2 Rules to Picking The Perfect Size Rug For a Room

When the cast of the "Trading Spaces" reboot visited, they were kind enough to share their best home decorating hacks with us (and you!).

One of the most pressing questions they tackled? What to do about area rugs. (They stump the best of us, do they not?)

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We let OG team member Doug Wilson handle this one.

QUESTION: "I have a question about area rugs — I have no idea how to pick one! I don't know what color, what size, what pattern. I've gone to the store before and just come out completely confused and overwhelmed, and walked away buying nothing. So I was hoping you could help me. I have a 1-year-old running around on naked floors." —Alicia Q., audience member

DOUG'S ANSWER: "Well, without knowing exactly your whole color scheme and what else is in your room to put into it, what I can advise you on… is proportion. How do you fit the right rug into the space?"

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Doug has two main tips for that, which he demoed in our studio's mocked-up living room space (and you can watch him in action in our video above!).

RULE 1: Think of your rug like a foundation for a house, so your entire sofa should sit on the rug. If you can’t afford a rug to fit the whole sofa, you can buy a smaller rug and position your sofa so that the front legs are on and the back legs are off.

"It's all about your budget!" says Doug.

RULE 2: You want 18 inches — or a foot and a half — of bare floor between the rug edge and the perimeter walls of the room. (Although, if the rug is for a smaller room, Doug says you can reduce the size around the rug to approximately eight inches.)

At the end of the day, "you want a room and a space that is proportionate," says Doug.

Sounds like a smart plan to us!

MORE FROM DABL: What Does Your Rug Say About Your Style?