How to Position a Rug in a Living Room
Now that you've found your beautiful Moroccan rug it's time to find the perfect living room layout and placement for your one of a kind woven artwork. Finding the perfect position for your rug is crucial to creating balance and style in your living room. Living room rugs can form the focal point of a room, they create visual interest and the natural fibres will add warmth and texture to your space.
Once you choose the right rug for your space, follow this guide to help you find the perfect placement. These tips will work well for a square rug, a circular rug, a rectangular rug, a patterned rug, accent rug, area rugs... any rug basically.
How to Position a Rug Under the Couch
Area rug placement in the living room can be make or break. It's important to make sure you pick the right size rug for the room you are decorating. A small rug in a small space with lots of furniture can make the living room feel cluttered. However, putting a rug that is too big into a living room can overwhelm the space. Don't stress; with this rug placement guide, we'll help you determine the best placement for your room, space and layout.
There are three main layouts to choose from for your living room rug placement. If you have the chance to try different rugs in your home, take a few different rug sizes and rug types and play around with the following placement ideas.
Option 1:
Option one is to have a rug large enough to place all of the furniture legs on it making the rug visible behind the furniture pieces as well as in front. This is a great option if you want to create a cohesive look, especially when your main furniture grouping includes sofas, armchairs and coffee tables.
This is also a fabulous way to define the living area in a large open plan space. Choose a rug that is large enough to place your furniture arrangement on top but make sure you leave a boarder of visible floor - lets say at least 30cm wide—around the edges of the room. This creates space visually and will stop the room from feeling crowded.
Option 2:
Option two is to have only the front legs on the rug and the back legs on the bare floor. This rug and furniture placement creates a spacious feeling.
Choosing between options 1 and 2 will depend on the size of your room and the amount and size of the furniture and existing decor.
Option 3:
Option three is to have no couch legs on the rug. This option is great in a high-traffic area where people may be walking through often or if you've fallen in love with a smaller rug.
Rather than making a decision based on the room size, with this option it's important to look at the size of the couch. Look for small rugs that are similar to or slightly smaller in length than your couch.
Centring the Rug in the Living Room
There are plenty of ways to position a rug for the ultimate placement in a living room. What works best for you may depend on the room's shape, size and function. For example, a living room that includes a thoroughfare to other parts of the house may require a smaller rug that is not centred in the room but allows a passage traffic flow, thus decreasing wear and tear on your rug but also taking into account the energy and flow of the room.
On the flip side, a large rug placed in the centre of the room will anchor the space and create a cosy atmosphere.
Living Room Rug Size and Layout Tips
The two most popular rug sizes for a living room are 3x2m and 2.6x1.6m. The size that is best for you will depend on the seating area and seating arrangement you have.
Sectional sofas and corner sofas look great when paired with a larger rug. Just remember to always leave some bare floor around the edges of the rug to create a balanced overall look.
If you are looking to create different zones within the same room, try combining different rugs.
In a smaller space you might need a rug, something like 1.5x1m. Let the length and shape of your couch guide the size you choose - keeping in mind to always have some exposed flooring, even in a small room.
How to Position an Area Rug in a Bedroom
The most important thing when positioning a rug in a bedroom is to consider how the rug will relate to the bed and surrounding furniture in the room.
How to Position a Rug Under the Bed
A general rug placement guide for rugs under a bed is to consider whether the rug should cover the area under the bed, how high the bed legs are, whether the rug extends to include nightstands, or be positioned more centrally in the room with half to two thirds of the rug under a queen-size bed and the rest extending out beyond.
Positioning a Rug in Larger Bedrooms
In a large room, the options are many and varied. Try layering rugs for interesting texture and design or using smaller rugs to define zones.
How to Position Rug in a Dining Room
The placement of a dining room rug needs to be carefully considered. This is a functional space so you need to consider the size of the dining table, the chairs and ensure there is space on the rug to pull the chairs out and push them in.
Size and Placement Tips for Dining Room Rugs
Obviously the size of the rug will depend on how many people you plan to seat at the table. For a four to six person dining table, you'll probably need a rug that is 2x3m. This will ensure you have plenty of room to slide your chairs in and out.
The bigger the table - the bigger the rug and vice-versa. Generally speaking, you want the rug to extend around 60cm beyond the table on all side.
How to Choose the Right Rug Shape for Your Space
Fell free to play around with the shape of your rug and the shape of your room. Sometimes, the right combination is not what you expected.
When to Choose a Round Rug
Round rugs can be hard to come by and you certainly won't find a round rug that is also an authentic Moroccan rug, as round rugs are not made in Morocco.
We think a round dining table looks just as good when the shape is contrasted with a rectangular rug.
Best Uses for Rectangular Rugs
Rectangular rugs work well in larger rooms, especially when paired with longer furniture pieces such as couches and dining tables or a cluster of different seating options.
How to Position a Rug in Open-Plan Spaces
In open-plan spaces, the use of rugs provides a crucial definition of zones and spaces. A well placed and shaped rug will define a seating area, dining area or walkway.
Defining Spaces with Rugs
An open-plan space with no rugs can feel expansive and hollow. Adding two rugs or more will help to create a cohesive look to the entire room. Choose rugs of different sizes and styles to help you define separate functional zones, each with its own distinct style.
Creating Flow with Multiple Rugs
The right rug type can create a beautiful flow throughout an open plan area. For example, try placing a beautiful lush Beni Ourain Moroccan rug in the seating area to create a cosy and inviting ambience. Moving on to the dining room - a hard wearing flat weave or kilim rug is functional and sets the scene for meals. Add a vibrant hall runner to create a walkway and draw visitors through the space.
How to Position Rugs in Small Spaces
The smaller the room, the smaller the rug - but this is not always the case. One larger rug centred in a living or seating area can open up the space and make it feel expansive. On the other hand, using small rugs to accentuate certain areas in a room is another effective trick for smaller spaces.
Rug Placement Tips for Small Living Rooms
Get creative with how and where you place a rug. Try using smaller rugs to anchor specific pieces of furniture, like a coffee table or an accent chair. This is a great way to add personality and visual interest without overwhelming the space.
How to Maintain the Perfect Rug Position
Now that you have found the perfect position for your rug, let's revisit some ways you can keep your rug in place. How you decide to stop movement of your rug depends on the type of flooring you have underneath.
If your rug sits on top of carpet, place a rug pad underneath to stop it from sliding around.
When dealing with hardwood or smooth flooring, consider using either a rug pad or double-sided carpet tape to keep your beautiful Moroccan rug from sliding around.
Remember that you can also use strategically placed furniture to stop a rug - for example, try placing a coffee table and armchair at one end of the rug and a sofa at the other to keep a large rug in it's perfect position.
Check out more details on our previous blog post about how to stop rugs moving on carpet or on hard surfaces.
Coordinating Rugs with Room Décor
To create a space that is visually appealing try coordinating your Moroccan rugs with your existing decor. A bright rug with bold patterns is the perfect way to express your personal style.
Take some time to put careful consideration into all the elements in your space. Ask yourself, What kind of room feel do you want to create? Do you want the rug to be the focal point in the room? Is the room décor neutral or vibrant?
One approach is to fill the floor space with a rug colour inspired by an item or furniture, painting or other existing element in the room.
