How to Correctly Place an Area Rug in the Living Room, Dining Room, and Bedroom

Whether you're decorating for the first time or renovating the style of your home and looking for the best way to place a rug in your living room, dining room, or bedroom, we have you covered. Finding the perfect rug is no simple task, but the best rugs bring a space together with a cohesive look. This easy-to-follow guide will give you every rule you need to follow, no matter what size space you are working with.

Living Room

There are many great ways to lay a rug in your living room. The rug will most likely find itself in the centre of your seating area, but you can consider a few options. The one thing that remains true despite what you decide is that the rug needs to be the centre of the layout so you can anchor the whole space.

For a three-seater sofa: Place a small to medium-sized rug under a coffee table with 6-12 inches of bare floor between the rug and the couch.

For a U-shaped sofa: Place a medium-sized rug in the middle of the U. This setup looks best when there are 12 inches of bare floor between the rug and the sofa.

For a corner sofa: You can decide between a small to medium-sized rug with 12 inches of bare floor between the sofa and the rug or choose an oversized rug that allows 3-4 inches for the sofa's front legs to rest on. If you have a larger space, the second option might be best.

For L-shaped sofas: The same rules apply as corner sofas. The main deciding point would be the size of your space. Opt for a smaller rug with 6-12 inches of floor space around the frame for a smaller room. 

If your living room has a two or three-seater couch, consider a small 3x5 foot or 4x6 foot rug to place directly in front of the sofa underneath a coffee table to tie the space together.

Dining Room

For an optimal dining room rug, there's one rule you need to keep in mind: Your rug should always be big enough for all chairs of the table to be fully pulled out without falling off the edges. No matter the size of the table, whether a 2-seater or a 12-seater, this rule applies. Generally, the rug needs to be two feet bigger than the table on each side to achieve this. If your table is 4x6 feet, you would need a rug that is 8x10 feet. A couple more things to keep in mind is your table should always be centred on the rug, and the rug should be 12-24 inches away from any adjacent walls.

If you have a vast dining room area or an open floor plan, opt for the trendy oversized rug by placing it in the centre of the room and anchoring all furniture on top of it. If you have an open floor plan, this option will help define the space. Just make sure in this case that 24-30 inches of bare floor sit between the rug and nearby walls.

Bedroom

When it comes to the bedroom, you will need different-sized rugs for different-sized beds. There are a few creative options we will go over as well.

For a king bed: A king bed's dimensions are generally 76 inches wide by 80 inches long, so a 6x9 foot area rug works best. The bottom of the bed should sit on 12-24 inches of the rug, leaving about 18 inches on each side of the bed.

For a Queen bed: A queen bed's dimensions are generally 60 inches wide by 80 inches long. Therefore, a 5x8 foot area rug works best. The bottom of the bed should sit on 12 inches of the rug. This will allow the rug to extend beyond the footboard on each side.

For a Double bed: A double size bed is generally 54 inches wide by 74 inches long. A 4x6 foot area rug works best in this case as it will leave 9 inches of rug on each side of the bed. The bottom of the bed should sit on 12-18 inches of the rug.

For a Twin bed: A twin-sized bed is typically 38 inches wide by 75 inches long. A 3x5 foot area rug works best in this space, with the bottom of the bed sitting on 12-24 inches of the rug.

If you want to try something different, you could place runners on each side of the bed. This option works with two runners or three runners. If you have the bed set in a corner, you can opt to put the rug on the side of the bed paired with a nightstand or get creative and place it diagonally under the outermost corner of the bed.

The best way to ensure your rug will look good in your bedroom is to purchase a rug that is 18-24 inches wider than your bed. 

Keep Your Rug In Place

All of these areas have heavy foot traffic, so you must keep them in place with a rug pad. Rug pads are essential because they protect your floor, provide cushioning, prevent slipping, protect your rug, and facilitate airflow. Without one, both the rug and the floor are susceptible to damage. Rug pads provide a solid foundation, which prolongs the life of your rug. Without a pad, bunching will eventually degrade the material.