Is there a rule of thumb for placing a large area rug?
by
Ginny B
+3
I have an area rug I love and tried it under my dinning room room table. Didn't really like the look. I moved it to my living room and put it under my coffee table and I'm not sure I like it there either. Both my dinning table and coffee tables are round and the area rug is square. 7'X7'
6 answers
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You want to make sure your rug is "grounded" by your furniture. Not sure I would like a square rug with a round table, but for your living room, just slide the rug under the sofa, and adjust it further in/out or side/side until you get a look you like. The rug just shouldn't be "floating" in front of furniture, but should be a part of that grouping by sitting under it. It may be that only your front legs of the sofa is sitting on it, or you could push it back so that the entire sofa is sitting on it. Square rugs are tough unless your entire grouping is square...most people have more of a rectangular layout of furnishings, so just push your rug around until it ties in with the layout you have. Do you have pictures?
Leslie D
on Oct 22, 2012
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Actually I have a rectangular rug under my octagon table and I love it. If the size of the rug is compatible, the shape is no problem. In fact, designers will tell you to mix circles into a design to soften the edges. So mixing them works. Perhaps it is the newness of having a rug there rather than the shape. Put it down and live with it a few weeks before making up your mind.
Jeanette S
on Oct 23, 2012
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Ginny, the key thing to note is that your not sure you like it there. Design rules are a group of guidelines meant to be broken. You do love the rug so I would play with the furniture arrangement as Leslie stated.
Country Design Style-Jeanette
on Oct 23, 2012
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Love all of the answers. Yes,I do love playing with different effects also. I agree that a round rug would look better but I have this one and want to display it somewhere. What about the bedroom if I should move it there? Any suggestions? The room isn't big enough to put in the middle of the floor. I would have to put it partially under the bed.
Ginny B
on Oct 23, 2012
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Ginny, To answer your question, yes, there is a rule of thumb for using area rugs. When it's used under a dining table it's important that the rug be large enough for chairs that are pulled out for sitting. To make it easy, take the dimension of the table and add 24" all around. That would be the approximate area used when people are sitting around the table. I have no problem using a square rug under a round table. To me it adds interest. Leslie is correct in recommending that the rug be grounded by the furniture. And I agree that the large size of the rug under a round coffee table just doesn't work. I think that, in this instance, even slipping a portion of the rug under the sofa would feel awkward. Have you tried turning the rug diagonally under the coffee table? Then having a portion of it under the sofa might be visually more appealing.
Randi Destefano
on Oct 23, 2012
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Dear A.L.I, Yes,I have tried turning the rug diagonally because I really like things to be "off",not balanced evenly but I really think my problem is that my rooms are just too small to get the look I'm going for. Thanks so much for the rule for a rug under a dining room table. Maybe I will just bite the bullet and not use my rug. Leslie, Could you please explain in more detail what you mean by "grounded"
Ginny B
on Oct 24, 2012
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