02 Nov The Mix: Sizing a Rug
Clients often ask me how to best to determine what size rug is right for them. There are some main rules to follow when choosing the right rug size for your space.
The best write up I can find on rug sizing is in Rugs 101 by Loloi—my top rug vendor. These are my top tips.
The very first thing to consider when picking a rug size is keeping the corners out of tripping zones. Think about how people will generally walk through the room and try to ensure the corners are placed in a manner to discourage people from kicking and tripping on the edges. Our foyer in the 2018 Richmond Symphony Orchestra League Designer House had three rugs in the entry; we worked the sizes and placement over many times to make sure we got it right.
When it comes to dining, the first consideration is preventing the back legs of the chairs from catching on the edge of the rug. You will almost always need 30 inches all around a dining table to prevent that annoyance. With that said, rugs come in somewhat standard sizing, so just pick a size that gets you close to that rule.
The second consideration in the dining room is leaving a pleasing border of hardwood all around the room. In this big open plan we chose to anchor the front legs of the sofa only on the rug. This really comes down to your personal preference.
You can also use rugs to create separate spaces. In this very large great room we created two separate seating areas and decided to anchor each with its own rug. The rugs are the same style to bring unity to the room.
In this cozy living room we placed the rug under the main conversation area only.
Bedroom rugs should always cover the floor around the bed. Ideally reaching a few inches beyond the night tables on each side.
In this smaller bedroom we went with a round rug. Always consider the unexpected!
