A Magic Carpet Ride?

So you are thinking about incorporating a rug into a decorating scheme in one of your rooms and you are stumped about where to start. Sound familiar? Here are a few things you might want to consider so you don’t end up on a magic carpet ride!

Elle Decor

Rugs are a great way to create a focal point, complement or define your seating or dining area, warm up a room, or bring pizzazz to a lackluster space. You can select the rug first and build your color palette for your room from there. Your artwork, paint color, and fabrics can coordinate with the hues in your rug. If you add the rug later, use it to accent or complement your existing colors.

House Beautiful

In most rooms, the rug should rest at least one 1 foot to 18 inches away from the wall. For smaller conversation area rugs, consider how you want the furniture to interact with the rug. A useful guide is to keep each seating piece or at least the front two legs of it on the carpet which will anchor the arrangement.

Decor Pad

If you use more than one rug in a room, ensure they are not the same size to avoid visually cutting the room in half. Furthermore, when using more than one rug make sure that they complement each other in style, pattern, and color scheme or you will end up with an eyesore.

Decor Pad

In choosing the size and placement of a rug for a dining room, your main consideration should be the way the rug works with the table and chairs as well as the distance from the walls. Set the rug at least 3 feet beyond the edge of the table to accommodate chair movements. Leave at least 10 inches to 12 inches border of floor between the rug’s edge and the walls.

Decor Pad

When considering a rug for a bedroom, measure your bed and add 2 feet to each side so the rug fits completely under the bed. Smaller rugs work well along the side of the bed or at the foot of the bed.

Decor Pad

Pottery Barn

Avoid this placemat look. Make your rug large enough so that it fits under the cocktail table and the front two legs of the adjoining furniture.

Decor Pad

Placing a rug on an angle opens up a room especially if the furniture is angled.

Staged by Mary Habres and Katherine Frazier  - 5/1/09

~”My husband and I are either going to buy a dog or have a child. We can’t decide whether to ruin our carpet or our lives!” ~ Rita Rudner