Rugs add comfort, and visual interest to the space as well as help unify its furnishings.
But before you buy beware, this is the one area of decorating where size and placement matters. Below are some guidelines:
- Standard Living/Family Room – it should be proportional to a room’s floor space.
Ideally, it should leave an equal amount of floor bare all around it. This applies
regardless of obstacles like fireplace hearths, radiators, and furniture set against
the walls. An alterative is to place the rug so it reaches under all or most of the
furniture’s front legs (it’s not always necessary the back legs are on it). There also
shouldn’t be more then 2’ of rug beyond the furniture. Either place a piece of
furniture in it such as a console table behind a sofa or find a smaller size. - In the Bedroom – Use the same rules as in the living room: choose a rug that leaves approximately 2” of bare floor at the edges. However, if your bed is off center, centering the rug under the bed will look awkward. As alternative, use two or three smaller rugs in the room – one on each side of the bed and perhaps the third at the end of the bed, instead of one large one.
