Your guide to choosing the perfect living room rug

The living room is for entertaining guests. It's also for zoning out in front of Netflix with your favorite takeout. Once you decide how to use your living room, don't forget that the right rug can make your space look and feel cohesive and inviting. If you’re wondering how to choose a rug for living room—how to navigate the wide world of fabrics, colors, and sizes of living room area rugs without having to breathe into a paper bag—educate yourself by reading on. With our expert tips, style considerations and placement advice, you’ll walk away with all the tools you need to score the dream rug that completes your living room. 

• ·      Custom rugs for custom spaces, sized perfectly to fit your needs.

• ·      Affordable design solutions. Because you shouldn't need generational wealth to afford high-quality rugs.

You can use one single area rug under the coffee table and front legs of the sofa to highlight the main area of activity in your living room, or choose multiple rugs to define different seating areas and create a sense of structure and organization. Rugs add comfort underfoot, provide a non-slip surface and protect your floor from tread damage. “I do think that most living room spaces really benefit from the addition of a rug,” says interior designer Kathy Kuo. “The right rug is going to enhance the rest of your design choices and complement your furniture and decorative accents.”

The right rug can transform the look and feel of a living room, adding a sense of texture and depth to your space. After a long day, the softness underfoot feels weirdly therapeutic—actually, according to one small study, walking on carpeting rather than wood floors is actually beneficial for your mental health.

A rug can also enhance the comfort of your living room in other surprising ways: 

• ·      If your space runs cold (maybe it’s near a foyer or entrance area), a rug is like a turtleneck for your living room.

• ·      If your living room is noisy and chaotic, a rug provides sound reduction. Not today, migraine.

Most of the time, size is the difference between the right rug and the wrong one. A too-small rug creates the dreaded  "floating effect," and fails to visually anchor your furniture, while a too-large rug can make the room feel cramped. Avoid these common issues with standard sizes by opting for a custom living room rug, tailor-made for the unique needs of your living room. Achieving the perfect fit will also reduce wear on the rug and prolong its life. You might end up with a new heirloom to pass down, a unique piece for your unique (okay, weird) family.

Step 1: Size your space correctly by measuring the length and width of the whole living room. 

Step 2: Subtract eight to 12 inches of bare floor space on each side.

There’s your perfect rug size. It’s that easy.

Well, almost. Here are some pitfalls to avoid: Remember to allow for clearance between the rug and the walls. Rugs that are too close to the edges of the room can make it look cramped. Don't forget to account for height clearance for door swing, leaving 1" for low pile rugs and 2" for high pile. Keep the rug one foot from any floor grates for safety reasons. And always consider where the most (and the least) people will be walking, ensuring that the rug will cover the entirety of a high-traffic area.

Tips on selecting correct rug sizes:

·     When determining rug size, make sure your rug is 8” wider than your sofa on both sides to maintain visual symmetry.

·  Use painter’s tape to outline the rug’s intended area on the floor. This helps visualize how different sizes will fit and how they will interact with furniture and room features.

·  Take some of the guesswork out of sizing by going with a custom-sized rug, tailored down to the inch to ensure a perfect fit for your living room.

If some of your living room furniture has curved or rounded edges, a custom round rug can help keep the look cohesive. This rustic look vibes well with a farmhouse, vintage or bohemian aesthetic. It can be a challenge to make a large, circular rug work as an anchor/area rug for a seating area (and it’s tricky to find an appropriately-sized rug pad). Instead, consider using a round rug to define a smaller furniture arrangement in your living room, like a reading nook or dining area.

The little black dress of rug size, rectangular rugs are traditional, versatile and ideal pieces to use as a central anchor for your living room. Place them under seating areas as a way to designate “zones” in your space. Rectangular rugs lack the visual interest that other shapes might offer—so if you sometimes get sick of your living room furniture, be aware that a rectangular rug's shape is the least likely to draw in the eye. If your living room vibe is eclectic, spice up a rectangular rug with a bold pattern, color or chunky textile.

For a narrow hallway that leads to your living room, a custom runner rug in a complimentary pattern can add visual intention to the space and create a clean transition between the two areas. Rug size is critical here, especially if the rug is too long. A hallway runner rug that extends into the living room looks weird, creates tripping hazards and can interfere with furniture placement. You could also put a runner alongside a sofa, in front of a fireplace, or the awkward space behind a sofa that's not flush with the wall.

Wool rugs provide a traditional look, natural insulation and a softness underfoot that enhances the coziness of your living room. Wool has the eco-friendliness of a natural fiber with a more formal feel. One study shows that wool rugs significantly improve indoor air quality by rapidly absorbing the common pollutants formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. It’s also durable, eco-friendly, and relatively low-maintenance, with fibers containing natural oils that resist dirt and stains. Keep it fresh with a professional cleaning every 1–3 years. For a higher-traffic living room, consider a wool blend, which offers the luxury of wool with durability of nylon or polyester.

Synthetic rugs, made in fabrics like nylon and polyester, are budget-friendly and frequently machine-washable. Of the two, polyester is more affordable, but slightly less durable than nylon. When choosing a rug for your living room, consider luster nylon, which is prized for maintaining its shape and bouncing back after foot traffic. Or opt for synthetic sisal to get the look of a natural fiber with the endurance of a synthetic.

A natural fiber rug in a fabric like sisal and jute is eco-friendly, stain resistant, and brings a cool, earthy vibe to your living room. The difference between sisal and jute lies in their foot feel and durability. Jute is the softer and thinner of the two, while sisal’s coarse texture holds up better to foot traffic.

·     For a chilly living room with less foot traffic, or one that can get loud, the plush texture of a high-pile rug adds comfort and warmth as well as providing maximum sound absorption, according to Floor Advisor.

·     If you live with kids or pets, if your living room is a high traffic area of your home, or if you suffer from allergies, opt forlow pile rugs or flatweave (no-pile) rugs. Their shorter fibers trap minimal dirt, allergens and debris. Cleanup is as simple as a quick vacuum during your favorite podcast.

Aesthetic appeal

When choosing a rug fabric from an interior design POV, select a style that enhances the existing decor vibe of your space. High pile rugs bring the drama to a bohemian or eclectic living room, while a low pile rug blends seamlessly in with a contemporary living room. For a more rustic interior, sisal is flawless: “Natural fibers add texture and warmth to a modern farmhouse space and help create a cozy and inviting atmosphere,” writes The Designeur. And jute or seagrass rugs are the perfect finishing touch for a coastal living room, according to coastal interior designer and blogger Molly in Maine. 

Complementing your existing decor:

·     If you're pondering what color your living room rug should be, first identify the dominant color of your space (walls, furniture). Then choose a rug in a similar shade for a cohesive look, or a different shade to create a striking contrast.

• ·     Identify the accent colors in your space (lamps, art, throw pillows) and echo these in your rug.

• ·     Brighten up a neutral room and create a focal point with a rug in a vibrant shade. Or make a complete switch: Use an earth-tone rug as an anchor for a colorful and maximalist living room.

• ·     Dark rugs are a sophisticated way to hide the not-so-sophisticated spill on your living room floor.

• ·     Maintain the vibrancy of your rug’s color over time by cleaning it regularly, keeping it out of direct sunlight, and anchoring it in place with a perfectly-sized rug pad.

Pattern selection:

Some patterns naturally pair with the existing style of your living room, like a geometric pattern for modern spaces or floral patterns for a cottagecore look. When balancing patterned rugs with solid-colored furniture, unify the colors and/or textures to keep things calm and chic. Or if your furniture is patterned, choose a rug in a solid color to avoid any battle-of-the-divas decor moments and visually ground the room.

Creating visual interest:

From an interior design perspective, patterns add personality and make your space pop. Choose a pattern that draws the eye and makes a dramatic statement, or select a more subtle one that echoes other colors and shapes in the space (rounded furniture, geometric wall art) to tie your living room together.

Durability and maintenance tips:

• When choosing a rug for a high-traffic area, consider durability, maintenance, and aesthetic appeal. Wool and sisal are resilient, eco-friendly and long-lasting. Nylon and polypropylene are more affordable and easier to maintain, but may need to be replaced sooner due to fading or wear.

• If durability is your priority, keep it low-maintenance by avoiding high pile rugs in your living room. 

• Keep your rug fresh with regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning with mild dish soap and water. If you have a natural fiber rug like wool or sisal, get it professionally deep cleaned every few years.

Choosing rugs for homes with pets or children:

It's a truth universally acknowledged: Pets + kids + living rooms = mess. For a pet-friendly rugs that's stylish, durable and easy to clean, synthetic fibers like nylon, triexta and polypropylene are low-maintenance enough for your lifestyle and won’t absorb stains as much as natural fibers. A rug with a low pile won’t collect as much pet hair/dirt and minimizes the snagging of claws. A rug in a dark color or pattern can accommodate inevitable mishaps like muddy paws or fingerpaints.

Ernesta’s custom rugs offer practical benefits:

Tailoring your custom rug to the inch allows you to customize your living room for children, creating a space as unique as your kids are. Or maybe you don't have kids, but you do have a pet who has accidents everywhere. For the cat and dog moms (and dads!), we offer area rugs in durable performance materials that are stain-resistant and waterproof.

Using rugs to make a style statement:

Give your space some personality by choosing a rug in a bold pattern or color, style, texture, or shape. You can place it under the sofa or in a central location, like under a coffee table, to add character to your living room.

Tips for layering rugs to create depth and texture:

·     Layering rugs can define distinct areas in a large living room and create accents in smaller living rooms.

·     For a contemporary style, position rugs so that as much furniture as possible partially sits on both rugs, creating a cohesive look that connects the elements in the room. Or, instead of aligning rugs perfectly, offset them at angles for an eclectic look.

·     A high-pile rug belongs on the bottom layer, especially in high-traffic areas, because of safety concerns (tripping).

·     Consider a patterned rug for the top layer because it’s forgiving when it comes to stains.

·     Layer a smaller, brightly-colored rug over a large, neutral rug to highlight distinct areas.

·     Textural contrasts between the rugs—pairing natural with synthetic, or high-pile with flat-weave—cultivate a warm, homey look.

Size isn’t the only thing you can customize with Ernesta. Our huge variety of materials, colors, styles and pile heights allows you to customize every detail and tailor-make the perfect rug for your space.

To keep it classic and dead simple, place an area rug under the couch, and center all the front furniture legs on the rug to create a balanced look. If your living room is especially large or open-concept, placing all legs of your furniture on the rug helps define your living area — a grander visual statement that aligns with the space.

If these tips don’t work for your space, custom rug sizes allow for perfect placement that accommodate one-of-a-kind furniture pieces and enhance your room's quirky, singular features. Maybe you want an accent rug under a coffee table, sized perfectly to make a small space seem bigger. Or perhaps the backside of a floating sofa or sectional creates a “hallway” through your living room, so you need a custom-sized runner and rug pad to make the space look more intentional. Whatever kind of rug you need to complete your living room, you’ll find it with us.

Now you know how to crack the code of size, material, color, pattern, and furniture placement to find the perfect rug for your space.

If you can’t seem to find anything that fits your space, don’t stress. Our custom size rugs to find the ideal fit for your living room. Our high-quality rugs are affordable, one-of-a-kind, and available to give you (and your living room) exactly what you need. Visit our website or contact our design experts for personalized assistance.

You can find more tips, tricks and troubleshooting in our related articles on rug placement and maintenance. Remember: Stay calm, measure carefully, and you’ll be rewarded with the perfect rug for your living room.