Which Shape of Rug is Good for a Sectional Sofa?

You’ve painted the walls. Found the perfect end tables. You’ve finally invested in the perfect sofa for your room. A beautiful plush sectional, that will be just perfect when you have guests.

Now you just need to add the finishing touch. A rug. This is the final piece of the puzzle and it has you stumped. With all the styles of rug available, which kind is right for your room? Now that you have a sectional, which shape should you get?

Finding the right rug for your room can be the most difficult design challenge of all. Finding the perfect area rug isn’t just about finding the right colors. You need to find a shape that is suitable, and you need to get one that is the correct dimension. Too big, and it may not fit. Too small and everything will look just a little imbalanced.

If you’ve already spent money on a new sectional, the last thing you want to do is buy a rug only to find out that you hate it and that it doesn’t look quite right. We all dream of having a home that looks like something from inside a magazine, whether our tastes run to the more traditional, or the more eclectic.

If you’re new to trying to decorate your space, and you’re overwhelmed by all the design “rules”, just remember in the end it’s about what makes you happy to come home. We’ve gathered a few tricks and decorating tips to help guide you in your decision, whether you’re completely overwhelmed with decisions, or just need a place to start.

Which Size Of Rug is Right For A Sectional?

Ideally, your rug should be proportionate to the size of the room, and the size of your furniture. The rug is the anchor of the room, but you also don’t want it to drag the whole room down. Your rug should not look like a wall to wall carpeting. You still want to be able to see at least the edges of your floor.

The rug should be large enough to just touch the front legs of the sectional. If you are working with a rug you already have, and it is slightly too small to go under all the legs, put your coffee table on top. If you do this, make sure there is an equal amount of space around all areas of the rug near the sectional.

If you are going this route, try not to leave too much space between your coffee table and your sectional. Ideally, space needs to be functional, and you shouldn’t have to get up and walk to grab your coffee cup.

If you have a chair that also happens to be part of this furniture grouping, give it a little scooch inward, and place the legs on the rug, this will help pull everything into a cohesive group. Make sure the chair does not sit too close to the sectional or your room will look crowded.

Before you purchase a rug, make a practice run on the floor. You can do this with sheets, folding them, and adjusting them to different sizes to get a feel for how a rug will look. You can also do this with painter’s tape.

This is also helpful in deciding how you want your rug to sit. If you are thinking of trying a more artistic way of placing the rug and putting it at an angle the way some designers have them displayed in pictures, you may need to consider a rug of a different size.

If you have a large room and a large sectional, obviously you want to go bigger with your rug. If you have a large sectional, and a smaller room, you also want to go bigger with your rug. A small rug with a large sectional will look lost in the room and feel like an afterthought.

A small sectional obviously calls for a smaller rug. If you have a smaller sectional in a room with several other groupings of furniture, you could even consider purchasing a small rug for each seating group.

Which Shape Of Rug Is Right For a Sectional?

The shape of the rug is a more fluid question than the question of size. The best shape depends largely on personal preference and the feeling you are trying to achieve in the room. Do you enjoy a more traditional feeling? If this is the case, then a rectangular rug will be your best choice.

A rectangular rug fills the room visually and gives it a more linear and weighty feeling. If you prefer the look of a rectangular rug, but don’t want it to feel too heavy, go for a light natural fiber fabric. It still feels more traditional, but a lighter fabric gives it a more airy feeling.

If you enjoy a more casual whimsical feeling then a round rug is your best bet. It reduces the hard lines and makes the room feel softer. If using a round rug, you do not want any part of it to go under the sectional.

You want the shape of the rug to be obvious. A round rug is especially appealing if you do not have a coffee table. If you enjoy a round rug, but also want a touch of the traditional, a round rug in a more formal print might be a good blending of the two.

If you are torn on which shape of the rug you want, get out those sheets or that painter’s tape again, and experiment. You can even live with your practice runs for a while to see how they grow on you over time. It shouldn’t take you too long to decide which one you prefer visually.

The pattern of the rug may inform your choice of which shape of the area rug to go with your sectional. If you are a fan of bold patterns, a circular rug might be best for you.

The circular shape helps minimize the amount of pattern going into the room, especially if it’s a more geometric pattern. A solid color or subtle pattern works well in a rectangular rug since it takes up so much more of the room.

Choose The Best Rug For Your Sectional Sofa

In the end, rectangular or circular, large or small, it all depends on what makes you happy. If you step out of your comfort zone and purchase a round rug, and it doesn’t feel quite right, live with it for a few weeks and see how you feel.

If you purchase a rectangular rug, and it just feels boring, give it time and see if you enjoy how familiar it feels, or if every time you look at it you feel the urge to get a new rug. An area rug is a relatively inexpensive investment that can easily be changed out.

Have Fun With it!

The design should be a reflection of you and doesn’t always have to follow a set of rules. What matters is how you feel in the room when you walk in at the end of the day.

Still not quite certain which direction you’re headed with your room? Check out some inspirational living rooms here.