Design Mistake #7: Incorrect Rug Size

Area rugs! Who doesn’t love a beautiful rug?

There are many reasons why area rugs are fundamental for a room’s design. They add personality to a room with color, pattern, and texture. There are also tactical benefits to having rugs in our spaces.

1. Noise Reduction
   Rugs absorb noise, and anyone with kids knows the power of that. The thicker, the better when it comes to noise reduction!
2. Warmth & Comfort
   Rugs are warmer than bare flooring and add softness to a space.
3. Visual Appeal
   Nothing makes a statement like a beautiful patterned rug. Rugs give us the opportunity to infuse pattern, texture, and color into our design. Whether it’s neutral or bold, the rug can set the stage.
4. Ground the Space
   Area rugs will ground the space by anchoring the furniture. A room without an area rug can leave the seating area feeling like it is floating—it’s less inviting and sometimes can make the space feel off.
5. Define the Space
   Area rugs help define the zones in large open areas. For example, if you have a large space with a kitchen, eat-in area, and family room, the lack of rugs will make those zones feel like one. Adding runners to the kitchen and area rugs to the eat-in area and family room will define each space visually.

The most significant mistake people make with area rugs is the sizing.

Getting the size right is critical to have all the above benefits work for us. When the size is wrong, it doesn’t work.

More often than not, people select rugs that are too small. Yes, larger rugs are more expensive than smaller ones, but the size is not where you want to compromise. If budget is an issue, it’s best to choose a less expensive option and get the correct size.

Here are some general rules to help you get rug sizing correct.

Living & Family Rooms:

• If you have a small room, you want to make sure the rug is at least 6-12″ off the edge of the walls because anything closer will start to look like wall-to-wall carpeting.
• If your sofa is up against a wall, have at least the front legs of all furniture on the rug.
• If your furniture is floating in the room, have all the legs of all furniture on the rug, plus an additional 10-18″ all the way around.

Dining Room:

• Your rug should be at least 24-36″ off each side of your table to ensure that the chairs can push away from the table and still stay on the rug.

Bedroom

• The rug ideally fits under the complete bed and both nightstands width-wise.
• Length-wise, it should come to at least the base of the bed plus some extra. It is ok to have just the front legs of the nightstands on the rug or have the rug start just in front of the nightstands.

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You’ve just read Design Mistake #7, don’t miss the rest of the common design mistakes in this series:

#1 Keeping Things You Don’t Love

#2 Designing with Fear

#3 Not Designing for Real Life

#4 Not Knowing Your Budget

#5 Picking Paint First

#6 Not Having Art