They might be small, but area rugs are stylish and have a big job, whether it’s separating spaces in one big room, reducing echos and other noise, or helping you save on energy bills.

They need to be placed properly, however, or the entire room will look askew.

Extend them under furniture

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to buy one that’s too small. They should fit entirely under all key pieces of furniture, such as sofas and chairs. If that isn’t possible, however, make sure they anchor the furniture with the front legs of the upholstered pieces being placed on top of the rugs with the back legs off. Smaller pieces like end or coffee tables should have both front and back legs on the rugs.

In dining rooms, the rug should be large enough to fit under the table and chairs. It should also be bigger for bedrooms it fits under the bed and extends on the floor beyond. Make sure that walking spaces are fully covered; it can be uncomfortable, and even dangerous, for someone to walk with one foot on a rug and one foot off, and might even result in odd wear patterns on both rug and floor.

Leave the same amount of floor space on each side of the rug

Be absolutely sure the rugs are centered correctly. There should be eight to 24 inches of bare floor on each side of the surface so that the entire floor isn't covered. While 18 inches is the most common, a smaller space might require only eight. 

Often, a room isn’t a perfect square or rectangle

Standard area rugs are stylish, but they also come in standard sizes (5 X 8 is very common) and shapes.  Rooms also have doorway ledges, baseboards, closets, and other things with which to contend.

If that is your case, visit us and we’ll tailor a rug to any size and in any shape, round and ovals, for example, with the properly needed cut-outs. Talk to one of our area rug retailers about how to get the right one for your needs.

Visit the Specialty Flooring showroom in Ridgeland, S.C., servicing Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head, as well as Savannah, GA. Ask about our estimates and other services, such as design consultation.