A rug can help unify the décor and furniture in any room of your home. Whether you’re looking for a bright focal point or would like a more neutral-colored rug that puts emphasis on your furniture, a rug is a versatile way to enhance your home.

While choosing the texture, color, and pattern of your rug is important, so is its size. One too large or too small for the space will look out of place and discordant with the rest of the room.

The following tips will help you select the proper size rug for your home:

Getting started

Mark off your space

It can be difficult to visualize how much space a specific size of rug will take in your home. Use masking tape to mark off an area on your floor where you’d like your rug to go. When it’s taking up the desired amount of space, measure its length and width – or diameter if the rug is circular – to get an idea of what size rug to look for.

Leave room for exposed floor

If you’re buying a large rug, designers generally recommend leaving a minimum of 18 to 24 inches of bare floor around it on all sides. This helps the space look symmetrical.

Accentuate light

Installing window shades by Polar Shades can help you see how your room, décor, furnishings, and rug look with different amounts of light coming through. Additional light can make a room seem larger and more open, and if your room receives a lot of direct sun, shades can also help protect your rugs and other furnishings from fading.

Focusing on the room

The following tips will help you select the right size rug for individual rooms in your home:

Dining room

Choose a rug that extends 24 to 30 inches beyond your table to allow for chairs being pulled out. 

Bedroom

If you’d like a large bedroom rug to fit under your bed and nightstands, select one that extends far enough beyond the bed so when you get up, your feet touch the rug. Or instead of a large rug, you can place smaller rugs on each side of the bed if you’d like to let more flooring show. 

Family/living room

Your rug should be approximately the size of the area where your furniture sits. If your room is large, you can put two identical rugs beside each other if you can’t find a size large enough to accommodate the space.

Entryway

Entryway rugs can be placed a little closer to the door or walls than the traditional 18 inches. Make sure your door easily clears the rug when it’s open, and allow enough coverage so you won’t have to step on and off the rug too much as you move through your entryway.

Enhance the Natural Light with Window Shades

For help deciding what window shades would enhance your rugs and home, contact Polar Shades at 702-260-6110 for a free in-home consultation.