Placing area rugs throughout your home can often be a lot easier said than done, and a lot of online rug shoppers neglect vital factors like size and placement while browsing through directories and digital rug outlets.

These days, wall-to-wall carpeting is fading into obscurity as more people prefer area rugs as an aesthetic alternative. Although area rugs come with many stylistic benefits, rug placement and general décor cohesiveness become paramount to the overall effectiveness of these home investment decisions.

And if you’re currently shopping for new living room rugs, there are some important décor rules to remember that’ll help maximize your investment decision. What we’ve done here is create a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts so you can better understand the fundamentals of area rug placement!

Living Room Rug Do’s & Don’ts

When you’re decorating a living room with an area rug, you’ll more than likely be utilizing your new rug as an anchor or focal point for the rest of your space’s furniture.

There’s a lot that rug shoppers need to keep in mind regarding rug spacing and placement, so here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

DO Extend Living Room Rugs Underneath Furniture

When browsing through area rugs either in-person or online, you’ll want to make sure that the rug will be capable of extending underneath all of your living room’s key furniture pieces.

A good rule of thumb to remember is that you can often only place the front legs of your furniture on top of your rug. If you’d like to give space between your furniture and rug, you’ll want to leave at least a few inches for aesthetic spacing purposes.

And remember that it’s perfectly fine to keep the back legs of your furniture off of your rug entirely; however, putting all furniture legs on top of a rug is a great décor strategy when you’re designing a relatively small living room space.

DO Go Big With Rug Purchases To Make Living Rooms Appear Larger

This décor idea might sound a bit off, but larger rugs actually go a long way to make residential spaces appear more expansive than they actually are.

In living rooms, a lot of people will feature large furniture pieces like sectional couches—which can often be difficult to design around. For flooring décor like area rugs, you’ll want your sectional to fit slightly on top of the rug and subsequently create a focal point for the entire space in contrast to the rest of your furniture setup.

One important design tip here is that you’ll want to leave at least 6 feet for floor space around your area rug’s perimeter, which can often be easier said than done. This is why rug shoppers have to take entire living room dimensions in mind while finding their best fits, and some common living room rug sizes to consider include:

• 9×12 ft.
• 5×7 ft.
• 7×9 ft.
• 12×18 ft.
• And much more!

DO Properly Cover High-Traffic Household Areas

Some households hang out in their living rooms every day, and others use their living rooms for more formal situations. Even though area rugs are important for both high and low-traffic spaces, they’re particularly important when you know you’ll be in these spaces on a regular basis.

And the general concept of household traffic is also very subjective as well. If you have children and/or pets at your home, your living room rugs will need to be professionally cleaned and maintained on a frequent basis (at least yearly).

This tip is particularly important if your home has hardwood floors, because you can protect valuable flooring by covering it up with an area rug.

DON’T Place Your Home’s Best Area Rugs In Unnecessary Danger

The odds are that your home is going to have multiple area rugs that perform specific décor roles given where exactly they’re placed within your interior design. Although it’s never a fully terrible idea to place a nice rug underneath a dining room table, the truth is that the rugs you place underneath tables and furniture won’t ever be a focal point or room highlight.

It’s also important to keep your top-quality rugs out of harm’s way by protecting them from stains, spills, and consistent wear and tear.

So, the odds are that you’ll be better off purchasing an easy-to-clean, inexpensive living room rug if your household has pets and children!

DON’T Be Scared Off By Area Rug Investments

The number one mistake that homeowners make when shopping for living room rugs is purchasing one that’s too small for them.

This is an understandable mistake given that there are huge price differences between large and mid-sized rugs; however, you’ll always end up saving money in the long run by making the right rug purchase the first time and not needing to replace an area rug that doesn’t fit your space correctly.

And the good news is that there are plenty of online rug vendors on the internet today that provide wide price selections that match everyone’s décor budget!

DON’T Forget About Investing In The Right Rug Pad

Another huge mistake that online rug shoppers make is purchasing a new rug, without thinking about the best type of rug pad to go underneath their new rug investment.

Rug pads provide necessary added cushioning that protects both your rugs and your floors, so you’ll absolutely need to get rug pads when decorating your living room.

One tip to keep in mind is that it’s often better to purchase a rug pad that’s slightly larger than your new rug, and then carefully trim the rug pad down with scissors to ensure a perfect fit.

Sizing & Placing Living Room Rugs Is Easier Said Than Done!

Getting a new living room rug isn’t just about finding the perfect colors and designs that match your existing furniture and aesthetic setup, because the proper size and placement of a rug can make all the difference with these often-expensive décor investments.

No one wants to make functionality mistakes while shopping online for area rugs, because this can lead to annoying returns and refunds that are generally best to be avoided.

That’s why rug shoppers must always conduct proper measurements prior to starting their shopping process, because this will give them the precise dimensions that they need to narrow down their search and solely look for area rugs that are a perfect aesthetic match.

And just remember that there’s never a rush when searching for living room rugs. So, take plenty of time to make sure you’re getting a new rug that looks and fits great in your living room space!