RUG RULES + RUGS RULE

It has been my observation that people get very confused and overwhelmed when it comes to rugs, specifially relating to size and placement. Following are some tried and true rules that will help make your life easier when selecting what is arguably one of the most important and unifying design items in any room.

But, as always, rules are made to be broken. And it should be noted that, unless you are ordering a custom rug, you will generally be working within the following size parameters: 3x5, 4x6, 5x8, 7x9, 8x10, and 9x12.

Living Room/Family Room

RULE # 1 - The front two legs of your sofa and any occassional chairs should sit comfortably ON the rug. This design style works beautifully in acheiving a cohesive look. EASY!

RULE #2 - Everybody on board! Couch(es), occasional chairs, side tables etc. should ALL sit on the rug. Personally, this is not my favorite option as I think that the rug can often gobble up the furniture items sitting on it and in turn diminish the room. This rule can tend to work better for larger spaces with larger/taller scale furniture items.

RULE #3 - The most affordable option is to place a smaller rug under the coffee table. This can work well for small spaces but can also make a space look fragmented. Proceed with caution. Your small space may look better without a rug.

Dining Room

For your dining room there is really only one way to incorporate a rug. Your selected rug should extend 24 inches on all sides (18 inches minimum) from the edge of the dining room table. This allows for dining room chairs to be easily pulled out while staying on the rug and more importantly for them to not catch on the edge of the rug when pushed back in.

Bedroom

RULE #1 - The rug should sit 6-8 inches in front of the nightstands and extend at least 12 inches at the end of the bed and 24 inches on the sides. This allows for you to comfortably step out of bed onto your soft rug.

RULE #2 - All items sit on the rug with the above allowances for the end and sides of the bed.

RULE #3 - Small rugs on each side of the bed. Sheepskins are a wonderful and cozy solution!

Some general considerations:

1. A neutral colored rug will allow your furnishings to shine and pop - which is what we want for staged homes and vacation rentals.

2. Keep your rugs off the walls at least 12-18 inches.

3. Don't forget an anti-slip rug pad for underneath all of your rugs. We all know how annoying it is when rugs slip and slide and bunch up.

4. Rugs are great collectors of dirt, pet hair, the general yuck of life, and smells. How often you clean your rugs will depend on their level of usage. It can be shocking to witness the amount of dirt that accumulates under a rug. Pay attention and do what you need to do before they start walking around the room on their own!

Have fun + stay cozy!

Seana

XO