room as well as perhaps replace the sofa. The associates at PEDINI in Miami can help you select new, streamlined cabinets for your living room and even give you tips on area rug placement and living room arrangements.  Fortunately, changing a living room rug is easier than changing wall treatments or even draperies, and it can give a room a whole new vibe.