Diana, I was having trouble using Houzz from my phone and didn't see your post until after I added the post above with changes. You are suggesting moving this larger rug further away from the fireplace and more under the long couch? I will look into the idea of bunching tables. That never crossed my mind.

I agree that the rug needs to be moved further into the room so it will look more balanced. Bunching tables or those leather hassocks that have storage in them would also work instead of your coffee table & could also be used for foot rests, seating, snacks, etc.

Your fireplace is so nice with the rock work. A patterned rug fights with the stone so go for a solid. It can have color just not a small design.

The coffee table needs to be 18 inches from the sofa. Otherwise it's too far away to be of any use.

Center the rug and the sofa with the fireplace. Scoot the recliner forward at the same angle it is now so it will still function.

Let's not forget that the recliner is the man's throne, so it has to stay where he wants--LOL---Looks better with the coffee table closer to the couch---maybe move the rug further under the couch but I think it is a lovely rug---just a bit further from the fireplace and it won't distract as much.

Try the rug on a diagonal?

I am reading the suggestions for your living room and want to offer my two cents. Your area rug is lovely and the perfect size for your room. My suggestion is to leave the sofa where it is, but pull the rug under the sofa so the back legs are sitting on it - or 3/4 of the way if you would like more hardwood exposed next to the fireplace.

Although your window is low I am confident you will find moving the love seat in front of it will open up the entire space and not block the view through you window as much as you might think. And, don't place it tight against the window, pull it out about 2 feet which allows for traffic around the space.

The recliner can then be moved to where the love seat is now. In this location you have opened the space making it functional as well as warm and welcoming to family and friends.

Your coffee table should be 2 feet from your sofa which provides ample distance for use as well as passage. If you find the table is too high, you can cut the legs down a few inches (no one will ever know!). If you find it is too dark, you don't need to purchase a new one - paint it! Pick a color from the rug (cream).

Pull the blue from your area rug for accents like pillows, throw blankets, artwork, drapery and other accents. This will tie the room together and give it a more finished look.

Looking forward to seeing your final arrangement! Good luck!!

Can you use the area rugs elsewhere in your house and instead find a nice wool, child friendly, remnant, have it cut and bound to fit that room, so that the furniture is completely on it. I always think it looks odd to have furniture 'perched' on rugs, it just doesn't look right to me.

why is the coffee table in the middle of the room? no one can reach it from the sofas. You could get rid of it and put an end table in the gap between the two sofas, giving the kids more room to play. I like the ideas of minnie66 - pulling the rug back so the sofa sits on it, and painting the coffee table.

Using the smaller rug, pulled away from the fireplace and set about 1 ft. away from the sofa edge would make for a more visually more pleasing and spacious feel. The blue rug seems to overwhelm the area. Pull the table closer to sofa (18". ) Look ahead to when you'll replace this furniture.... seems too bulky for the space. Plan ahead for new furniture... or like new from Craig' List. If a recliner is a must, a wall-away works well for placement flexibility... some very nice ones out there for every budget... ex. Smith Bros. or more modest Lazy Boy. Start now ..... look for a style/size that compliments, not fights, your room. Browse magazines, Houze, and higher end furniture stores and pick the brains of the clerks/designers. For now, use decorative accents to cozy it up and divert attention away from the negatives. Drapery panels, pillows, throws, art work.... maybe a tray with collectables on the coffee table and the built in bookcases by the fireplace. All will add volume and balance to the space. Good luck!

The 8x10 is the correct size for your space. I suggest to move the loveseat under the window.and bring the recliner angled where love seat was.

Honestly just put more of the rug under the larger sofa, problem solved. Having the rug even off center under the sofa's is fine. Focus on the amount of wood that you want to show, and then it tells the place of everything else. Its ok to have 2 legs on a rug and 2 legs off....

Are you committed to this rug in this room? Suggestion--especially since you have young children. Please look at FLOR modular carpet tiles. You can buy a prepackaged "area rug" (set of tiles) or create your own design. That way, you decide on the dimensions of the rug to best suit your space. Easy clean up and easy to change up as your needs change. We have used FLOR in several applications and are quite pleased.

I dealt with a room similar to yours when I had young children. I placed a couch in front of a window and was actually pleased with the outcome. It didn't cut daylight and provided natural light to couch area. Nice for reading. Some suggested love seat in front of the window. I would consider the couch instead (better balance, IMHO) and place love seat facing the fireplace w/ sofa table behind it. I think this would provide space for end tables? Perhaps, better traffic flow. Then, as already suggested--recliner where love seat is currently. As others have mentioned, window treatment & accessories will help pull the room together. The strong directionality of the rug is, I think, working against the current furniture layout. In your photo, the rug 'points' to the window wall--which feels empty. I agree with an earlier comment--go with solid rug. Bring in pattern with pillows, curtains and/or wall decor. Good luck!!

You picked this rug for a reason - it spoke to you through the colors and/or the design, therefore, my suggestion is go with it. It is fun, colorful and functional for your family member's needs. Use this as your jumping off point for the rest of your room.

If you have two end tables or can find these at a yard sale, auction, Sally Ann or spring clean up (sometimes great finds - and only require your imagination and paint!) place them at either end of the sofa. Distress them a little and add a new knob or pull for a more up-to-date look. Even better would be ones with drawers or a place for a basket for your children's toys, coloring books and crayons etc. Easy clean up after a long day!

In my mind, one does not have to spend money to achieve the look they want, they just need to be creative - and the kiddies will love it! And, with young children around, no one cries when something gets damaged!

Best of luck!!

I recall early in my career meeting the CFO of NYSE listed company. He asked what I could do for a few hundred dollars to 'decorate' his home which rather reminded me, at the time, of a Holiday Inn. I was too young and polite to say what I thought: "For a few hundred dollars I could have someone come in, load a truck and take it all to Goodwill or the local dump."

In this case, I'd say dump the Barcalounger, the depression-era floor lamp, the hideous coffee table and the manufacturer rug. Keep the neutral couches. And then maybe acquire a REAL Persian rug on line, NOT at retail, as a focal point for the room. For example, photo #1, a in-perfect-condition, 6' x 9', 19th Century Caucasian I acquired last year for a little over $1,000. However, with kids I'd suggest a more substantive and durable rug like a Bijar. Photo #2 is a 1930's, never-used, 5' x 10' Bijar going in to a waterfront home I'm building for a client - $500. Then buy a decent coffee table to anchor it. Problem solved for as little as $1,000.

I think your couch and love seat are fine where they are but I would go with the larger carpet and change your coffee table. Your couch style is very chunky then you have this tiny fancier delicate table, I think that's why things look unbalanced.

I would add a coffee table or footstool shaped like these attached, you could even do 2 as there is enough room as long as there is maybe 2 feet of space around it from the fireplace and the couch.

Could you change the coffee table to a fee ottomans? They would be just as kid friendly, add extra seating and another place for feet. Would soften it up a bit.

What a lovely room!
My two cents -
The coffee table is way too small to be centred in the room as it is.
It is also the wrong colour .. for the furniture, fire place stone and the room in general. It is however a beautiful piece. If you keep it I'd suggest painting it in a grey tone pulled from the fireplace and position it under the window as a place to put a pretty vase of flowers (can see you have small kiddos - so for when guests visit.

I love your choice of area rug! Just change out the coffee table for 3 storage cubes. 2 for in front of the long sofa & one in front of the love seat. Place them centered on each piece of furniture only 18" away. Let your hubby keep his chair wherever he wants. You could try to place the coffee table under the window, centered.

you should have the new rug placed about the same distance you had the old one away from the fireplace. as suggested just put more of it further under the couch. I also think traffic flow would be better and would make the room feel larger with the love seat or sofa under the window (thats assuming the space behind the loveseat now is an open area into another space and not another wall) since the recliner would just be on the other side of the couch viewing the TV above the fireplace should be about the same, but if is next to an open area can recline at any angle that works for him. if you put the sofa by the window and the loveseat where the sofa is he may actually be able to have a more straight on view. making an L with the 2 arms close to each other, you could have a fairly large end table between them with a lamp that would also give you a spot to drop things as you come in the front door. then you could possibly tun the rug around so that the long way is in front of the sofa, loveseat and maybe even the sofa table too totally on the rug. you could then lose the coffee table., if not it really needs to be closer to the seating to be useful. a couple small movable ottomans would give you something soft to put your feet up and give you extra seating in a pinch.

Here's an ottoman option that might work for kids. It's a nice quality synthetic (polyurethane?) cover with a nice bronzy sheen to it, very comfy and durable to rest feet, an inset tray for drinks, (I keep a square placement in it to avoid scratches on the wood) and built in shelving space on the bottom. 36x36 custom made. I know I should have a glass coffee table to lighten up the room and show off the hand knotted Indian rug underneath, but I want to be comfy.

I forgot to say I really like the rug and think its the perfect size for the room. looks great with your furniture. if you got "storage" ottomans it would also help with kids toys

I agree; I love the rug! Could you give a source? I'm having rug dilemmas too, especially since my apartment is only 900 sf. Thank you!

would like to see a round rug -- everything else in the room is square, rectangle and blocked off. a new shape might help. it might be placed a bit back from the FP, large enough to go under the sofa and perhaps touch the chair(s).

Thank you, Everyone, for the help.

I moved all the pieces around every combination possible. If I put the love seat in front of the windows I can't see my kids in the front yard very well because the yatd goes down. I tried switching the love seat and sofa and it was somewhat working but really blocks off the living area from the dining area and also the way we come from the master suite.

The best way the furniture works is the original configuration, but this 8 x 10 blue-green rug isn't fitting well. The love seat legs aren't on it at all now. Are you sure this looks right?

Sorry for the typos, I haven't figured out how to edit from my phone.

Also, Linda Carter, the rug was from Target.com.

Should I just go back to a 5 x 7 size so no legs are on there?

(Yes I can look into a better rug, coffee table or ottoman and lamp. One step at a time. We recently moved in and I gave to take it slow.)

I realize I'm late to this post. I have a question though. For the most part during the course of a normal day do you and guests enter the home through the front door. One thing that may work in this space that I do not see having been tried is to add a partition directly across from the front door about 4 feet in.

This creates a small entry to the room and allows you to alter the layout. The rug can be turned and the sofa backed to the wall. The love seat can move with the sofa and the arms touch. The chair can remain near the window but a bit closer to the fireplace. The result is a better traffic flow and a more balanced layout.

do not go back to the smaller rug

switch the sofa and love seat which should give you room to bring the recliner into the room further.

another option is to face love seat and sofa at 90 degrees to fireplace and put recliner opposite fireplace. if sofa in on inside of room and love seat pulled away from window, you can see children in front yard when sitting on love seat.

make sure front legs of furniture are on rug

coffee table should be 18" from sofa

this is a lovely room. with a couple of side tables this should all work perfectly. you are stuck thinking certain things have to be a certain way. never put a coffee table in the middle of a room more than 18" from sofa.

don't worry about centering things. it isn't necessary. balance can be achieved with asymmetry.

The larger rug is right. You still need to move the coffee table so it is 18" in front of the sofa if you will not purchase a couple of leather storage ottomans to replace the coffee table in the room. If you did this you could place the coffee table in front of the window so the kids could access it while you are watching them. I think you need to switch the love seat with the wider sofa. This way your hubs recliner could stay where it is.

I definitely tried to do the love seat or couch in front of window and it sadly obstructs our view of the yard. Im not willing to do that. I would be willing to switch the long and short couches (even though it doesn't work as well from the area behind which is our other busy traffic area... but in either case, only the piece facing the fireplace has feet on the rug as you can see from the pictures most recently loaded.

So is the 8 x 10 too small still? I don't think the 8 x 10 is working based on my pictures. I DID move the coffee table 2 ft from the couch.

Yikes, I checked if my rug comes larger. it does not and 9 x 12s are really over my budget. I only paid $387 for my 8 x 10. I cant spend $1,000 on a rug right now, especially one my kids will destroy. Would a patio/outdoor rug be ridiculous? Those are much less expensive.

I think that you might be stressing a bit too much about this. Your last set of photos looks pretty good.


Didn't someone suggest moving the coffee table into that slot where the sofa and loveseat form a right angle? I think that doing that would square off the corner and look pretty good. And I believe that others have suggested that you replace the coffee table with a couple of the smaller faux-leather storage ottomans that can be acquired pretty cheaply at Target. They're a bit on the junky side, but the ones with the top that flips into a tray are kind of useful for kids.


Really, though, I think if you did nothing else, you already have a pretty nice area for hanging out in front of the TV.

Oops! When I referred to the last set of photos, I meant the ones with the blue rug. I much prefer the red rug, but it's far too small for the space. Good luck!

An indoor-outdoor rug would be perfect! I've had good luck at Lowes--especially the Balta brand.

The red rug is much better. If you search on Houzz for layered rugs, you'll see many with a similar rug to yours. As a matter of fact, the picture I posted below was the very first entry! What they've done is purchase a larger sissel rug to put underneath with the red rug centered on top. Overstock.com Rug is 8 x 10 $164.

I like columbia93's suggestion. Although, rather than real sisal, I'd go with a synthetic indoor/outdoor version. Sisal, in my experience, stains and is difficult to clean.

May I suggest you turn the area rug so that the length is running from the fireplace instead of as it sits now running toward the window. I do like the distance of the rug from the fireplace - it looks great! However, I do agree that both pieces of furniture should be sitting on the rug, at least the front legs. Try turning the rug and see what it looks like. I would also suggest pulling the coffee table in a bit towards the sofa by a few inches.

So going with the larger 8 x 10 blue-green rug, it's okay to have only the long sofa with front legs on rug and no legs on the rug for the love seat or other chairs?? That looked weird to me.

Neither way I turn the rug can I get the Love Seat legs on that rug unless I scoot the love seat too far forward to get through between the long sofa and the fireplace raised hearth.

You have stated clearly that you want the furniture in its current configuration, and that is fine with me. Your new rug is fine as pictured. Don't worry about what legs are on or off the rug. You are focused on it now but will forget all about it. The coffee table is not good here. Get a great big one that you can spread it on for snacks, newspaper, jigsaw puzzle, whatever. I think those ottomans are not as useful as a table.

Hi mamabear03,

If turning the rug is not working for you, pull the rug out further towards the fireplace by a few inches and then further away from the window by a few inches. It looks like this will work as the loveseat legs are just slightly off the sofa. Let the area rug work in the space and place your furniture accordingly and it will work for you. You are doing awesome - just keep the faith!

Wish I was closer! Would love to come and help you solve your dilemma.

Keep us posted!

After measuring a second time, I feel that a larger (9 x 12) rug would work better. This way the front legs of both the love seat and the long sofa will be on the rug and the rug would still be centered on the fireplace.

Unfortunately the 8 x 10 blue-green rug I am now returning doesn't come that large, so I have located some others in my price range.

Please help me choose the new rug for the space based on the floor, built-ins etc. The curtains and decor in the shelving will reflect colors from the rug. I will get a larger coffe-table substitute also. (What color should that be?)

I originally chose the blue-green rug because I liked that there was both blue AND green (two colors) to decorate/pull from. However I really liked my red and blue tones in my smaller rug as well.

How do you choose the best rug for this space?...

Rug ONE:

Rug TWO:

Rug THREE:

Rug FOUR:

Rug FIVE:

gheil1022

Your post is funny on a couple of levels.

Of these 5 choices, I'd have to say the first one is my fav.

I think with the white walls, white fireplace and all that light from your really great window, combined with the warmer beige sofa, your first two choices provide a depth that is missing. Additionally, there is more color variety in the first two and, if you're going to pull colors for the rest of the room, better to have a wider variety to pull from!

Relax, take a deep breath, it is going to be fine!

Walls are actually Revere Pewter (warm grey) along with the fireplace stone so that's why I was trying to bring some color into this room with rug, etc. Someone mentioned a grey rug or coffee table earlier I think? I don't know what I'm doing.

On one hand I like the first rug also because of the variety of colors and I do have a lot of traditional style decor, but on the other hand, I wonder if it's too beige/tan/yellow and almost older/antiquey looking. That's why I chose these more transitional geometric style rugs with brighter colors and transitional style also. I felt like my original 8 x 10 rug pattern was a good mix of my traditional style without being too "grandma-ish" as my husband likes to say. (We're only 36 by the way.)

You are right - a larger rug would work better, I was trying to help you make the one you purchased work for your space. If I were to pick one of the rugs you show above, my suggestion would be RUG 1. The second is nice but looking back on your original smaller rug, this one will work with your furniture, wall colors and ground the room. Then you will be able to pick your accessories from it. You will be much happier with the larger rug and the legs of all your pieces will fit. It's not granny-ish at all, very traditional!

Be sure to let us see what you pick!

I could not find you a wool rug in your price range although I'd wait for the Memorial Day sales before making a decision.

This is one alternative. At this price, you can afford to junk it when the kids are older. The reviews on it are good and it is only $ 399

Here is a back ordered wool rug on super sale at $364.

Worth waiting for

the link above looks like a dead end so here is the real one

http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-moroccan-sm18/multi/200MJSM18A-305.html