With a myriad of sizes, patterns and colourways on offer, rugs are ideal for adding warmth underfoot and tying your interior scheme together. They are particularly useful for zoning spaces – for example in between your living room and kitchen – to create a cohesive look in your home.
Choosing your living room rug
‘Take a detailed note of the room layout and always think about how each piece will relate to those adjacent,’ advises Emily Simmons, creative director at Ruggable. ‘You want to make sure your rug is proportionate to the furniture and space. Ensure that your rug is large enough to slip underneath the front feet of a sofa and accent chairs. In small living spaces, make sure your rug feels well-framed within the walls and doesn’t proportionately overpower furniture placements.’
What size rug should I get for my living room?
As a general guide:
Small living rooms would suit rugs sized around 120 x 170cm upwards.
A 160 x 230cm rug would fit nicely in a medium-sized living room.
A rug measuring around 200 x 290cm would be a good fit for a larger living space.
An extra large (or open plan) floor space would suit rugs sized 240 x 340cm upwards.
For arranging around a loveseat, opt for a rug size around 150 x 215cm to fit underneath a coffee table (and don’t forget to align with your accent chairs).
If pairing a rug with a sofa, always choose a rug that is at least 30cm longer than your sofa, in order to proportionately match up.
In instances where you are choosing a rug that takes up the whole room, make sure to maintain around 45cm between your wall and the rug.
If layering rugs, choose your top rug in a smaller size that gives approximately 40cm of space around the edge in order to see the bottom layer. Or, opt for a shaped rug as the top layer. A faux hide is a fun go-to!
How to style your living room with a rug
‘Think of your rug as a textural layer within your space. When styling your living room, think about it in terms of creating layers of colours, textures, and patterns through the use of different materials, where your first layer would be the floor, next is the rug, and then furniture and decor,’ says Emily. ‘A rug design will have a varied impact depending on what size you choose.’
