4 Ways to Place an Area Rug in Your Living Room
You can place an area rug in your living room in various ways. All it takes is working with the space available to you and positioning everything where it needs to be - in this next section; we'll tell you just how to do that and give you all the inspiration you need!
According to a spokesperson from Ruggable, "It's common to have the rug connected to the sofa, side tables, coffee table, and other furniture to ground a space. By having all furniture touch the rug, this creates one succinct area as opposed to looking like free-floating furniture pieces."
Now let's take a look at some stunning placement ideas in which you can incorporate all of your living room furniture, use your floor space, and design a room that looks incredible:
All Legs on the Rug
One gorgeous way of placing the rug is by putting it in a place where all the legs from your living room furniture sit on the rug. This look will require an extra-large rug to take up enough space and fit in with the room and furniture.

The placement is perfect if you have floating furniture, which means that none of your furniture is placed against a wall. There are some stunning rugs available that can complement your living room.
Putting all legs on the rug makes the space look more defined and creates unity. Some stunning accent chairs could perfectly finish off the look.
Front Legs Only on the Rug
Position the rug in such a way that only the front legs of the furniture sit on the rug. You can achieve this look by placing a coffee table in the middle of the rug and placing the front legs of your sofas, chairs, side tables, or tables a few inches over the rug.

This way, a lot of the rug can be seen since the coffee table takes up the only room on your rug, leaving a lot of open space. The size of your rug is key for this look. If the rug is too big, the placement could look awkward and too open, and if the rug is too small, it could look very overcrowded.
Coffee Table on the Rug
Another divine placement is putting only your coffee table on the rug. Again, rug size is crucial in this case. This layout is an excellent choice if you have a small or narrow space available.

It is also better to use a small rug for this look. You do not want to leave too much open space to the point that the area looks empty. This placement will make your room look bigger. Consider the interior measurements of the area for this look so that you fill the right amount of negative space.
A Rounded Arrangement
A rounded arrangement is modern and unique but unconventional - everybody loves round rugs! You can get this look by placing all your furniture around the outside of your round rug.
Here is some inspiration one of the team at Ruggable: "Use a round rug to highlight a section of your living room. If your living room is an open plan or large enough to accommodate an additional furniture grouping, a round rug can help define the space, creating a vignette or a focal point. Place your round rug under the furniture that you want to draw attention to."
You could even place one leg of a chair or sofa on the rug to create harmony and pull the whole design together. This look is a great way to get creative with your room placement.
How to Decide What Size Area Rug You Need For a Living Room
The rug size you go for heavily depends on the size of your living room and the size of the space you plan to use. You need to think about if you want a rug that takes up most of the floor space or if you'd prefer an accent rug that purely gives your room a pop of color and some texture.
Here is a helpful tip from Ruggable that could help you decide: "When selecting a rug for your living room, it's important to consider the size of your space, the size of your furniture, and the various layout options (whether it's an open floor plan or a more defined space), in case you one day may decide to rearrange furniture! "
Review: Read our Ruggable machine washable rug review here
Deciding on the right size can be quite a challenge. "To figure out your desired size, we recommend that you first measure your current space and arrange your furniture in a way that fits the space.

After that, mark the area that you'd like your rug to cover with an easy-to-remove tape. You can also use different-colored tape to mark the different-sized rug possibilities. This step is easy, quick, and makes visualizing and measuring more accurate."
Once you know what size rug you want, you can start planning your layout. Veronica Sanders from Design with Veronica also says:
"When choosing a rug, it's important to take into account both the size of the room and the placement of the furniture. Ideally, you want a rug that will fit all four legs of each piece of furniture on the rug. Leaving about four to eight inches of floor bordering the rug helps to ground the space and give the room a balanced look. It's also okay to have the two back legs slightly off the rug.
"When choosing a rug, it's important to take into account both the size of the room and the placement of the furniture."
One mantra to live by when choosing a rug size is "bigger is better." A larger rug will anchor the space and make it feel more inviting, while a smaller rug can make a room feel cramped.
Of course, ultimately, you want to choose a rug that you love, and that fits your personal style, but following these general guidelines will help you narrow down your choices and find the perfect rug for your space."
What Rug is Best for a Small Living Room?

According to Ruggable, "Smaller area rugs, like a 6'x9' or 5'x7 ′, work best in an 11'x13' or smaller living room. These rug sizes leave about 2 feet of flooring bordering the rug on each side" There are a couple of ways to style your rug in small living spaces:
- You can either sync your living room's color palette to your rug for a monochromatic look.
- Use the rug to create a playful and bold contrast. To make a small living room look brighter and more spacious, opt for lighter-colored rugs or rug colors that are as close to the color of your floor as possible."
It is best to use rugs in smaller living rooms to make the room look bigger and visually open up the space.
What Rug is Best for a Medium Living Room?
There is more flexibility when choosing a rug for a medium-sized living room, according to Veronica Sanders:
"Medium-sized rooms offer more flexibility when it comes to rug placement. You can either choose a rug that is large enough to anchor all the furniture in the room, or you can opt for two smaller rugs placed underneath each piece of furniture. This latter option is ideal for creating defined living areas in an open-concept space."
Rugs that are 8×10 or 5×8 make great choices.
What Rug is Best for a Large Living Room?
In a large living room, you have the freedom of choosing a much bigger rug or opting for one that is slightly smaller. Zara O'Hare states, "For large living rooms, an expansive feel can be avoided by having a rug that is 12 to 18 inches smaller than the room itself, then placing every piece of furniture on the rug."
Area rugs are great in larger living rooms, as they provide more floor coverage and can create harmony in your room. It is best to choose a rug that still allows for visible floor space, especially by the walls.