Thus, Nino doesn’t just think that furniture legs should touch the rug—she’s a proponent of going all in. “Wherever possible, I think the optimal configuration is one that allows all the furniture to sit fully on the rug below,” Nino noted. Of course, this may not always be feasible, so there is room for modification. “Try to keep the front legs of chairs and sofas at least touching the rug in some way,” Nino said. “This creates a nicely cohesive look and unified seating area anchored by the rug itself.” But, she added, there are some cases in which this rule can be broken altogether. “An exception would be if you’re placing furniture on the perimeter that’s more decorative than it is functional, say, for example, a great antique chair from your latest flea market finds,” Nino said. “Since that item isn’t intended to belong to a formal sitting group, it’s absolutely ok to place it along the perimeter walls where it’s not touching a rug at all.” Designer Natalie Papier agreed. “My theory is that the front legs of furniture should always be on the rug to ground the space and not make the rug feel like it’s just out there floating,” she said. “When a rug isn’t grounded by the furniture, it typically feels too small for the space.” If you have a smaller rug that you love but just won’t be sizable enough for your space, take a cue from Galinas. “One of my favorite tricks for large rooms is to layer rugs—if you put a large sisal down to cover the majority of the square footage, you can then layer on a smaller vintage rug,” she said. “This adds a little character and can highlight a part of the room without making it feel too separate.” This is an excellent way to play with different color schemes, too—go ahead and lay a vibrant piece atop a more neutral one for some pizzazz. The One Thing You Should Do This concept ties back to what Papier mentioned about a rug “floating” in a space—clearly, designers agree this is a setup to avoid. Make sure your rug isn’t hanging out on its own—anchor it with some furniture.
