The Perfect Sized Carpet Can Make Any Room Look Bigger
The Perfect Sized Carpet Can Make Any Room Look Bigger

The right rug adds so much to your favorite room's style: color, texture, a focal point, and even sound control. Sizing it correctly is as much art as choosing a favorite hue or pattern. If you're considering adding a carpet to your living room, den, or even bedroom, here's what you'll need to know to visually maximize even the smallest space.

Bigger Isn't Necessarily Better

Bigger Isn t Necessarily Better

While it might be tempting to opt for an oversized carpet in an optimistic bid to make your room feel bigger too, the opposite is true. Large carpets will overwhelm a space, both physically and visually, and can make cleaning challenging as well. Instead, use your furniture pieces to inform the size you choose; this is a foolproof trick to scale everything together.

Keep These Ratios in Mind

Keep These Ratios in Mind

Using your sofa, love seat, or the largest piece of seating furniture in the center of the room as a guide, ensure that there is at least 6" of carpet space, and ideally up to 8" of space, on both sides. This will help further center your furniture, both physically and visually, and carve out a distinct conversation / relaxation area.

Leave Space for Walking

Leave Space for Walking

Area rugs need to be used consciously; there should be a 'walkway' of bare floor between furniture pieces like the sofa and coffee table. These paths can be anywhere from 30" to 36" wide, traditionally, provided your room has the space to incorporate them. Once again, this move will define your conversational seating space, helping smaller spaces look even more inviting and open.

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