A Guide to Rug Placement, Shape and Size For Every Room

The Bedroom Rug

When it comes to rug placement in the bedroom, it’s all about comfort underfoot. Ideally, you want a square or rectangular rug that goes right under the bed, and generously extends either side.

Look for a rug that extends at least 50cm beyond the sides of your bed (depending on the size of the room). However, as a general rule, the rug should stop shy of your bedside tables, leaving a gap of around 20cm in front of the bedsides. WHY? Because a bed always (or almost always) sits hards up against a wall, and you don’t want your rug butting right up against a wall. That’s what carpet is for… and that’s a whole different thing.

Living Room Rug Placement

If you have hard floors, a rug is pretty much a compulsory inclusion in the living room! Nothing ties a room together quite like a rug, and it gives you that extra layer of comfort, as well as acoustic value that makes the living room inviting and user-friendly.

The question is – to go under the couch, or not? As far as I’m concerned, you’ve basically got two options :

Living Room Rug Placement #1. Go right under the couch, extending at least 20cm behind the couch, and on the sides. If you have the space – this looks amazing! It gives the space a luxurious feel, and also tends to make a space feel bigger. But of course it does mean you need to buy a bigger rug!

Living Room Rug Placement #2. If your couch is positioned hard up against a wall, choose a rug that either nestles right up to it, or starts no less than 20cm in front of the couch. Any further away, and your rug is likely to get kicked up constantly, and it will also make your living room feel smaller. A rug really delineates the usable space in a living room, so the smaller space a rug occupies, the smaller the room will feel. Having said that – I wouldn’t usually run a rug under an entertainment unit. In most interiors, a rug should stop shy of any wall-hanging or free-standing cabinetry.

I’m not a huge fan of going ‘half’ under the couch. It just tends to look a bit awkward. My advice – it’s all or nothing!

A Rug in the Dining Room

Dining room rugs can be tricky. Besides the obvious (choose a low-pile option for easy vacuuming, etc!) the main consideration here is getting the precise size that will work with your dining table and chair configuration.

The thing with dining chairs is – they shuffle around ALL the time. You probably don’t realise how much movement there is when a family of 4 (or more!) sit down for dinner. The key is to ensure your rug generously accommodates all the chair legs, with enough room behind each chair for movement.

As a general rule, you want your rug to extend around 60-70cm beyond the table dimensions, on all sides. That’s because a dining chair will be pulled out by about 55cm (give or take) every time someone sits down. You don’t want the chair legs to be continually catching on the edge of the rug when your guests take a seat!

In most cases, a dining room rug really needs to be quite a precise size, so it’s worth looking for a custom-size option. Cavalier Bremworth rugs can be custom-cut to size, ensuring the perfect fit!

Circular Rugs + Runners

A circular rug can be game-changer in the right spot. They works best when you want to create a specific focal point in a room – for instance, a circular rug can turn a forgotten corner into a comfy and inviting reading spot, by creating a distinct zone.

Other excellent uses for a round rug could be under a circular dining table (you really can’t go with a straight sided rug under a circular dining table!), or in a kids bedroom or playroom, to soften a play area without filling the whole floor.

A runner is of course most useful in a hallway, but can also be used in open plan spaces to delineate pathways, or to soften a ‘transitional’ space where there is no need for furniture, but you still want a layered look.

Runners tend to be placed in high traffic areas, so it’s especially important to ensure you use a tacky underlay so your rug stays put, and choose a firmly finished edge, without tassels or trim, to avoid curling at the corners.

Cavalier Bremworth is a heritage New Zealand brand that specialises in wool carpets and rugs, and offers custom sizing and edging to ensure the perfect rug for every space.

Shop 30% off in their biggest ever rug sale, online now until May 31st!