7 Dos and Don’ts When Styling Your Round Rug

Like any home project, there are many factors to consider when styling round or circle rugs. The first and most basic is whether a round rug suits your space and your design aesthetic. The rest is nuts and bolts: your furniture layout, how much of the floor space you want the rug to cover, where and how to center it. Taking the time to review your layout(s) and design goals will help you sort this out. Here are a few dos and don’ts when styling your round area rug.

DO: Plan ahead.

Before you buy your round rug, measure your current space and place your furniture in the area you wish to lay your round rug on. Once your furniture is arranged, mark the area that you’d like your rug to cover with an easy-to-remove tape. You can use different-colored tape to mark the different-sized rug possibilities. This step is easy, quick, and makes visualizing and measuring more accurate.

DON’T: Crowd furniture onto the round rug.

This will make your space look cluttered and create visual tension. By selecting a larger rug, the rug becomes a feature that complements the furniture and the whole room. It can also make the space look larger and visually alluring. 

DO: Use the round rug to highlight a section of your living room.

If your living room is an open plan or large enough to accommodate an additional furniture grouping, a round rug can help define the space, creating a vignette or a focal point. Place your round rug under the furniture that you want to draw attention to.

DON’T: Buy a dining room rug that is too small.

If you’re placing a round rug under your dining table, a good rule of thumb is to choose a rug that is 30 inches larger all around your table. You’ll want to make sure that your chairs don’t get tripped up on the rug. Chairs should move freely to and from the table. 

DO: Align your round elements.

If you’re pairing your round rug with a round chandelier or architectural detail, your rug should be aligned with the center of the round element in your architecture or chandelier. Aligning your round elements creates symmetry and a sense of balance.

DON’T: Limit yourself to round decors.

A round table centered on a round rug is visually balanced, but a round rug works even if your table is square. Just make sure the round rug is large enough so that the shapes don’t clash. Again, at least 30 inches all around the table is preferred, but a larger round rug would benefit the two shapes playing off of each other. 

DO: Let more of the round rug show.

Layering lighter furnishings over a round rug lets more of the rug show and keeps the elements balanced. For example, wood or metal furniture with exposed legs—instead of fully upholstered boxy furniture—lets you see and appreciate more of the curved outline of the rug.

DON’T: Forget about the other rooms.

As great as a round rug looks in the dining room, living room, and bedroom, a round rug also works in other sections of your home: your entryway, nursery, a breakfast nook, and even the bathroom. You can even layer it on top of another rug. Really, the possibilities for round rugs are endless!

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