A Designer's Guide To Fitting An Area Rug
Most rooms need an area rug - A welcome invitation to define the space where patterns merge and treat the feet. An Area Rug "Fitting" for your room is just like a visit to the seamstress with a stitch here and tuck there, then finally delighting in the perfect fit. The area rug is just that a larger piece of your wardrobe to live on and love day after day.
So, how do we make the perfect fit? Start with your style it will lead you in the right direction. Which component of your design will the rug serve? Are you wanting more texture, a softer blending of neutral palettes for tranquility, or is making a statement the design component you desire?
Think quality and all will be well. Similar to your flooring selection a quality area rug will be with you for years. Look for "hand-made", "hand-tufted" or "hand-woven" qualities. Wools are the go-to fiber for higher quality rugs and are naturally soft, and stain and crush-resistant as well. To further extend the life of the rug we recommend an underlayment. An area rug pad or cushion which comes in different qualities specific to your flooring type - rug over carpet, rug over hardwood, etc.
Let's compliment the room using the pictured layout settings that feature popular arrangements. With area rugs, bigger is better as the rug becomes the foundation for the furnishings. Consider the size of the room and leave a good amount of space (at least a foot) for your existing floor to show, keeping in mind that the area rug is the compliment, a layer to the design.
Working with our clients I like to give a good visual for the size of the rug, with measuring tape in hand I measure out the space to the furniture arrangement - chair at an angle here, back of sofa not on the rug.... Visualization is a must, and if we must we'll tape off the perimeter area using painter’s tape. I've had great results with this technique and now we have our rug size... or do we?
You've completed your measure, you've even tried templating the space with painter's tape, and you're perfect fit rug isn't available in the standards. Let's call this the fun part, that part where the creative decorator inside you is screaming "WAIT! I HAVE AN IDEA" and that idea is CUSTOM. Any shape, size, and colorway banded together to complete your own masterpiece. You may notice we've been playing with the frames of the photos to inspire this purpose, purposely. An FYI - custom banding can also be added to a standard area rug size.
Let's mix it up a bit. We've found a perfect pairing with a standard size area rug in the entry and a custom size for the living area. The custom rug is made with broadloom carpeting cut, bound and fit to the space.
Photo courtesy - Karastan Carpets. Click on photo to see more Karastan offerings.
Just a couple of tips for dining in style: You should be able to pull out all chairs with chair legs remaining on rug. To achieve your optimal rug size add 24 inches to each side of the table, of course, more if available and don't forget to include the leaf extension. You'll want the hardwood or tile to still play a part in your overall design scheme, so allow a minimum of ten inches to feature your hard surface floors.
Photo courtesy: Jaunty Area Rugs. Click on photo to see more Jaunty Rug offerings.
In the bedroom the area rug will work best when placed under the bed. This will give you cozy comfort when stepping out of bed. An 8 x 10 area rug will work for a king-size bed. Using the 10-foot side as the width will give you about 20-inches on each side of the bed. Again, going bigger is better and measuring to include the nightstands will give you a good balance. To determine the length get a good position of where your feet hit the floor in the morning and your set.
Area Rugs define your living spaces
Feeling better about your area rug fitting? A second pair of eyes, or maybe just a simple tweak, will have you in that aha moment validating your vision for success. At Knight's our designers are here for you every step of the way, offering complimentary consultations to complete your *Perfect Pairing*. When your beautiful masterpiece has been completed, our installers are available to deliver and place for you as well.
Still have questions? Post your questions in the comments below and we'll post our solutions.
Happy Decorating!