Positioning Area Rugs: A Room-by-Room Guide
The way you position a rug affects whether a space appears cohesive or jumbled. Different rooms call for different placements—bedrooms, dining rooms, family areas, and living rooms each have their own considerations. Matching the rug to the room's colors and furniture, and using a non-skid pad, helps keep it in place.
By Robin Howard5 steps
A well-placed area rug can make a room look inviting.
An area rug can pull a room's décor together and bring color to the floor. Whether a room ends up looking polished or disjointed often comes down to where the rug is placed. When decorating any room, position the rug so its design is visible and it works well with the surrounding furniture.
Step 1
In a bedroom, put area rugs at the foot of the bed and along its sides. If the bedroom is large, place rugs between furniture pieces to fill empty floor areas. For instance, you might set a rug between the bed and the dresser, in front of a closet or wardrobe, or add a chair to an empty corner and lay a rug in front of it.
Step 2
In a dining room, center the area rug directly beneath the dining table. Choose one large enough that it still covers the floor under the chairs even when they are pulled away from the table. A rug of the right size helps keep chairs from scraping and damaging the floor.
Step 3
In family rooms and play areas, use area rugs to cover all the open floor space. Rather than anchoring rugs with bookshelves and toy boxes, leave them free so you can roll them up and take them away for play activities and cleaning.
Step 4
In a small living room, lay area rugs so they cover the area between furniture pieces. Allow roughly six inches to tuck under the front legs of each piece. This can give the room a fuller, appropriately decorated look.
Step 5
In a large living room, position oversized rugs so they extend behind sofas and chairs. Pick rugs big enough to slide under couches and chairs and reach at least six inches beyond the back legs. Bring your furniture in close so the rug completely fills the space.
