Points to Bear in Mind While Placing a Rug

A strong cup of coffee, an unfinished book held firmly in your hands; you enter your study which is full of books, a huge window, a comfortable seat and a cold floor. A cold floor? It just doesn’t work! You need a rug to complete the picture. Even if you have all the other accessories, the right drapes, furniture, lamps, paintings, the look and feel of a room lacks a certain something without a rug.

Rugs are wonderful in the way they bring together all the contents of a room and bring a warm glow and a cozy appearance to any space. Placing your rug correctly is like solving a puzzle, it fits just right. If you would like to know how to place a rug well, you will find some useful suggestions here.

Color, patterns and the texture of a rug are subjective issues as they depend on personal taste and preferences. There are no firm rules, but there are ways to place certain rugs to best effect. Smaller rugs can be placed anywhere but since large rugs often define the appearance and style of a room, it is essential to follow some guidelines while placing it.

The usual placement for a rug is under a centered coffee table or a sofa – keep it two or three inches behind the front legs. Unless it is a very large rug, the back legs of a sofa are usually placed on the floor, rather than on the rug. Before you buy your rug, measure the space in question. Draw out an outline of the room, and mark the rug in it. It is important to choose the right size for a particular room. Use a rug size which allows 8 inches of the floor to be exposed around it. Centralize your rug properly.

Large rugs are often placed in the dining area – here, they should extend 24 inches beyond the edges of the table. This allows people to move their dining chairs around comfortably without moving off the rug area.





A rug sized 4 X 6 feet, 5 X 8 feet, or 5 to 7 feet with a round or hexagonal shape is good for defining a seating area in a large room. Arrange the chairs in such a manner so that you don’t have more than two feet of rug behind the chairs.

Pause before you make up your mind about buying a large rug. Think about the size. Will the entrance door have enough clearance? Will the rug hinder any air vents or electric plugs? Make a checklist of all the details that can affect the placement of your rug. Planning ahead is the ONLY way to avoid mistakes. Remember, you cannot cut or modify the structure of the rug and a large rug is a heavy investment. If not placed well, the whole room’s appearance can be adversely affected.

Rugs are used everywhere – their unique qualities have made them very popular in homes all over the world. They are available in various colors, sizes and patterns to adorn any room, and if you place your rugs correctly, the beauty of your home will be greatly enhanced.

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Points to Bear in Mind While Placing a Rug
By Sarah Crosset