Design Mistake #2: The ‘Too Small Rug’
America has been suffering for too long from ‘too small rug’ syndrome. I see it virtually every day and it pains me, especially when it’s so easily avoided. I’ve been trying to figure out how this plague came to be I think I’ve finally nailed it:
1. Huge rugs can be expensive and can feel like such a scary commitment. 2. A 5×8 or 6×9 rug sound big even though they often aren’t. 3. Catalogs and magazines are misleading. I’ve styled a lot of catalogs where we have to use the sample size (months before the actual rug is available) and its only 5×7 so we ‘make it work’ and in the shot it’s okay, but in actuality that rug is way too small for the room. I also think that retailers know that 5x7s sell so much more because they are cheaper so they don’t stock 8×10’s in the store, so when people go to purchase they think, ‘Well, this must be big enough because its the biggest one’. Also ordering and waiting is less fun, so people just snag up the 5×7. Lastly nothing is more annoying than getting a rug home and deciding it isn’t quite right, then having to return it – so I think people just don’t.
Click through to see 25 8×10 rugs under $500 …
A rug in a living room should really ground the whole seating around – it tells everyone that THIS is where the conversation is, this is the focal point of the room, and a too small rug makes it feel disjointed and really just cheapens everything.
Here are a bunch of pretty rooms that they’ve tried to convince us have big enough rugs. They don’t:
Don’t listen to these rooms. They look fine in a photo because everything else is beautiful, but they are actually super awkward. If you have a beautiful rug like the one on the right (above) layer it over a huge sisal or another solid flat weave. I did that here and it totally worked.
These below are particularly funny to me because we are supposed to think that the people who own that art collection and that amazing loft space are fine with those teeny tiny awkward rugs:
I think that the first rug might be a bathmat. It must have been some sort of product roundup shot because otherwise I have no idea why there is a task lamp on the coffee table or a collection of vessels on the bath mat.
Living rooms almost ALWAYS need at least an 8×10 if not a 9×12. You heard it. Unless you have a TINY living room, stay away from anything under 6×9. Considering a 4×6? Don’t. That’s fine for next to a bed, in a kitchen, entrance, etc, but a 4×6 will assuredly not work in your living room.
Here are the two exceptions – 1. If your living room is smallish and your sofa is up against a wall, then you can float a 6×9 rug in front of it. For some reason this doesn’t look awkward or too small, probably because the seating area already feels grounded and intimate because the room is smallish and the wall is helping ground everything. And 2. If you use a cowhide. For some reason because of the sculptural shape of the hide, it can be smaller and its still pretty.
But otherwise, your rug should be big enough for at least two legs of all your furniture to be on it, and ideally all four (but I know that is asking a lot).
My rule has always been to keep it consistent – don’t have your sofa completely on it if your lounge chairs are totally off of it. Its better for them all to be distributed equally, visually.
Often 8×10’s aren’t even big enough to get all furniture on it, so before you purchase make sure that your room can’t handle a 9×12 rug and if so, please get that. I’ve never walked into a huge living room with a big rug grounding a seating area and thought, ‘Woah, these idiots have such a big pretty rug!!’
You need to make sure that your rug is first and foremost proportioned to your sofa – if your sofa is 7′ long (standard is 7′ or 8′) then your rug better at least be 9′ wide so you have a foot on either side. AT LEAST!! But don’t think ‘Oh great, I can just get a 6×9’ because if your living room is pretty big then your rug also needs to be proportioned to your room. A too small rug can and will make your beautiful living room feel smaller, choppy and generally cheap.
Tough love, today, I know. I’ve just seen it so often and it saddens me. If you love your too small rug, please just layer it on an inexpensive LARGE sisal (Ikea and Target both have affordable ones).
Meanwhile to combat this syndrome, nay PLAGUE, we have done a roundup of 8×10 (OR LARGER) rugs under $500. Brady searched for days because well, 8×10’s for $249 aren’t exactly everywhere, but we feel confidant and happy to recommend these bad boys to you. We chose $500 because there are a lot of 8×10’s under $1000 that are easy to find but the $500 or under price point felt like a good challenge and within most people’s budgets.
1. Criss Cross Rug | 2. Dot Tile Rug | 3. Wool Sweater Rug | 4. Yellow Striped Rug | 5. Grey Stripe Rug | 6. Mystic Blue Wool Rug | 7. Chunky Woven Jute Rug | 8. Elizabeth Blue Rug | 9. Gaser Shag Rug | 10. Fresno Shag Rug | 11. Royal Area Rug | 12. Mirage Diamond Rug | 13. Pattern Hemp Rug | 14. Grey Moroccan Rug | 15. Purple Wool Kilim | 16. Braided Wool Rug | 17. Navy Moroccan Rug | 18. Grey Striped Rug | 19. Neutral Morocco Rug | 20. South Padre Rug | 21. Overdyed Red Rug | 22. Blue Leather Rug | 23. Alvine Yellow Cross Rug | 24. Montauk Blue Rug | 25. Panja Rug | 26. Black Diamond Rug
For additional tips and rug size info check out this video I made years ago.
May your living room feel more pulled together, grounded and proportioned. Good luck, friends.
For Design Mistake #1 (the generic sofa) please go here and check our favorite stylish sofas for under $1000.
This public service announcement was brought to you by every designer ever in the world and probably your mom, too.
thank you for keeping to a high standard of a quality post every day. you’re the only one of my favorite top bloggers who is walking the walk. i appreciate it.
THANK YOU for giving the first and best comment of the day. 🙂
It’s so true, Emily. You and your team obviously put TONS of effort and thought into these posts. It’s really the best of the blogs that I read! THANK YOU and keep doing what you do!
<3
Thank you for the great information on the rugs and couch.Now I have a better understanding.I was getting my rugs too small????
I love love LOVE this design mistake series. I have only bought one rug ever– 8×10, which I LOVE and works so nicely and creates a little runway of pretty wood floor that really grounds my room, but my tricky part was getting the rug laid out evenly and neatly and under the furniture. Do you have any tips for laying down the rug in an already furnished room?
These might be my favorite posts. I love it when you talk firmly and authoritatively to me. I’m a design novice, and I want to be told what to do!! Thank you!
Have you been watching 50 shades? 🙂
Haahhah Emily! LOL! I wish you were my friend, I would so much enjoy hanging around with you! You always make me laugh!
Love from Cyprus xx
Me too!! I wish you were my friend Emily!! You are so much fun.
By the way I subscribed to your posts about a week ago or so and I’m not getting there, I clicked twice on the link saying the I subscribe and nothing I also checked my inbox.Thanks
Baahaha you are SO fun to read, Emily@
ugh. years ago we made the decision to get a rug that’s a 5’5″ x 7’5″. this was about 7 years ago, and it did HONESTLY work for the space because we do have a small living room, Our couch sits against a wall and it fit perfectly in front of the couch, and the side chair. But now that we have a dog, and we do spend a lot of time on the floor…. we’re acutely aware of the fact that we need a bigger rug. we’re trying to get a 6×9 but pattern has made us have a melt down as we got a herringbone rug and we just HATED how it looked, back to the store it went. so we’re so hesitant to get a rug that has a pattern, but the plain rugs are BORING. Ugh. such a dilemma. and a 8×10 would be way too big. way too big. it’d go beyond the living area’s and encroach on the open space next to it and would make it look like an awkward wall to wall carpeting but not really.
Ahhh you have two #14’s and I love the second one. Could you share a link for that one please and thank you?
UH OH. So Sorry. We’ll fix it ASAP!!!
i second that! love that kilim looking one but it goes to 14(1). would love to know where 14 (2) is!
Thank you!!
We recently upgraded from a 5×8 to an 8×10 (it’s actually #18 on your list), and it is AMAZING. What a difference a bigger rug makes. I feel like we doubled our living room size with just that one change.
I actually pulled the trigger on that purchase after watching your rug video from last year, so thank you!
Yeah! Thats awesome. I should probably link to that video, right? It feels like years ago but i’m glad its still informative. xx
I just used that video two weeks ago as I was looking for a living room rug! I ended up going with kind of a weird size — 7’6”x9’6” — but it works beautifully in the room! And, come to find out, any bigger and we wouldn’t be able to open our bathroom door. So, win! (Also, who puts a bathroom right off the living room?)
I used that video too. It convinced me to splurge on a larger rug. I
t does really anchor the whole room!
Uh oh. I confess that I have a tiny rug in my living room. But if it were up to me I’d have none at all. The only reason that one is there is to keep the legs of my coffee table from scratching the wood underneath. I love my beautiful floor and how easy it is to clean and move furniture around (which we do a lot). I also work out in my living room and I don’t want to roll up a rug every single day, nor do I want to squat and lunge all over it and wear it out. What’s a girl to do?
There’s a post over on Apartment Therapy today that is a roundup of living rooms without rugs, it’s totally possible to make it look good! Just get those little felt pads to stick on the bottom of your coffee table legs.
Thanks for this! We have a fairly large family room with a sectional and we recently purchased an 8×10 rug for it. I am planning on moving that rug to another room because it isn’t big enough. Im on the hunt for a 9×12 now. Now I have proof to show my husband that it is too small. 😉
Will you hate me if i tell you i found a rug almost exactly like the red one in the last picture in the attic of my house? The guy who came to buy all the furniture from the old lady that was selling the house did not want to put it in his van, it is so huge. My boyfriend was going to use it to protect the floors during some renovation (we never looked at it before), but realised its potential just on time.
Lucky score!!!!
Ack! An L shaped living room/dining room combo will be the death of me! If i get an 8×10 and run it lengthwise in living room, it encroaches on entry tile. If I run it widthwise, it encroaches on dining area. Square rugs don’t meet the all feet on rug mandate. This is why wall to wall carpet became popular, and I cringe as I write it.
We all need to hear the tough love more often! I’d be happy with any one of those rugs, although I think the Ikea one is the only one available to me in Switzerland. Sigh.
I think you’ve totally hit the nail on the head when you try to figure out why this plagues everyone. And I think you gave super helpful, firm tips on how to rectify the situation. I wish everyone would read this. There’s nothing like a too small rug to wreck a beautiful room’s look.
This post was quite timely. I was looking for a reason to cancel my rug order (it’s taking forever to get here and I’m just not in love with it). The rug pad has been here for weeks (thanks Amazon!), so after this post I realize I don’t like the way the rug pad fits. I have a teeny tiny living room and the 5x7ish just fits under the front legs of the sofa and chair. An 8×10 would cover the floor vent, but a 6×9 would be much better… so the search continues!
I told my husband it’s your fault, and he laughed at me.
Love this series, and you and your team!
My living room needs a 9×12 and I’ve I haven’t been able to find one I like in that size. Someone suggested recently that I settle for an 8×10, and thought I was being unreasonable. I will be sending them this post!
I got a 9 x 12 years ago for our living room from Home Decorators Collection – I remember they had lots of affordable choices at that size. I agree with this post 100%! We’d always had the little 4 x6s, then we got this house and splurged on bigger rugs when we moved in. Best decision.
I LOVE LOVE this post! The design mistake series is SO helpful.
I’ve been arguing with friends over the fact that they need a larger rug for their space…. now I get to stick it to them – ‘Emily says so!’
Great work!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BEARandBULL?ref=hdr_shop_menu
Hi Emily, love this post. Common mistake. One way that I have gotten around the issue, due to inheriting a menagerie of rugs, all sizes/shapes/origins (mostly Persians), is to layer them over custom seagrass rugs. I use perfectrug.com, amazing company and free delivery. I order the seagrass 2 inches from the shoe moulding of each room and then layer the wool and silk rugs over it, sometimes I layer the antique rugs on top of each other on top of the seagrass…yeah, I am crazy like that. Nothing makes me sadder than bare floors and furniture that looks so lost on those bare floors…like Sandra Bullock floating in space in Gravity…just so sad and scary.
That sounds awesome, and yes such a good solution. Congratulations on the rug collection. I’m very jealous.
Ahhh! Just what I needed! Now I can show this post to my husband and my rug purchase will be justified! Would love if you shared a post on good beds. I’m looking for a new one and some advice would be welcome!
Thank you for noting the two exceptions, it drives mad when the “rule” about all four legs on the rug is trotted out and no mention is made of exceptions. I have a very small living room (2.7m x 3m or 8’10 x 9’10”) and I originally bought a large flotaki from but it was way too big and just made the room look smaller. I actually cut the rug in half and the smaller size was just perfect. You can see floor all around it but it makes the room look much bigger and now I have two so I can have one down while I’m cleaning the other.
Thank you for this list! You’re reading my mind! We got a great deal on a floor model 6×8 rug from West Elm last year and it took me a few months to begrudgingly admit that it was too small for our dining room. 🙁 Now I’m on the hunt for a giant one and man, is it a struggle. So pricy! And so many hideous designs and sad colors to dig through.
So what do you do if you have a too-small rug you love and are already layering over carpeting (that’s not going to be replaced with hardwood any time soon)? I can’t triple layer with sisal, can I… or can I?
Same question here! Could wall-to-wall carpet possibly be another exception since there is in fact rug that goes under all the furniture already? It feels a little weird just having one rug on the carpet, but it’s flatwoven and beautiful so it works ok I think. I would love some tips for working with wall-to-wall in a rented apartment where it’s not worth changing it!
I third this question. We have wall to wall carpeting in our living room and I bought a 6 foot round rug which is placed in front our section sofa that is backed up to the wall. I don’t think it looks terrible, but I’ve thought about getting a big rug, but the room is pretty small, then does it look like I am just trying to cover up the carpet?
I fourth it! I have carpet in some areas and hardwood flooring is not in the near future. May I put a rug over it? Do I follow the same “larger is better” rule?
Hey! I might be crazy but isn’t the IKEA (#22) only a 6×8? Or am I reading this completely wrong? I love it!
When we bought our house last summer, I had to convince my husband to splurge on a bigger rug. Our room isn’t the widest, and it has a few stairs and the fireplace hearth. But we went with an 8×10. Honestly, your video from last year helped my decision tons!
http://www.luluandgeorgia.com/rugs/luna-mae-rug We bought it during one of the site’s 20% off sales, which helped with sticker shock. It is my absolute favorite thing in my house and I would buy it at full price in a heartbeat!
great post! also one of my pet peeves too when rugs are too small. post shared of course so everyone can fix their living room rugs!
This is an EXCELLENT series. Love it so far. Keep it up!
oh man, we JUST bought an 8×10 rug from overstock.com after MUCH deliberation over whether we needed one that big, and we are SO HAPPY with it! i wanted to clap the whole time i was reading this because I AGREE. how did i ever think 5×7 was big enough?! #8x10forlife #preach.
Your blog has always been a favorite of mine, but for the past few months it has become the ONLY decorating/home blog I will even look at anymore. You are hitting it out of the park with every post! It is exciting, informational,realistic,and fun! Thank you! I know the effort it takes to achieve this level of blogging. Regarding this post…My husband and I started out in a teeny tiny (our sofa was a loveseat, ha!)so a small rug actually fit the space. But when we moved and got new furniture our rug turned into a postage stamp. The coffee table nearly eclipsed it! So I saved up and got a good deal on a big rug that fit the space. What a difference that made! It was a great visual lesson for me and one I’ve taken to heart ever since. Right now we have a home with wall to wall (not my favorite thing) but I still want a big area rug to pull all the elements together. I’m eyeing #13. Thanks for the great post!
I’ve been looking for the perfect rug for three years now, ever since I moved into a new apt. Think I finally found it yesterday @ HomeGoods; while it looks HUGE @ the store (9×12), (and my living area is fairly small), after reading your post I’m thinking it is just right. Now let’s hope it’s still there today…… Loved this post, Emily, so timely and you’re right, those ‘pretty rooms’ were pretty awful with those small rugs. Btw, that pic of Charlie with his action figures was too cute!!!
you’re the best!
what size would you recommend in a nursery? do all legs need to be off or all legs on the rug? any rules there?
…legs of the crib i mean 😉
Thank you so much for these design mistakes posts. They are the perfect combination of interesting and helpful with a splash of house eye candy. And I love your authoritative tone – it’s very useful!
Thanks for being a blogger who hasn’t sold out and is providing genuinely helpful material for us rookies. 🙂
Amen!
So question!
I love the look of the layered rugs. If I have a 9 x 12 sisal, does it matter what size I layer it with? I was thinking 5×7, but will it look awkward?
i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again. you are CONSISTENTLY my favorite place on the internet. everything you do is SO good. and thanks for making your roundup an actual range, instead of just having every option be $499 (as other folks sometimes do).
OMG! THANK YOU! FINALLY!!!!
I try to tell people this All.The.Time. But nobody believes me.
Next, PLEEEEEEEEZE do a post about “hanging tiny pictures way up high near the ceiling” syndrome. I also try to convince people not to do that, either, but nobody believes me. Because I am not Emily Henderson. But YOU are and they will believe you. So, please, take up the cause! xoxo
Hanging tiny pictures way up high is my pet peeve too! When my husband and I would walk around the neighborhood at night I always wanted to ring people’s door bells when I would see their art hung way too high. (Am I the only creeper looking into windows at night if the blinds are open?) My husband would assure me that the person living there didn’t need my “expert advice” but methinks they did!
You are not the only one, Lena. I see that too, and so want to fix it for them. Or, suggest they read Emily’s blog. 🙂
YES YES YES. Good one. So crazy. People put them near the ceiling. Good call, folks. Will do.
Yes please please please do a post on hanging pictures too high and have actual demonstrations of it. I will send your post to everyone here in Argentina. I actually tell people their pictures are too high but they ignore me.
Yes! I hate that!!
just upgraded from a 5X8 to an 8X10! I actually love the pattern on my 5X8 better, BUT, the size of the 8X10 is worth the trade off. ACTUALLY, i got the most killer deal at a West Elm Garage sale! $50 for a giant, gorgeous 8×10!
Please don’t judge when I confess I ALSO bought 3 other 5x8s for other rooms… but they were $30…
Oh my goodness–where can I find a West Elm Garage sale?
Emily–I love this series! Can’t wait for the next installment!
I second this…. Please do tell where we can find a West Elm Garage Sale!
Yes, yes, yes! I am in the process of trying to find an affordable larger rug right now, this post is perfect timing – thank you!
Great post, I’m pinning #16 for the imaginary room in my head I want to buy it for :). I waited three looooong years to get a rug for my living room so I could buy one the correct size (8×10!) and that wasn’t a horrible cheap shag. Then I randomly found one on super ultra clearance for $99 this summer! My living room is very thankful, and none of my chair legs looking like they’re falling off a cliff.
I just recently referenced last years post on rug size. In the comments you said you’d make a video about choosing the right size rug for a bedroom. Did this ever happen? I am still dying for some tips on choose rug size for a bedroom—various setups would be helpful. I’m currently redecorating the “kids/guest” room at my mother’s house and the bedroom is very small (NYC) with two twin beds against either side of a square room and a desk by the window between them. Is a smallish rug (like 4×6) acceptable between them or should I go for a bigger rug that goes under both beds? How much of the beds should be on the rug? Does it make a difference if the rug has a border (and thus the lines of the border might get cut up by furniture placement)? So many questions! I don’t expect you to answer them here but I’d seriously LOVE a bedroom rug post.
Oh no, i need to! That is a tricky situation. But yes a 4×6 rug is totally acceptable in between or next to a bed. Just not under one (obviously). I guess the border isn’t idea but I think it could work.
Thanks a ton for the reply! Looking forward to that post 😉
Agreed – I made the mistake of the 6×9 and it was just sad. Now almost every rug I buy is 8×10, sometimes 9×12.
I recommend RugsUSA – they are always doing 80% off sales, so i get my huge rugs for less than $300. And the quality is amazing!
Ohh I am so guilty of my dumb couch being the same EXACT width as my dumb, big rug! I love both, so I don’t plan on swapping either out soon, but I was so bummed when my husband and I rolled out our beautiful 8×10′ rug only to realize I didn’t measure the width of the couch, which was exactly flush to the rug. One edge of the couch butts up against a wall, so I was thinking I could cheat it a little bit to the left so there’s at least 1′ on the side that’s visible. Is that a terrible idea?
Can you flip your rug the other way? So its 10′ wide along the 8′ sofa?
Love this post, and all of your posts lately! You have a great variety of content and posts that are really full of information/inspiration. Great work to you and your team!!
My friends just ripped out the carpet in their living room and replaced it with hardwood. Any tips on convincing a man why he should cover up his “perfect, expensive floors” with a huge rug, besides the fact that when you sit on their couch, it slides across the floor?
I actually bought 3 huge rugs last year and hated all of them for different reasons and returned them all, huge pain. And, now I still have no rugs. Thanks for this post. My biggest problem is quality. At this price point, I’m guessing a lot of those rugs are scratchy and made out of poor materials or have some other quality issue. I’ve just decided to save up and buy a really good one..someday.
Great post!
I really like #5 but the largest size is 5×8 🙁
Wait, I just checked to make sure and it says 8×10 or 9×12. I think you might have clicked on something else!
Ah, I just realized it must be because I’m in Canada and the largest size is 5×8 (probably due to shipping) when I changed it to ship to USA 8×10 becomes an option.
Ok, I have to say that I’m really loving that you’re not only giving great design advice, but also giving product round ups! Thanks Brady! I think a lot of people read your blog because they obviously love your style, and giving product round ups lets people get a little piece of emily henderson approved style. it’s like the good house keeping seal of approval 🙂
Thank you thank you thank you! This is a huge pet peeve of mine and I love how you gave such great examples and offered reasonable solutions. Love this list of rugs (saving for later!)
Love this design mistakes series! Really helpful rug roundup, too. Keep it coming! Thanks Emily & team!
Great post! And very interesting for a “no rugs” person like me… We have original hardwood floors in the house and 4 lovely children – wood floors are just easier for me to keep clean! And I also like the look… I thought about getting a rug for the kitchen but I just get worried that I would have to clean it every week due to a plethora of things spilling/squishing/falling on it!
Your posts lately are so awesome and amazing! giving us real advice and information. love it! keep up the good blogging work!!! xo
Awesome post. Thanks for making me smile and think this morning. You know, the thing I love most about your blog is that it is so distinctly you. If this post was put in a line up with five other blog posts, I could easily identify your voice. You’re special, Emily. Keep up the excellent work!
AHH, thank you. Very much.
Literally googled and pinned your post on “tips to choosing the right rug size” this morning. SO timely. xo
This was great and so helpful. I’ve been wondering — I have a long narrow living room, which will likely end up with two seating areas….would it be wrong to go with two different, but coordinating rugs in there? I’ve tried to find some pictures an inspiration, but seeing as how I haven’t found anything I started assuming I’d need two matching rugs. (The room is FAR from ready for a rug now — Our whole house is a reno project and that room seems to be taking the furthest back seat. But I ponder it a lot because it’s a super hard space to figure out.)
Not wrong at all. I’ve done that a lot. I guess just be careful that they work together. You could do two different persians, two different solids, or the same rug if its just a simple rug. You could mix one pattern one solid, but I wouldn’t mix two really different patterns – that could get scary. Does that help?
Yes! Thanks so much for getting back to me! 🙂
I had this exact question and was pleased to find the answer on your website… and from you! Love your work.
i seriously just bought number 14 on your roundup list about 2 weeks ago and we love it! I knew my toddler would like the tassels too, haha! And ps I got it for $200 with free shipping thanks to a great sale!
Yeah!! nice job. xx
Awesome post. I have seriously been shopping for a 9 x 12 rug for about a year. I cannot decide on anything. It is so big and so expensive that I want to use it for a long time, but feel crippled in my decision making! Major first world problems, I realize, but I just think a rug can make a room and I want to choose right without breaking the bank.
Thank you of this post! I have been struggling to find the PERFECT rug for my apartment and this post (and your past posts) has helped me tremendously. I almost bought a 5×8 rug for my 8′ long couch! My apartment is small and my couch is up against the wall so i finally found an amazing 6×9 rug that i got for $250. It was regularly $1200! It’s only taken my 6 months! haha …. 🙂
You, your blog, and your instagram inspire me everyday! One of my favorite posts was when you created that space for Snoop Dogg…or should i say, Snoop Lion 😀
P.S. West elm is having a rug sale and some of their pretty 8×10 Kilim rugs are under $500!
Maybe this didn’t make the list because it’s 7×10, but I bought this cheapie $160 rug from Target last summer and it totally transformed my room!
http://www.target.com/p/threshold-fretwork-rug/-/A-14625596?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=14625596&CPNG=Home+Decor&kpid=14625596&LID=25pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14625596&kpid=14625596&gclid=Cj0KEQiApbunBRDs0fba3dz484cBEiQAMsx-p6I18aWYKaRcracNvaK4MLiK3okBJ2Np1QdKSn9InE8aAnua8P8HAQ
Dear Emily,
I would like to marry your Design Mistake series. So awesome. Also-the yellow striped rug is on sale for $183.99 today. #bigrugforthewin!
Elizabeth
Not to nit-pick, but #23 is actually $207. It’s a $174 add to the smallest size (2.5’x4′) which is $33. I didn’t check any others but thought I’d mention it.
I do love that rug though and can’t beat the price!
This post was so helpful! I saw that the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog did a similar post of rugs under $300…and they were all runners or the teeniest size rug imaginable. Not practical at all. Your post takes the cake. And the pictures showing examples of what not do made for great visual learning!
Actually very imformative and I love the pictures of the mistakes. I am actually learning from you and quite frankly I am not sure if I have ever learned anything from a design blogger. Maybe how to rewire a lamp or something like that but not how to design.
You guys always do the leg work on posts like these and there’s honestly no better design blog out there.
When, if ever, is it ok to go rugless in a living room? I’m trying to decide if I need one in mine, and was wondering if you had any rules or tips. Thanks so much!
love your affordable rug choices, we actually a own two of them! large rugs are the hardest thing to acquire on a budget. except maybe dining chairs…they are stupid expensive as well.
I do have to warn all about #12 the mirage diamond rug – it is basically an extremely thick/heavy blanket so if your furniture has small legs it literally catches the weave like a sweater and it slides around and bunches up like crazy if its not under a lot of furniture. But its pretty and soft and affordable so we’ve made it work!
How do you feel about putting rugs over carpet? I have a big living room but it is wall to wall carpet.
Here’s my problem: I’m putting down a gorgeous herringbone grey wood floor and I don’t want to then cover most of it with a rug?? What should I do?
I’m not Emily, but I’d imagine she’d say that a beautiful room is made up of layers, such as a great rug layered on top of your herringbone floors. One way to think about this is if, instead of a a wood floor you bought some wallpaper and had the walls covered in it. Would you be afraid of covering most of the walls with pictures, mirrors, curtains and book shelves? I think you would not, because the room would feel empty and incomplete without them. Think of your floors the same way.
Hope that Helps!
First, thank you for choosing a price point that is more widely affordable. I get tired of magazines and designers calling things affordable that are totally unattainable for the average person trying to make things work while still having a beautiful home. Second, what is the bedroom rule? We have hardwood in our bedroom and I’ve been looking for a rug for a long time, but I don’t know what the size rule is in a bedroom. Is bigger better in a bedroom too?
Hate to be a nit-picker unless I am actually getting lice out of someone’s hair, but the beautiful Alvin Rug from IKEA is only 5×7 (a little larger actually but not quite 6 x 8 even)–I wish they made it larger…darn those beautiful, functional Swedes!
THank Emily. You are the best.
OOPS!!! maybe you meant you could use 2 for under 500?!!! Clever girl…foolish of me to ever doubt you!
This is certainly one of the 10 design commandments! I definitely feel, however, like I am in a predicament with rugs. I live in a 1929 bungalow and have no entryway, so the front door opens right into my small living room. Right now I have a 5 x 8 rug floating my couch that is flanked against a wall. If I move up to an 8 x 10, which would also float the pair of slipper chairs I have against another wall, there would be no hardwood border between the rug and my fireplace. Everyone that entered would have to traipse over the rug to get to rest of the house. Do you think it would be better to go with a bigger rug in a natural material that can handle that wear and tear OR keep a smaller floating rug and have a space where people could walk on the hardwoods? I have been going back-and-forth since it is time for a new rug!
i need an answer to this one too!
This came at the most perfect time. I was going to go with an 8×10 Moroccan rug from West Elm for an 8ft couch but now I’m thinking the 9×12 would look better. Here’s a question that has been bothering me for weeks. I’m looking for a rug for the office. We have 2 his and her desks across from each other on opposite sides of the room. I was thinking a 4×6 rug so that way it’s in the middle and the chairs aren’t on it and we’re able to slide the chairs back and forth. However, it looks really strange and too small. Any tips?
Hey Emily, any thoughts? Signed, girl who is stuck.
You’re winning at posting this week. I’m down for a post about Charlie Henderson and rugs too btw. Three boys over here in mi casa.
OKAY so my big question is this – I would love a small, brightly colored rug layered over a big solid/sisal. So what is a good price point for 8×10 9×12 sisal type rug? And where do these elusive beasts reside?
I’ve had my eye on #8 for a few weeks now. Glad it has your approval. Just FYI for anyone else interested, its available on overstock for about $100 cheaper.
THIS is why I am a one-blog woman!!!
Love it, great advice. To take this theme a bit further… how would you go about picking a run for a dining room? Do your same rules apply? What if your dining room is quite narrow… do you want your rug to cover up the majority of the floor? So many questions and I would love to know the answers!
Jaime
You are nailing it lately! I’ve enjoyed your blog for a long time as entertainment (“ooooh, pretty things!”) with occasional utility…but the past few weeks’ context has been so awesome, so pretty, and so *useful.* I think you’ve entered blog land nirvana…you’re just a level above everything else!
Not sure if this was mentioned already but a couple of the rugs listed (two I like, #9 & #23) measure 5’7×7’10, a little smaller than the recommended size. I just wanted to make sure I was choosing the right option on the site they’re linked to, didn’t know if I missed something 🙂
You’re the greatest! Thanks for including “here’s what to avoid” pictures and not just inspirational/perfect ones.
Are you high? The Target dot rug is terrible, it looks like someone took a bingo marker to it (I bought it and returned it) and the Ikea one is less than 6×8.
Fact check!
I’m totally with you. We have been suffering with a rug that’s too small. But where does one get really big rugs? Not just 8×10, but 9×12 or 10×13 or bigger?! When you buy a ginormous rug do you tend to go solid, or bigger print? I want a bigger rug and can really use some help finding and choosing one. THANK YOU!!
Are you high? The Target dot rug is terrible, it looks like someone took a bingo marker to it (I bought it and returned it) and the Ikea ones are less than 6×8.
Are you high??? Did you actually say that to Emily? Haven’t you seen her cute face and listened to her adorable voice and seen only love in her eyes. How could you speak to her like that? She is not a naughty child. She is trying to help.
I am curious to hear what you think about oval rugs… Would that help give you a big enough visual base for the living room seating, while still minimizing corners that might stick out into hallways or walking spaces?
Great post with specifics that are really helpful! If my tv console is opposite my couch and I have the front feet of the couch on the rug, do the front feet of the TV console also need to be on the rug?
I know that there’s a long history of using child labor for rugs and I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you balance finding good rugs with not putting kids like Charlie in really bad situations! I’ve found it hard to get info from World Market and others, so I’m wondering how you source them!
Great post! So, we recently purchased a very large sectional. A seventeen foot sectional to be exact. What is one to do when the sofa is this long? Are there oversized options that will even work without breaking the bank on custom?
Dear Emily,
I have been a lurker on your blog for many moons now. You have such a fan club already and I’m lazy so I usually just let others do the praising while I sit at my laptop and nod along emphatically as I read the comments. However, after this post and the analogy the other day to a giraffe in high heels crossing a stream on a log–which I found completely hysterical— I feel compelled to comment on how much I enjoy your content. There are a lot of good design blogs out there, but it’s your ability to combine very funny writing with the design tips/photos that keeps me coming back. Even if it’s a topic I’m not that interested in, I know you’re good for at least one guffaw or two. So, when you run out of design ideas, promise you’ll just keep writing about something!
Hi! Love this post! I need help – do rugs have to match/kinda go with each other even if it is in different rooms. Ex. 5×8 Foyer rug near large rug for dining and runner for kitchen – i love the kilim rugs and patterned rugs – scared to loose flow of rooms.
Also, i am loving all the recent posts!!!!! U guys are awesome!!!!
And one more thing, what would you call your style? For pinteresting purpose.
Oh–and I have to agree with the commenter who recommended Rugs USA. They offer huge sales around holidays–Memorial Day, Labor Day, Black Friday, etc. I got a Moroccan shag rug, I think 9×12, for 75% off last year at a Black Friday sale. It ended up costing no more than $500 and it’s gorgeous.
I remember you mentioned this in one of your blog posts some time ago. I followed your advice back then & my living room thanks you for it. You were/are so right!
new rug ordered. thanks for the intervention.
Thank you for this post! I can attest that it is nearly impossible to find affordable large rugs. I’ve been obsessively looking for a new rug for months, and actually had a few of your picks pinned as options. I ended up finding a great wool 8×10 at the Crate and Barrel Outlet for about $500 – they had a nice selection of big rugs at huge discounts (some are available on the outlet section of their website, but they had way more in store).
This is so great. Thank you!! But, can you do a post about rugs in a bedroom? Where does the rug go? How should the bed sit on it? Do I need two? Good lord I cannot pick two rugs (or convince my husband that we need to) so please say no. Any advice would be helpful! thanks!
I was glad to read this: “1. If your living room is smallish and your sofa is up against a wall, then you can float a 6×9 rug in front of it.” That is my situation exactly. My living room is tiny. Before I bought, I measured out 8×10, and it looked proportionally crazy. If I ever move into a bigger house, I’ll have to layer this rug over sisal because even after a few years, I’m completely in love with it and refuse to live without it.
You didn’t post a picture of a dining table and chairs on a small rug. It is a huge pet peeve of mine. If the chairs are pulled out (so you can sit on them) they don’t fit on the rug. Blechh! I’d MUCH rather have no rug at all.
That was a great roundup. Thank you.
Hi Emily!
What a great post. My challenge is always with a vintage rug that I love, but doesn’t come in the exact measurements I’m looking for.
Because of this, what’s your opinion on the layered rug look? One larger rug under a smaller one?
Love, love, love your blog. Best part of my morning!
i have this same question..softer 9×12 sisel under a 5 x 8.5 ft beautiful rug?
This was so great and informative! I will never think or look at rugs the same way ever again.
http://www.nestingzone.com
I don’t know how long I’ve looked at pictures of your living room trying to figure out how big your rug is. Could you please share? I remember that it was from Loloi but the size seems so perfectly scaled to that space that I’m curious. I have an 11 foot long sectional with chaise on each end sitting on (around?) a 8 X 10 rug. All the inside legs are on the rug but it never felt right. I think that rug will work in my dining room and a larger one should move into the living room. Thanks for helping push that along and thanks for being my favorite daily read.
I am a self confessed rug hoarder, I probably spend more time looking at rugs on the internet then anything else! However I always have a hard time pulling the trigger since the sizes I want are expensive and I worry about quality and texture when it’s online. Six months ago I bought an 8×11 shag rug similar to #1 online however it has pretty braided tassel fringe. It was on sale and I had OBSESSED about that style rug for an entire year. When I got it in my space the stark color was too jarring for my room and I discovered that with two cats I am not a shag rug lover. Returning it wasn’t an option so we rolled it up to store and now I’m trying to sell it and I’m getting no bites on Craigslist, it’s killing me becuase I want it gone so I can find a new beauty for my space. On the plus side the visual he got of a larger size rug convinced my husband that the space really needs it and all the other rugs dwarf the room.
I love these posts and learning why things work or don’t work because they help me understand what’s messing with the flow in my own spaces! LOVE this blog!!
I will say – it’s completely possible to find an affordable (under $2,000) 14 x 10 Persian rug on Ebay. Lots of dealers put their old stock online there – it takes a bit of sorting, and you will have to haggle a bit (I only look at the ones with a “Buy Now” price, and then make an offer that’s usually 50% or more less than asking price) – but I ended up with a drop-dead beautiful, 100% wool hand-knotted Serapi that’s orange with bits of blue and green in it for $1500 shipped.
If you’re looking for something more contemporary, Overstock is a good source for larger rugs, too – I’ve seen nice 8×10 wool rugs for as little as $350 – $500.
Echoing the various “is it ever ok to NOT have a rug?” questions.
Salivating over this post. In a cute bulldog puppy way… not like a creepy girl in her sad cubicle… oh wait…
You’re my hero. Straight up.
If only everyone in the World would listen to you, there wouldn’t be so many ugly spaces.
Such a great post. One thing I really appreciate is when you give a firm suggestion and then you acknowledge why we might not be making that choice. (Example here: Buy a bigger rug. You might not b/c it’s expensive. But that’s money well spent.)
THANK YOU. I am a grad student who has a “open contemporary” living area in a house from the late 1980s with a vaulted ceiling and I stalked a 9’x12′ rug for months on RugsUSA before pulling the trigger, but I’m so glad I finally did. With the openness of the home and the airiness of the ceiling it really needed that carpet to ground the seating area (I layered it over wall to wall beige carpet, too). What can I say? IT REALLY TIES THE ROOM TOGETHER (how has nobody made this joke so far?!)
Thanks again for all you do, E, B, & G! Hugs and hugs! I would love to hire you all someday 🙂 xoxo
This has been a battle I’ve been dealing with trying to find the perfect rug for my home. I can’t stop obsessing over it. I have no idea what to choose and I already bought a pricey one from pb I’m not in love with and was actually wondering if it’s too big for my space. Can that be possible if the living area is small??? I was thinking of downsizing. And trying to find that perfect rug. It’s ruining my life lol
Preach. I’m having a rug situation in a large room and you’ve just pushed me over the edge…it definitely needs something huge (the room is about 14×18) and I can’t skimp. Thanks for the reinforcement!
Thanks for these great tips! This makes sense, the way you’ve explained it. I agree- bigger rugs definitely define the space and make it feel cohesive.
This post is one of the many reasons I love your blog: really great, practical design information presented in an entertaining way. With pretty pretty pictures.
I want you to know I will be buying your book when it comes out, in part because of the book itself, but mainly to thank you for all the wonderful content you post. I feel like it’s the least I can do to support you.
I have to say that after two-three years of doubting, I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to a MUCH larger rug. It totally transformed the look of the space, and as an added bonus, I know longer have to fight the battle of the flying rugs. The weight of the furniture that now rests on it holds it in place!
Hi Emily!
Thanks so much! This came at the perfect time. I am searching for a new rug!
Question — I am more of a touchy-feely person. Are there non-chain stores in LA that you would recommend for buying rugs? I like to feel their texture and weight.
(Sorry, I know you wrote this post days ago, but I was catching up on my weekend, blog reading, so I thought I would ask.)
I learned this the hard way, I’m embarrassed to say. Budget was definitely the cause of my past 5×8 sins.
PS I have that Montauk rug but in beige in my bedroom. I love it. It is a rag rug though so it’s a bummer to vacuum. I have to use the hand-held brush attachment.
such a good reminder! i am always telling people that a “too small” area rug in a living room looks like a postage stamp in the middle of your floor. my little rule of thumb is at least the font legs of the sofa/chairs in that designated area must be on the rug. the more pieces of furniture actually on the rug, the better usually. and love the selection of rugs you’re rounded up!
Thank you for this great piece!
I have a very long living room and a very long sectional (12ft long) with 2 chairs at one end of the sectional in a 24ft long room. Would having 3 5x8ish sized rugs big a huge no-no or would it be OK? It would be very hard to find a rug long enough for the room to fit the length without it costing a fortune. The sectional is against a wall so I’m not concerned about fitting it completely on the rug, jsut have some rug on either end. Thanks!
So I have a question. The phrase I hear so much in regards to rugs is they “ground the space”, but what does that really mean. They create an area? A focal point? Something to work your other furniture from? What does making a space feel grounded mean?
I guess your furniture just feels like it is floating on its own unless you put a rug that ties all the pieces of furniture together and causes them to be united. I know what it means but not sure best how to decribe it. Anyone feel free to help me out.
How do you consistently make your posts so wonderful? You are going to burn yourself out.
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH for this post! I have managed to put off the phase of life that requires making significant furniture and home decor purchases for the past 26 years but it is fast approaching and these affordable product roundups (couches! rugs!) are making my life. Thank you!!! You’re the best.
This is amazing advice. Thank you!! So I clicked number 9 from Ikea but it only goes up to 5’x7′ do you have any other options for an inexpensive shag rug?
Great advice as this is one of my pet peeves…that and what I call spin art furniture placement where everything is shoved up against the wall like it was all thrown into a spin-art machine. Can’t wait to see your other tips.
Hey Emily! Not sure if previous comment went thru- but if it did it was sent too soon. 🙂 What advice do you have for bedroom rugs? What size rugs do you recommend for queen and king size beds? Or how many feet on the sides and bottom? Love your blog, advice and tips- thanks! 🙂
Thank you so much for this article! I laughed when I read this because I’m currently shopping for a rug for my space and my significant other is arguing for the small rug. It’s not the price that has him bewildered, but the fact that we enjoy moving our furniture. Having a carpet with two, daresay four, legs on the carpet would make this far more difficult.
Convenience over design!! For shame!! 🙂 thank you for this insight.
Hi Emily!
(a) You’re awesome. Thanks for being born.
(b) I know this post is a couple of months old, but thought I’d take a shot at asking my question (eh, questions??) anyway –
I live in a small 1-bedroom in the city – somewhere around 750 square feet. The kitchen and living area is one big open space which makes a small space feel more open and happy, but the living area currently has me a little stumped. The only place I’ve been able to fit my sofa (7ft) is on a wall…and two sides of the sofa nearly touch walls (the back of it and the right hand side). This is because of the television placement (a necessary evil, and dictated by where the cable hookup is) and the fact that another one of the walls is all window + a door to the balcony. I’d love to have the sofa float and not be so close to two walls but it just wouldn’t leave much space in front of the sofa and would get in the way of the door to the balcony. So that leaves me lost on my want / hunt for a rug. It cannot physically spread 1 foot in both directions of the sofa…it would hit a wall on one side. Do I opt for something smaller (like a 4×6) to float in front of the sofa or forego a rug altogether? I’m a lover of color, and have white walls, so I’d really like to have a color on the floor. Plus rugs always make a space feel more pulled together and inviting. I’m just getting a little hung up on not wanting to make a small space look smaller or awkward. Make sense? Would love your opinion if you happen to have the time. Cheers!
I wanted to ask about sectionals in the previous post about generic sofas, but I’ll ask here. What do you think about them? Then my follow up question pertaining to this post: What type of rug and what size, would you put under a sectional? Love the rug options you gave above!
I have really enjoyed this series, and I have a too small antique tribal rug that I was given and adore. So I layered it over a correctly sized jute rug, and it feels right to me now. Was this a good solution, or did I follow a trend that I will regret in a few years?
Enjoyed your post particularly on rugs and sofas.
My sister-in-law has a well styled living room (despite the espresso wood furniture) but the TINIEST rug (and too short curtains). It makes me so, so sad, but I can’t bring myself to say anything about it. I just bought an amazing 8×10 rug from Overstock for $269!
Great post! But what if you have a room with two entrances? 18’x15′ room with sofa against wall (8′ ceilings). A 9×12 rug visually interferes with slight ‘c’ curved path between the entrances (that are about 7′ apart). Any rules for that? An 8×10 is almost as bad. A 6×9 fits the seating area well in front of the sofa, but feels small compared to the size of the room.
I’m so happy to see the rug I just ordered for my bedroom today on this list (#17). Yay!
I’ve been a designer for over thirty five years and you are the first one that does a blog that i can read and not get upset. Your design advice is solid period. So happy to have found you. There are so many little housewives out there that have painted a piece of furniture and think they can design. I have done resorts, commercial, and residental homes across the country and I am always asked where people can learn and follow and get good solid design advice and I will be recommending your blog. Very refreshing!!! Thanks Emily
Wonderful design wisdom! Thanks so much! Mary Turner
Emily, If i have a tv console facing the sofa (with a coffee table in between), and the only seating is the sofa and a chair to the side of it, do i include the TV console for the rug space also? Or should i just stop at the coffee table?
I have a very large living area (open concept) but a doorway on the top left of the space. Should an area rug allow for a pathway (then part of the sectional will fall off the rug) or cover the whole area and be part of the pathway to the doorway? In fact should the furniture be centered from the edge of the doorway or from the entire room space? We currently have it against the room space since if we shift everything over, it makes it a little awkward to get to the patio doors on the right.
Thx.
Where can I purchase Rug #21.
thankssssss
thanks emily
ohhh…Cute
goooooood. love
Thank you for the valuable information. I was just thinking about whats the best size for our new living room since the design we want comes in multiple sizes. Now I finally made up my mind thanks to this post lol.
thanks.
کرکره برقی
I wanted to thank you for this great post!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
Thanks for sharing this. I am sure there are many people who are faced with the same problems I recently had. I couldn’t find You will be surprised how easy it can be to fill forms. Try filling a form through the online software or http://www.michigan.gov/documents/06_hunt_trap_p_31-48_167078_7.pdf.
Great, easy-to-apply (and funny) advise! Thank you!
How would you buy a rug for a master bed room that has wood floors?
Thank you for this post, Emily! I feel less crazy after reading it. I’m decorating my recently purchased house and my living room is quite large (it is also open to the kitchen and a large hallway/dining area, which makes it seem even bigger). I purchased 3 (!!!) 8×10 rugs, brought them home and was confident I would choose one of them. Whiled the color and the pattern of 2 rugs worked well, they looked small in my living room. So I decided to do it right and returned all 3 of them (my husband probably thinks I’m crazy haha). So I’ll be looking for 9×12 rug, which isn’t easy to find. As you mentioned in your article, most stores carry small rugs and even 8×10 are difficult to find (although admittedly I’ve only been looking at Homegoods and World Market). I can’t afford “nicer” rugs (Macys carries some big ones for $3-$4K, but that is insane) and ordering online is scary because if it doesn’t work, return shipping costs a fortune. So for now I am rug-less, but hoping to find something one day.
I have been a designer for 30 plus years and I would advise you to look in the carpeting department for something fun. Most nylon carpets come 12 foot wide and some wool carpets come 15 foot wide. Remember there’s nine square feet to a yard and you can have them bound in two ways. One is serged with a yard to match and the other is encased in a binding. The serging is my favorite but it runs about a dollar more per running foot. Hope this helps
too small rugs: is it ok to have no rug at all in a living room? we just installed expensive hardwood and hate to cover it up
Emily, is there really no allowance for exceptions to this rule? Maybe it’s b/c my living room is on the small side but…
I once had an 8×10 that was beautiful though dark and starting to wear. Then I saw this amazing taupe like brown rug with a big strip of off white with a stylized mustard flower. I’d read that graphic rugs, where the design is asymmetric especially, may be one exception….
I thibk I like your idea about a sisal rug underneath. But can those be cleaned very easily?
I love your writing style btw!! It reads as if your writing a peronal email directly to the reader~ and tho’ you know from what others have said already…you are funny~ and REAL!
Hi Emily,
This is such a helpful post. I’ve been doing this all wrong. I need to read through your entire blog before buying/doing anything for/to my home!
Anywhoo, quick question: Same rule applies for rugs over wall to wall carpeting? Do you even recommend it? I know some hate it.
Thanks!
Nancy
Still no response about the carpet? I, too, rent and have wall-to-wall carpeting. Would a rug still be recommended?
Thank you for your straightforward, clear leadership.
You do speak the truth and sometimes it’s a little bit to take but your strength and clarity help me let go and move forward.
This post is so wonderful and helpful! I’m adding a new area rug to my living room and finding the right size and design is extremely difficult. This is helpful for sure and I really like a lot of your rug suggestions as well, I have my eye on #6 above.
I love this article, but have a word of warning. Beware the wool sweater rug from West Elm! It is affordable and has amazing texture, but I have had mine for 7 months and it is still shedding like crazy! I am talking, everything in my house is coated in grey wool fuzz. If I do a load of laundry and fold it on the sofa, and a sock falls off onto the rug, it has to be washed again. I have wool lint balls rolling around my floors if I don’t sweep/vacuum daily. I don’t go anywhere without a lint roller now. If I could do it again, I’d pick a different one.
Great advice; thank you so much! We’re moving to a new home with a 13’x25′ living room that I plan to divide into two seating areas, one with a couch and two armchairs, and one with 4 chairs around a low round table or big ottoman. Would you recommend two identical rugs, or neutral but complimentary?
What do you do if the larger size rug works best with the furniture arrangement (9×12 really does work best) buuuttt… the corner of the rug intersects between a curved walkway between the two entrances of the room? I’ve had so many people try and talk me out of a 9×12 because they fear it will be a tripping hazard. I wasn’t worried about it. The dimensions of 8×10’s seem to hardly ever actually be that size and if I were going to go smaller, the very smallest I could make work would be an actual 8×10.
We’re producers hence at R & R we can customize your rug for you in any size, any color and any design with countless options of textures, piles height and yarn types.
Our design studio is fully equipped to change, adapt, re-size, re-color and offer a real life visualization of the rug to come. Design renderings offered are within three days.
Sample strike off are offered within seven to ten days.Rugs made and delivered in as short as four weeks time.
Amazing, after design mistake rugs is looking beautiful!!