Achieving the best round rug living room layout

So you’ve found the perfect round rug to finalize your dream living room setup, but you’re stumped on how to incorporate it in your living room. If you’re now left questioning “Was it the right choice?” or “Which living room layout should I be using?” don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

With their fun and quirky nature, curved and circular rugs are a brilliant choice to incorporate as a statement or grounding piece in your living room. However, finding a rug layout that looks and feels right for your living room can prove challenging.

Whether you’re struggling with rug placement or furniture positioning, we’ve covered everything you’ll need to achieve the perfect living room layout for your round rug.

The best living room layouts for round rugs

When purchasing a new rug, existing furniture is often an afterthought, with many of us thinking “We’ll make it work”. However, your current decor plays a huge role in the best layout for your living room. Avoid an unbalanced living room decor and dive into the top 5 layouts

The golden rule

When measuring for your living room layout, always ensure you leave 18″ between the rug and surrounding walls

Layout choices

Layout 1 – If you’re questioning if you should pair a round rug with your coffee table, then the answer is yes! This layout works brilliantly to create a comfortable zone within your living room. To prevent clashing, try to pair it with a round coffee table. Or, go against the grain by pairing it with an alternative shape for a contrasting approach to your decor.

Layout 2 – Round rugs are a great solution for a living room that feels a little bare or has a single armchair that’s looking lonesome. Create a stunning nook by simply pairing a small rug with a leather armchair. This makes for the perfect space to cozy up with a warm drink and your favorite read.

Layout 3 – Working with a singular sofa and two armchairs? Bring together each piece to create a cohesive living room decor. You’ll want to ensure that your rug is large enough for your living room layout by measuring to ensure one leg of each chair and sofa sits on top of the rug

Layout 4 – Mirroring sofas provide an instant focal point for the room. When arranging your round rug, ensure that the front feet of both couches are on top of the rug. This symmetrical layout works beautifully with larger spaces, especially those with a central fireplace.

Layout 5 – Depending on the style of the corner couch, corner couches, and coffee tables can often feel separated or mismatched. A large round rug is the perfect remedy to bring the two together. It’s a great solution to create a cozy designated space in your living area. This option works particularly well paired with round or oval coffee tables.

When should you use a round rug in a living room?

Before locking in your choice on a circular rug, it’s worth considering if it’s best suited to your space. Let’s explore the top 5 instances when to incorporate a round rug in your living room.

When a rectangular rug doesn’t work: Rectangular rugs are often the go-to shape when it comes to living room decor. However, with their sharp edges and corners, they can prove to be overbearing. Contrary to this, round rugs are a soft and subtle decor addition that blends seamlessly with existing decor.

Paired with circular or curved furniture: Curved lines bring a soft and gentle flow to a room and are often utilized to guide your eye throughout a space. Circular rugs compliment the smooth furniture shape while bringing a sense of harmony to the decor. When working with curved furniture, straight lines can be on the harsher side and, if used too closely together, can result in an intense contrast.

To create separation: When separating open-plan living & dining spaces, opting for a single rectangular rug can feel sharp and out of place. To combat this, utilize a round rug in the alternative room to soften the separation and allow an open, flowing blend between rooms.

For filling awkward nooks: Bare corners can make any living area feel awkward and cold, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Filling the space with an intentional nook, such as an armchair with a side table and round rug, is the perfect way to bring functionality to a cold dormant area.

For cohesive decor: Choosing similar decor pieces in each room is a great way of creating a decorative flow in your home. Opting for identical or similar rugs across rooms allows for cohesive decor throughout your home.

Choosing the right rug size for your living room

Opting for the wrong-sized rug truly is a decor disaster, so to combat this, you’ll want to visualize the rug’s size and texture.

For previewing the rug size, begin by measuring the floor space to the desired rug size. Using spare bed linen, place this over the measured area to preview the rug size against existing decor.

The texture of your rug is more forgiving than size and placement, however, we’d recommend checking if you can obtain a sample of the material before ordering. Alternatively, take an image of your living room and edit a photo of the rug on an app to preview the mix of textures in the room.

Our handy round rug size guide

up to 4” – Typically 4’ is the smallest size you’ll find when searching for small round rugs. They work perfectly for small living room nooks, paired with an armchair or small pieces of furniture.

6″-8” – If you’re looking to place your round rug in the center of a small living room or paired with a coffee table, then this option will typically be the best match.

10-12’“- Large round rugs are usually paired best with large living rooms, or living rooms with mirrored couches. When measuring your rug space, keep in mind the space between the edges of your rug and the surrounding walls. Don’t worry, we’ve covered this in our styling tips below.

Dos and don’ts for round rug placement

Do’s

Use multiple rugs for multiple rooms. If you’re working with a living-dining setup, then you may be looking to go for cohesive decor throughout. Choosing similar or identical rugs helps the rooms flow naturally into one another. Alternatively, if you’re looking to separate the spaces, then a rectangle rug and round rug combination works great for this.

Check furniture leg placement. Another golden rule of rugs is leg placement. Always try to ensure two legs of surrounding furniture sit on top of the rug. This tip is crucial, especially when you’re pairing your round rug with a couch. If you’re working with a larger space, then placing all furniture legs on the rug usually works better.

Don’t’s

Go too large. When choosing a rug for your space, bigger is typically better, however, this isn’t always the case. You’ll want to ensure your rug leaves 18” between the rug and surrounding walls. This will prevent the room from feeling overcrowded or chaotic.

Go too small. When following the rules of leg placement, you’ll typically avoid this issue. However, armchairs are where we often spot a round rug that’s simply too small. You’ll want to ensure the rug is larger than the armchair placed on top of it. Without this step, the nook feels awkward and out of balance, so always go for a slightly larger choice.

For more living room ideas and tips, check out our related posts.

Apartment Pride is supported by its audience. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more