How to Measure a Living Room Rug

Read a few interior design blogs and you'll notice there are a lot of "rules" to follow when decorating your home. These rules, however, mostly serve as guidelines and are created not to limit you, but to help. Many times the rules have exceptions, or you at least have different options to choose from. Living room area rugs, for example, can be arranged in several ways depending on your space's setup and the area rug's size.

We understand that no two rooms are the same and will tailor fit the rug to your furniture and space. We offer fireplace cut outs, clipped corners and more.

Below are few example living rooms set up with area rugs for you to see how you can arrange your furniture. Keep in mind that we make every rug to order and offer custom sizes and shapes down to the inch.

10' x 14' or Custom Rug

Great size for an open-concept great room living room. Furniture can sit on the rug with space for a chair opposite the sectional.

9' x 12' Rug

Perfect for open-concept great room or family room seating area. Place sofa on the rug with armchair back legs off the rug.

8' x 10' Rug

Create your seating area with two chairs and a sofa or a chaise-end soft on the rug. Sofa and chair legs can be partially off the rug.

6' x 9' Rug

This is a good fit for a smaller living room where the chair and sofa have their back legs off of the rug. Can feel small with sofa and two chairs, consider custom size.

The rule for arranging your area rug is to have furniture placed on the rug. But what does this mean? Should you have your sofa and chairs sitting entirely on the rug or just the front legs? That depends on how large your area rug is and what you are trying to accomplish. First, let's start with why this rule exists in the first place. Mainly, it has to do with rug size. A larger rug allows you to arrange furniture on top of it, not around it. A rug that's too small can make a tiny living room feel smaller, and it can make a large room seem lacking. Placing your furniture on top of the rug also prevents people from tripping on the fabric edges when walking around the room.

Now that you know why it's common to place furniture on the rug, let's discuss your options. You can have whole pieces of furniture placed on top of a rug, or you can just place a part of your sofa on it. If you have an open floor plan, setting all of your floating furniture on the rug helps anchor the space. Other than that, it's mostly a matter of preference. Try both options and decide what looks best in your space.

Are there situations where a living room looks best when only the coffee table is placed on the rug? Of course — there are always exceptions to the rule! If you currently own a smaller rug, go ahead and try this method. If the look doesn't feel right, however, you'll most likely need to invest in a larger rug to complete your setup.