How to Place a Rug Under a Sectional Sofa

To make a room look more finished, many people choose to place a rug underneath their couch. Rugs can not only compliment the decor of your home but also provide warmth and comfort underfoot. However, it can be difficult to figure out how many rugs you need for this task and what type of rug would work best for this purpose.

how to place a rug under a sectional sofa

Luckily, we’ve compiled a guide to help you navigate these questions! We hope our guide on how to place a rug under a sectional sofa helps you find the perfect area rug for your space, so your room is complete with style! If you are interested in finding out, keep reading this blog post until the end!

10 Creative Ways to Place a Rug Under a Sectional Sofa:

1. Center the Sectional Sofa on the Rug:

This is the classic way to place your sectional sofa on a rug. First, center it, and cut out an oval around the legs that are underneath the sofa.

2. Cut Out Two Ovals:

Cut out two ovals for the sectional sofa legs (one larger than the other) to make it easier to fit around them, but you won’t be able to get under the couch.

3. Cut Out Two Rectangles:

Cut out two rectangles underneath the legs may be easier if you have a square or rectangular sectional sofa.

4. Fit Around the Back of the Sectional Sofa:

If your rug is thick enough, you can fit a square around the back of your sectional sofa and leave a little sticking out from under each sofa’s legs.

5. Place One Edge of Your Rug Under the Sofa:

This is a very classic design for placing your rug under a sectional sofa, but it can also look quite modern if you choose the right sectional and rug. You can place one edge of your rug under each leg of the sectional sofa. Just be careful not to move the sofa, or you’ll have to redo the rug.

6. Fold Your Rug Under:

This design is great if you want your rug to create a flat surface underneath your sectional sofa. Fold it in half under each leg of the sofa, then unfold it when you’re ready to use it.

7. Double Your Rug:

If you have an extra thick rug, placing it under your sectional sofa can also provide the double duty of creating a nice little backrest for each side of your sectional sofa. The smaller-sized rugs that go underneath coffee tables are perfect for this design.

8. Use a Different Rug:

If you want to use an area rug instead of a normal-sized rug, try using one wider and longer than your sectional sofa.

9. Lay Your Sectional Sofa on Top of Your Rug:

This design creates the same look as placing the sectional sofa over the top of your carpet or rug, but it avoids the hassle of actually fitting your sofa under the edges.

10. Use a Runner:

As With Any Design, Don't Be Afraid to  Experiment and Try Something New

A runner rug is another great option for creating a sleek look underneath your sectional sofa as long as you have enough space to accommodate it.

As with any design, don’t be afraid to experiment and try something new. Just make sure to think everything through before sticking with your final choice.

Step by Step Guide: How to Place a Rug Under a Sectional Sofa 

Follow these step-by-step guides on how to place a rug under a sectional sofa to make your living, hallways, and bedroom more stylish!

Step 1:

Take a tape measure and place it on the floor straight from where one of your sofa’s feet will rest. Measure this distance to find the center of the room because you’ll want to place your rug under your sectional sofa dead center.

Mark that point with a piece of painter’s or masking tape, then measures from that point out both ways to find the perimeter of your sectional sofa and make a note of these measurements.

Step 2:

From those marks, draw a square with the base by following the line you’ve drawn from your tape measure (You can use more painter’s or masking tape to help keep that line straight). Make sure all your tapes are evenly spaced out, and your square is as perfect as you can get it.

Step 3:

Now make a big circle with a radius of approximately 2/3 the length of the side of this square. You will want to place your sofa in the center of this circle, so make sure it’s not too small or too big.

Step 4:

Draw a circle that is 1/3 the size of the square. This will be where you place your rug under your sectional sofa. This circle will ensure your sofa doesn’t get lost under the rug, but it will also be a great guide for placing the sectional legs.

Step 5:

Haul in your furniture and place it in the center of the square on the floor where you’ve drawn that square with all of your painter’s or masking tape. Now, look where each piece of your sectional sofa will hit when placed there and mark where they’ll rest on that square.

Step 6:

Measure out from those marks and make a mark where the circle’s center is with your painter’s or masking tape. Place another piece of it on that mark, and then draw that circle on your floor. Step back and admire how perfect you’ve made this!

Step 7:

Take your rug and place it centered under the sectional sofa’s feet on that circle you just drew. If your rug is too big or too small, take a pair of scissors and trim it to fit centered in that space.

Step 8:

Take a tape measure again and note the perimeter of this small circle you’ve just created. Take note of the length and width because this will be very important later on when you do your measurements to fit your furniture in there perfectly.

Step 9:

Now move your sectional sofa around the room until you find a good fit for it, making sure that each piece (if applicable) will fit in its chosen resting place. Now measure the length and width of the perimeter of this space you’ve chosen because it’s time to get down to business!

Step 10:

Look over your measurements and decide what size rug you want in your living room. You can either go smaller or larger, but make sure that it’s not too small (you’ll end up with a space between your sofa and rug) or too big (because there won’t be enough room for all of it). The circle’s center should be between your sofa and the sectional sofa resting point.

Step 11:

Cut out a piece of paper to the size you chose. Next, draw a square with its base at least 1/3rd longer than the longest side measurement you’ve taken for your living room (if it’s a rectangle space, it should be at least 2/3rds longer than the longest side measurement).

Step 12:

Draw another line from corner to corner that’s perpendicular to one of the sides you drew. This will give you two right triangles that are mirror images of each other, making sure they’re even with each other.

Step 13:

Lastly, cut out your pieces and fold them, following the lines you drew. Take a small amount of tape and secure it at the crease where each triangle is folded into thirds. You can remove or write measurements on these triangles to figure out exactly how big your rug should be to fit perfectly in the space.

Some Tips and Suggestions:

Purchase a Rug That Matches  Measurements

Here are some tips and suggestions on how to place a rug under a sectional sofa.

  1. Start with a small rug and add to it over time.
  2. A rug should be slightly smaller than the outside of your sectional sofas so that when you have them close together, the edge of the rug touches both pieces.
  3. If you want a run down one or more of the legs of your sofa, measure that length and purchase a rug that matches those measurements.
  4. Putting a rug under a sectional is not as important as having one around it if you have small children. If you want to remove the carpet for cleaning, consider getting an outdoor/stain-resistant area rug.
  5. If your floor or hardwood is uneven, you may want to purchase a rug with some texture to stay in place on its own.
  6. If you have a sectional sofa with posts on the outside of each piece, measure between them to know how wide your rug should be.

Final Thoughts:

To ensure a rug is secured under the sofa, it should be placed on a carpet pad. If you don’t have one available, use towels or sheets to protect your floor from scratches and potential stains. You can also place felt furniture pads underneath the sofa’s legs if they are metal to avoid scratching wood floors.

Ensure that any loose materials such as hair ties or other objects are removed from the area where you’ll be placing your rug before proceeding with this step!

Finally, ensure there’s enough clearance space for people to walk around and sit comfortably in front of the sectional sofas without tripping over anything. We hope this blog post on how to place a rug under a sectional sofa has been helpful to you!

Please feel free to comment if you have any further questions on this topic or simply share some of your experiences with us. We’d love to hear more about what you’ve done in the past to place a rug under a sectional sofa!

Jennifer Branett
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