A large rug is almost a necessity in most living rooms to serve as the focal point of a room, ideally a 9- to 15-foot dimension or longer, and large enough to delineate the space. An extra large rug enriches a large space.
Find a rug that’s large enough to cover the legs of all the furniture, creating a more uniformed look as seen below, and especially for open-floor plan homes, this works very well.
Size
Photograph courtesy FabricutIf your room is wide, using an extra wide rug helps define seating areas and make smaller spaces feel tighter. And one can add that final finishing touch to almost any space where there feels like a little too much space.
This is another thing to consider when deciding on your rug dimensions: is it large enough to cover, if not all, then definitely the front legs of sofas and chairs – this helps everything to ‘lock’ together and for furniture to look more secure on the floor.
Select a rug that melds its colour and pattern; maximalist schemes tend towards more elaborate patterns in strong, vibrant hues, while neutrals evoke a calmer mood. Multiple layers of rugs add depth and texture to living spaces. Need a casa-renovation squad? A Tasker can lift and carry an oversized rug into place for you – so you don’t strain your back or spend time installing it on your own. It’s so much easier to get the job done when you have an extra pair of hands.
Color
Large rugs can help make a room work by delineating seating spaces – or providing colour and pattern accents that add energy or humour Accents! Big rugs provide an opportunity to make bold splashes of personality or pattern in living spaces.
While it is important to make a match between rug colours and patterns and a room’s overall aesthetic, you can surprise with unexpected tones, such as this black and-white faux hide rug that works well with its 21st-century highrise backdrop.
Like chairs and sofas, the front feet of ottomans and poufs must rest on a rug; their back legs should be on the floor. If you feel your open space needs visual delineation of a seating area, an oversized jute or cotton rug can ground the space, beckoning you to stop and spend time there. You can even mix in a large coffee table with your seating arrangement – watch here!
Pattern
Large rugs can make a feature of an otherwise overwhelming space while, at the same time, helping to anchor a big room. As well as visual features, floor coverings can serve to separate sitting areas, perhaps giving the dining area a distinct feel, or even to mark a distinct entrance zone.
The general rule for rug placement is to place the front legs of the furniture on the rug, and the back legs off, which help to ground larger scale pieces and create visual balance in groups of furniture and a coherent seating area. This rule also works for large or mid-sized rooms or open concept spaces.
If you have a small room with eclectic furniture styles, or simply an awkwardly arranged room, give everything a cozily refined feel by putting all the furniture legs on top of the rug. This rule works for small rooms especially when there isn’t enough floor space.
Texture
Oversized living room rugs can bring an extra dimension and layer of texture to your living room, while choosing colour palettes to echo your furniture; I like tone-on-tone neutrals for the luxe look or more colourful patterns for an eclectic vibe.
Arranging thingsfront legs-only is a neat trick to snuggle the front feet of all your seating furniture on to the rug, which was the most salient cue to me to mentally complete the look. When you have an open floor plan in an expansive room, this can achieve a cosier visual unity.
The specifics of the float arrangement are to place a rug in the centre of your sitting or conversation area without having the legs of any furniture touch it (other than possibly your coffee tables or ottomans) – a classic design choice for delineating seating areas in large, open rooms, as well as one that scales perfectly to minimalist looks. Get some additional visual oomph by layering two rugs for interest, or practicality.
