Adding an area rug to a room can bring warmth, color, dimension and style. There are many patterns, textures, and sizes to choose from. But while those first two variants can be decided based on personal preference, the last tends to be dictated by the rule of design.

 

Yes, rules are made to be broken but there are some general concepts you'll want to keep in mind to ensure your area rug is an accent and not an eye sore.

 

1. Kitchen

 

Just like well-placed kitchen cabinets can make all the difference in your workflow, the size of the area rug you choose is going to have a huge impact as well.

 

That being said, the best choice is a runner, which should go along a narrow walkway and only leave a few inches on either side. Choose a color or pattern that will complement your cabinet doors and make the room feel full.

 

2. Dining Room

 

An area rug can be a beautiful addition to a dining room — and choosing the right size is actually not as hard as you may think.

 

Your selection will be almost 100% dependent on your dining room table, so always purchase your table first.

 

You will want the shape to also be the same as the table — if you have a round table, get a round rug and if you have a square table, a square rug it is. This is so that you can center the furniture over the rug. In other words, both the table and chairs should be completely on the rug (even if a guest slides out their chair).

 

3. Bedroom

 

An area rug is as much for comfort as it is design. When you step out of your bed, you want your feet to land on the rug!

 

This can be achieved by either selecting a large area rug that extends on all three exposed sides of your bed, or by placing a runner on one side or both.

 

For average to large rooms, there should remain about 18 inches between the edge of the rug and the wall, and 8 inches in smaller rooms.

 

4. Bathroom

 

We are used to considering bath mats as rugs, so you may be under the impression that smaller is better. This actually isn't the case.

 

You don't want a rug that is too small for the space it's in. If you have a large enough bathroom, don't be afraid to go for a round rug or something that makes more of a statement.

 

When choosing color and texture, do so with your bathroom vanity in mind. The finish on your cabinet doors and paint color on walls should fuel your decision.

 

5. Living Room

 

The living room may seem like the most confusing space when it comes to finding the right area rug size. Don't worry! You basically have three main layouts to choose from: all furniture legs on the rug, front legs on the rug, or no legs on the rug.

 

The layout you go with will likely be influenced by the size of your living room. It’s that easy!

 

 

At The RTA Store we help make your dream kitchen a reality with RTA (Ready To Assemble) and Pre-Assembled kitchen cabinets, and accessories with the same (if not better) quality you would find at any retail store but for a fraction of the price. Stop by our website or give us a call and let us make your kitchen dreams come true with the help of our free kitchen design tool!