Where Should A Rug Be Placed In A Room? (Best Locations)
A good rug completes a room, but most people do not know how to position one. The color, shape, pattern, and size of a carpet may be perfect, but if it is not placed correctly, the rug is meaningless.
Before you throw out a rug, believing it is not the best for a particular room, how about you ensure that you have positioned it well? Here are a few tips on where a rug should be placed in a room to help you get started.
What we are going to do is highlight each of the most ideal places in a home to place and rug and then we are going to explore where to position them within that room.
If you’re going to invest some money into a premium-looking and feeling rug, the last thing you want is for it to blend into the background or for it to be overlooked because it’s placed in the wrong position or area.
I have ample experience with interior decorating and I spent enough time with rug store owners to know the kind of advice they give to most customers.
By the time you are done reading this article, you should have the best idea of where a rug should be placed in a room.
Table of Contents
Best Locations For A Rug In A Home
Dining Room
In the dining room, the main rule is to ensure the furniture rests entirely under the rug. The carpet must be placed at the center of the dining table.
The rug should be large enough to accommodate the chairs even when they are pulled out.
Also, take heed of the shape of the rug, which should match that of the dining table.
Bedroom
The size of the bed will determine the size of the rug to place in your bedroom. However, the bottom line is that no matter the size, the rug should ideally be placed under the bed, perpendicularly.
Once it is under the bed, the mat should be a few inches away from the nightstands.
The rug should have a half-meter margin from the wall, whereas the bed should be centered on the rug underneath. This placement provides a cushioned landing upon waking up and creates an optical illusion of symmetry in the room.
If you have a small rug, you can place it at the foot of the bed. Alternatively, the rug can go under the bed in the middle, perpendicularly to offer you a soft landing on either side of the bed.
However, note that when the rug is too small, it creates a disconnect in the room.
See also: Does A Rug Make A Room Look Bigger Or Smaller?
Living Room
You will spend most of your time here, so you might as well make it a sight to behold with the right rug placement.
Before even buying a rug, measure the size of the living room because the rule of thumb is to always allow about an 18-inch margin of uncovered floor space around the rug.
However, the larger the size of the rug, the more you will have to dig deeper into your pockets. Therefore, you have three options for where to place a rug in the living room:
1. Centering it
In a small living room, centering the rug with all the legs of the furniture off helps to make the room appear bigger. You should place the rug under the coffee table. This way, the rug becomes the focal point, distracting guests from the size of the room.
2. Front legs of the furniture on the rug
With a bigger rug, you can ensure that the front legs of the furniture are under it. This placement helps to connect various furniture pieces and lends proportionality to the room.
3. All furniture legs on the rug
Positioning the rug such that all furniture legs rest on it helps to organize the room by distinctly specifying it as the living room area. However, in this placement, you must remember to leave an 18-inch margin from the wall around the edge of the rug.
Open-Plan Living/Dining Space
If you have a large living room, you can also have a dining area within the same space. Moreover, it would be great to create a distinction between the two spaces, and a rug is an ideal way.
Rugs with different designs or shades for each space help to define them. However, remember to stick to similar shapes for a cohesive look.
Kitchen
Hard floors can be uncomfortable to stand on for a long time. So, placing a rug where you stand during meal preparation is a great idea.
Also, a rug at the sink, refrigerator, and cooking areas soaks up any spills or splashes to avoid accidents in the kitchen. But, make sure it’s the type of rug made with material that doesn’t sustain damage when exposed to water immediately.
Ensure that the mat you pick stays in place and does not fold up at the corners, which could be hazardous.
Bathroom
A bathroom should have an anti-slip mat at the front of the shower or bathtub.
A rug to absorb water droplets as you use the shower, or when you come from bathing is a great investment to prevent accidents.
You could also place a rug at the sink for decorative purposes and to absorb any splashes. Alternatively, you can invest in a toilet mat as well that is shaped for the toilet area that matches the same mat used by the entrance to the shower.
Final Thoughts
Rugs are more than just decorative pieces; they have a function in each room where they are placed. Now that you know where and how to position yours, get moving and rearrange the furniture to maximize the usability of your rugs.
Get creative with it. If you have any doubts, ask someone to provide their opinion and use that as a measurement for how others perceive your room decor.
I hope that you enjoyed this article on where a rug should be placed in a room. If you did, I’m pretty sure that you’ll find the articles linked below to be just as informative and helpful:
1. Can I use the same rug twice?
