A carpet that is too small or too big makes a room look awkward and its contents visually off equilibrium. The right-sized carpet is proportionate to the space it inhabits. Distinct loose rules apply, depending on several factors, including whether the house has an open-concept layout. An area rug is an important anchor that grounds the space, so its size deserves careful thought.
Wide Open Spaces
In an open-concept residence, area rugs help define distinct spaces, such as the dining area, living room and entryway. Rather than quantifying each seating arrangement or specific region to determine rug size, then utilize residue-free painter’s tape on the floor to indicate the approximate positioning for rugs. When you have a layout you’re delighted with, use the tape as dimension guides to your carpet purchases. Tape layouts offer you a visual idea of how carpet sizes influence design elements, including traffic flow and spatial layout within an open — or partitioned — distance. For traffic stream between 2 carpets, space them hallway width, or at least three feet, apart.
Center of Attention
Keep carpets at least eight inches in the walls, rather than always concentrated inside the room. In a bedroom, for example, a small rug may lie at the same side or at the conclusion of the bed, but shouldn’t be tight against the walls. In a narrow entryway, nevertheless, you can make an exception: Put the carpet in the front of the doorway, or contrary to one or both walls, depending on available space.
Conversation Seating
In the living room, all chair and couch feet must either be on the carpet or the exact same distance away from it for an attractive grouping. How you set the carpet depends on how you arrange the furniture. To get a grouping pulling to the space, away from the walls, you might opt for the all-feet-on approach, anchoring the seating arrangement. If you prefer to place furniture against the walls, around the room’s perimeter, go with a carpet only big enough for the all-feet-off grouping.
Dining Area
In the dining room area, it’s ideal to go with a carpet that is only large enough to accommodate the chairs when they’re pulled from the table. This means that the carpet should be bigger than the table approximately a few feet on each side, if space allows. Gauge the carpet size also from the room’s perimeter, leaving at least eight inches from nearby walls. Measure from your table’s edges, adding in any extension leaves in place.