Rug Placement Under Living Room Sectional - Designing Idea (2024)

FAQs

Where do you put a rug under a sectional? ›

You want to make sure that the area rug extends reasonably under the sectional. In addition, all of the other furniture should also have a place on top of the rug. If it is not possible, then it is okay to only have the front legs of the sectional on the area rug and the back legs may stay off it.

Leave at least 6-8” between the rug and the floor on all sides. This will ensure the rug looks intentional in the space. At least two legs of all main furniture pieces should rest on the rug. The rug should extend 12-18” beyond the sides of the furniture underneath.

Furniture Legs Should Sit on the Rug

As a general rule, MacPhail says to allow for at least 3 inches of rug behind the front legs of your furniture. MacPhail says to choose a rug large enough that you avoid squeezing all your furniture close together when accounting for those 3 inches.

Comparing Sectional Size to Rug Size

Very large sectionals, such as a 9' x 11' or 10' x 10', pair well with large rug sizes; 10' x 14' rugs or larger is best. Large sectionals, around 7' x 8' or so, pair well with 8' x 10' rugs. Smaller sectionals that are 6' pair well with 6' x 9' rugs.

If there are smaller accent furniture pieces it is preferable that all of the legs should be sitting on the rug. Positioning a rug under a sofa will create a balanced look and provide a sense of proportion within the room.

We suggest picking a rug size from 8×10 feet to 9×12 feet and ensuring that the rug you buy is at least six to eight inches wider than your sofa on all sides. Run the rug the length of the biggest sofa piece and give 30 to 36 inches of walkway between the larger furniture pieces if your space allows for it.

In most rooms, the rules are simple: Leave at least six inches between the end of the rug and the walls (or counters, in the case of kitchens); leave all furniture legs off rugs in busy thoroughfares like entryways and hallways, and let the space dictate your choice of rug size.

Rug Size (Too Big or Too Small)

If a rug is too small, it will appear as if it is floating in the room. If it is too large it will overpower the room and make the room appear smaller than it is. Choosing the right size of rug for your room depends on your design objective.

Controversial Question #1: Can your living room rug be shorter than the length of your sofa? Generally speaking we prefer for the rug to be at least a few inches longer than your sofa on both sides so it feels anchored by the rug instead of top heavy and a bit too bulky.

Follow the 70% rule

'But the rug should cover at least 70% of your floor space, ideally leaving 1 to 2 feet on either side between the rug and the wall. Rug layering is a great option for when you want to use a smaller rug but also fill the floor space,' she adds. So a rug mistake can easily be rectified.

Do I have to have an area rug in my living room? ›

It's not essential to have an area rug in a living room, especially if it's a compact space or already carpeted. Area rugs provide the most benefit on hard flooring or in larger rooms. Even if it's not absolutely crucial to have an area rug in your living room, you might still want to consider it anyway.

In a big open-plan space, the rug should sit under the front legs of both the sofas – or if you have a large rug, then both sofas can sit completely atop the rug. If you have chairs in the space as well, then the front legs of the chair should be touching or "hovering" on the rug.

The rug under couch can be lighter or darker depending on your personal and design preferences. Dark sofas are usually chosen for light rugs and light sofas for dark rugs. If you have a light sofa, a dark rug can provide amazing contrast and vice versa.

The rug should be large enough that the entire front of the couch is on it. With few exceptions, the rug should be big enough that at least two legs of all other furniture in the room are on the rug. If all the furniture in the room is entirely on the rug, the rug is probably too big.

When selecting an area rug, make sure that it extends under all the key pieces of furniture in the room. In a living room, for instance, all of the furniture should be on top of the rug. If this isn't possible, it's okay to have the front legs of major upholstered pieces on the rug and the back legs off.

For living-room-style seating areas, size according to your furniture. If you like your legs just off the furniture, a 5x7 rug is a good choice. If you prefer legs partially or fully on the furniture, you'll usually want to go with an 8x10 or 9x13 size.

Measuring a rug is as simple as using a tape measure. For rectangular rugs, simply measure the length and width, and then multiply them together to get the square footage. For round rugs, or any other shape, just measure the farthest points along the perimeter.

For most average-size rooms, a rug should cover all but approximately 1 to 2 feet of bare floor between its edges and the walls. So that would mean at least a 10-foot square rug size for a 12x12 foot room.

Prevent slipping, buckling and wrinkling

Even if your rug is weighed down by heavy furniture, the loose ends of the rug can buckle and bunch up. A rug pad is important to prevent unsightly wrinkling and dangerous tripping hazard this creates.

Two patterned rugs can work well next to each other – the key to making that pairing successful is to vary the scale of the pattern. Pick one rug with a large scale pattern and opt for a small scale pattern for the other rug. The rugs can easily be tied together with one color in common.

Is it better to go bigger or smaller with a rug? ›

As mentioned before, bigger is almost always better. A few inches can make a world of a difference. If your rug is too small, not only will it make the room look smaller, but it will also make the room appear choppy. Going with a bigger size is worth every extra penny if you want your room to look flawless.

Area rugs or small carpets are the best way of guiding the eyes of the on-lookers onto the places you want. They provide lots of visual focal points for the eye to catch on. With rugs, you can add a lot of character to the floor thereby making it seem busier and spacious than it actually is.

Go big with a rug.

It might seem counterintuitive, but when possible, use a rug that extends beyond the furniture in each functional space. For example, in a living area, a rug that sits under the sofa, coffee table and additional seating will draw the eye wider and make that living space appear bigger.

For example, if the size of your room is 12' x 15' we would suggest using a 9' x 12' rug.

In general, the rule of thumb is to allow approximately 18 inches of exposed floor space around the perimeter of an area rug, however the overall size and location of the room should also be taken into consideration.

The typical lifespan of area rugs run anywhere from 5 to 10 years. The longevity will depend not only on your home's foot traffic, but also on how you maintain your rug.

Overstock suggests orienting your rug with the shape of the room to create some visual flow. Also, you want an equal amount of space around all sides of your rug, at least a foot on either side of your sofa. Anywhere from 8 to 24 inches of exposed flooring between the outer edges of the rug and wall is ideal.

A rug in a living room should really ground the whole seating around – it tells everyone that THIS is where the conversation is, this is the focal point of the room, and a too small rug makes it feel disjointed and really just cheapens everything.

Grey sofas go with neutral carpets

For an understated and versatile living room design, we suggest pairing your grey sofa with a beige carpet. Neutral beige, cream and off-white tones will match the tone of your grey sofa perfectly and creates the perfect base for a versatile room.

A 5x8 is usually too small for a living, family room or bedroom. An appropriate place for a 5x8 might be under a twin bed, in a small seating area away from a sofa or under a 60” long or less dining table. 6x9 rugs can work in small rooms with petite furniture, like under a sofa that is less than 80”.

Does a small rug make living room look smaller? ›

The key to using an area rug to help your room look bigger is to use the correct rug size. A common decorating mistake people make is selecting an area rug or carpet that's too small, making the room look choppy and disjointed, and therefore makes it look smaller.

Pick a rug colour that complements your existing furniture and design. Your area rug should match everything! Using existing features such as furniture in your room is a great way to pin down colour choices. Choosing a shade that matches with other elements of the room can make your interior decoration look cohesive.

So if you're thinking about embracing minimalist decor but aren't sure how to make it your own, you've come to the right place. One way to curate a unique minimalist space is by elevating it with a rug, be it a captivating design, texture, or shape.

What Is the Average Size Living Room Rug? The standard area rug size for the living room is 9' x 12', but just because this is one of the most popular rug sizes doesn't mean it'll work for everyone. The average dimensions of a living room are 16' x 20', but in some apartments, they're as small as 10' x 13' or 7' x 10'.

Adding a rug to a carpeted room will add some much needed character to your apartment. Rugs on carpet will also help protect expensive carpet and is a clever way to hide wear and tear. Here are a few additional reasons why you should consider putting a rug on carpet: You need to hide damage to your carpet.

Rugs protect your floors.

Daily life, along with heavy furniture, can cause permanent damage to your hardwood floors if you're not careful. So keep your floors in good shape by adding a rug! Rugs (plus a rug pad) will eliminate any potential damage a heavy piece of furniture can do.

A good rule of thumb is that either all furniture legs are on the rug or all front legs are on the rug.

Place the rug in the centre of the living room (under your ottoman or coffee table) and place (at least) the front legs of your your sofa and armchairs on the rug too so that the rug disappears underneath the furniture, and the furniture frames the area. This makes for a cleaner more aesthetic appearance.

The most common spot for an area rug in the bedroom is under the bed, where it anchors the room's largest piece of furniture. If you have nightstands flanking the bed, decide whether you want the rug to go underneath them—all the way to the headboard—or stop before the nightstands' front legs.

How do you pair a sofa with a rug? ›

It is always safest to go bigger than your sofa. As general guidance, you will want your rug to be placed behind the front legs of the sofa, extending beyond each side by at least 30cm. You will also want a decent border around all sides of your coffee table.

Light-colored rugs make a room look brighter and feel spacious. Consider pale pastels, natural-looking neutrals, and off-white to start.

Place The Rug In The Center

If you have an L shaped sectional couch, put your rug in the middle of the space in front of the couch. Rectangular and square rugs can be lined up with the corners of the couch. Circular and oval rugs can simply be centered in this space.

Comparing Sectional Size to Rug Size

Very large sectionals, such as a 9' x 11' or 10' x 10', pair well with large rug sizes; 10' x 14' rugs or larger is best. Large sectionals, around 7' x 8' or so, pair well with 8' x 10' rugs. Smaller sectionals that are 6' pair well with 6' x 9' rugs.

You should situate the furniture in your space to facilitate conversation. Like any sofa, sectionals can go in front of a window or line up with a fireplace. If your sitting room is also your TV room, you can aim the corner of your sectional toward the television.

Large corner sofa, small rug

If you have a Corner sofa like this one, by Hay, it makes sense to follow the lines of it by placing a small or even extra small rug at the centre of it. Allow a small gap between the rug and sofa on both sides, then position your coffee table centrally on top of it.

The most obvious arrangement for a sectional in a small room is to push an L-shaped couch right up into the far corner of the room, facing the TV or fireplace. This option opens up the room and maximizes seating without blocking off the flow from the adjacent room.

It's not essential to have an area rug in a living room, especially if it's a compact space or already carpeted. Area rugs provide the most benefit on hard flooring or in larger rooms. Even if it's not absolutely crucial to have an area rug in your living room, you might still want to consider it anyway.

If you are looking at the sofa, facing the longest edge, it is a right-hand sofa if the corner and the short edge are to your right. Obviously, then, it is a left-hand sofa if the corner and the short edge are to your left.

For living-room-style seating areas, size according to your furniture. If you like your legs just off the furniture, a 5x7 rug is a good choice. If you prefer legs partially or fully on the furniture, you'll usually want to go with an 8x10 or 9x13 size.