Choosing the Right Area Rug
With most homeowners currently opting for hard surface flooring in their homes, area rugs are even more important than ever. But so many people struggle to get it right - which makes me sad. An area rug done wrong can throw a room completely off and sometimes even make it feel smaller. When done right, an area rug can be the perfect piece to bring an entire room together, add comfort and texture to a space and, perhaps most importantly, make your space feel larger. So let’s start by focusing on three key rooms, and then I’ll share a few more tips after that.
Area rugs in a living room
The most common spot that we use an area rug is in the living room. I’m pretty sure that one of the main reasons people end up with rugs that are too small is cost related. But trust me, going up one size and spending that extra bit more could make a big impact on the overall look and feel of your room.
Here’s my rule of thumb - your area rug should be large enough that the front legs of all your seating furniture are on the rug. So if you have an 84” long sofa, your area rug is going to need to be at least 8’ long on that edge. This creates a space that is uninterrupted between all of your furniture, and with nothing to stop our eye, we get the impression that the space is larger. Whenever there is space and hard flooring showing between the rug and the furniture, the eye stops, which makes the room feel smaller. It’s the same reason I recommend the same flooring throughout a space - without that visual break, it feels more expansive. When we have more than one type of flooring, or a gap of flooring showing between furniture and an area rug, those visual breaks make the space feel smaller.
When it comes to style and colour, it truly depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you have dark floors and dark furniture, a lighter rug can add some much needed contrast. Or if you have a variety of colours in the space a rug with a mix of those same colours can be a great way to tie them all together. Or if the space needs some excitement, a bold patterned rug may be the best choice. At times, neutral is the way to go when your rug needs to play a supporting role to the other items in the room.
Area Rugs in a Dining Room
Not everyone likes a rug in the dining room and I also tend to be a bit 50/50 with this one. But when you do want one, here’s what you need to know for sizing. Take the size of your table and add 2’ to each side. This allows for enough room for people to get in and out of their chair without the chair going off the rug. And don’t forget to take into account the size of your dining table when it expands. If you frequently dine with the larger version of your table, you’ll want to take that into account. If it’s truly an infrequent thing, you can likely get away with the rug fitting the smallest version of your table - but rule of thumb is, plan around your largest dining room setup.
I mainly specify area rugs in dining rooms when the table, chairs and flooring are close in their tone. The rug helps to add that visual break, making the space more interesting. Another common reason for an area rug in the dining room is to minimize the friction and scratching that can occur on the floor from the chairs moving around. And finally, it can be used to give easy definition to a space - especially in an open concept home.
Choose a colour and pattern that ties into the rest of your space. Again, if your furniture and flooring are dark, a light rug can help break that up. If you want to add more interest, pull in the colours of the art, accessories, or even your serveware.
Area Rugs in a Bedroom
I definitely have a preference towards a full sized rug for bedrooms - if you have the space! Similar to the living room, I like to have the bed plus the width of the nightstands on the rug. Generally this means if you’ve got a king sized bed, you’ll be looking at a 9’ x 12’ rug if your nightstands are 24” wide. And if you’ve got a queen, you can usually go with an 8’ x 10’ rug.
I tend to have the front legs (or all legs) of the nightstands on the rug but you can also have them fully off the rug too.
If your room is smaller and a full size rug won’t fit, I usually do something like a sheepskin on each side for a soft place to step onto each morning. Or if you have smaller nightstands, you can sometimes get away with a smaller rug. Another alternative is to do something asymmetrical, such as a cowhide style at an angle, or even a circular rug on one side.
A few other Area Rug Tips
Can you put a rug on top of carpet? Yes, technically you can. While I’m not the biggest fan of this, it is sometimes a great idea for the right space. What I recommend doing, though, is to think about opposites attracting. So if you have a thicker carpet, look for something with a lower pile or even a different material altogether (like a thin sisal rug). That will help it look less carpet-on-carpet. The same thing goes for layering rugs. I like to use different materials - so a carpeted rug paired with a natural fibre rug.
What fibre is best? I’m definitely biased towards wool. It’s strong and durable, wears well and is also naturally fire-retardant. Wool is more expensive than its synthetic counterparts, but will definitely outlast them. I also love jute and sisal for a natural feel.
Thoughts on Ruggable? So far, my clients have been really happy with their Ruggable rugs - they look great and are a wonderful choice for those with kids and pets.
What if I need a non-standard sized rug? Don’t fret, you have a few options.
You can get one cut down to size and finished on the edges to match.
You can get two area rugs and attach them together (this works best with shag rugs or jute / sisal).
You can go custom.
Consider a round or oval shape. Truly, sometimes when you’re between sizes, a round rug might just do the trick.
If you’re still feeling stuck and need help pulling your room together - including an area rug - our Petit Design Concept offering may be right for you. It’s a customized e-design for the space of your choosing where we give you details on the layout as well as specific furniture and decor pieces.