How to Place a Rug Under a Sectional Sofa – 12 Ideas

Sectional sofas are one of the most versatile and stylish furniture options for your living room. They’re exceptionally comfortable too, giving you endless reclining and lounging options. But the question is… What size rug should you use with a sectional sofa, and where should you place it?

Today we’re going to show you exactly how to place a rug under a sectional sofa. There are a few different ways that work well, so after you have seen all the options, you can decide which would work best for you!

Go Large With an Oversized Area Rug 

Using an extra-large area rug under a sectional sofa is one of the easiest ways to get a designer look in your living room. 

In this layout, the entire sectional sofa has been placed on the area rug, with the back legs of the sofa slightly overlapping the back edge of the rug. An extra-large rug like this is ideal for open-plan living areas, as it creates a clear ‘zone’ for the seating area.

A Round Area Rug With a Large Sectional Sofa

If you want something a little different, then go for a round rug with your sectional sofa. This works really well with a large corner sectional with even sides, as the sofa will ‘frame’ the rug. Round coffee tables are perfect for completing this look.

Ruggable rugs are an ideal choice for busy households with kids or pets. These rugs are machine washable, so if you spill something, you can simply remove the rug cover and put it in the wash. No more worrying about drinking red wine over a light-colored rug!

Place The Rug Off-Centre

This stunning abstract rug is almost exactly the same length as the couch. You would expect it to be placed directly in front of the couch, but it’s about 6 inches off-center. 

This placement works well with a sectional sofa, as it balances out the heavier side, which although unconventional, is very pleasing to the eye. This placement has also left space for a floor lamp to stand on the floor.

Place The Corner of The Sectional in The Corner of The Rug

This sectional rug placement is very pleasing to the eye. Although the sofa isn’t placed centrally on the rug, the addition of the basket at the side balances out the overall design. You could achieve a similar look using a side table instead of the basket accessory.

The round coffee table sits nicely in the center of this Jute rug, anchoring the design and giving you a focal point. Jute rugs are perfect for using under a large sectional sofa like this, as they are hardwearing and will stand up well to heavy foot traffic.

Round Rug Centred in Front of The Sofa

For sectional sofas with uneven sides, place a round rug centrally infront of the longest side of your sofa. This means one arm of the sofa will overlap onto the rug, but overall it will create a balanced look.

This layout allows a coffee table to be placed centrally on the rug and still be centered with the couch for convenience.

Align Your Rug in Front of The Longest Section of The Sofa

To create a balanced look in your living room, align the length of your rug with the front of the longest section of your sofa. This means the ‘L’ of your sofa will overlap the rug, as both sides do in this design, but the overall look is balanced and pleasing to the eye.

This light-colored shag pile rug contrasts beautifully with the sleek dark black sectional sofa, creating a striking, magazine-worthy look in this living room.

Align The Pattern on Your Rug With The Edge of Your Sofa

If you have an extra-large sectional sofa with even sides, you can create a great effect by aligning the pattern near the edges of your rug with your sofa. This obviously requires a large rug, and this gorgeous grey and ivory area rug fits the bill perfectly.

This rug is timeless and would work well with most decor styles, making it a key investment piece of decor that you can bring from home to home.

Place the Rug Under The Front Legs on Both Sides of The Sofa

Placing a large area rug under both edges of your sectional sofa will give you a seamless blend from the sofa to the rug and also allow you to align the edges of your rug with the edges of your sofa.

This will create an even look, and create a neat square or rectangle (depending on the shape of your sofa) that can be anchored with a coffee table or ottoman in the center to complete the look.

Centre Your Rug in The Room

Rather than placing your rug under your couch, why not try centring the rug in your living room, and positioning your sectional sofa around the rug.

You can place other furniture such as side tables around the rug, and a coffee table or ottoman in the centre to create a focal point. This design works really well using a light rug with darker furniture.

Make The Rug The Main Feature of Your Room

If you have a lighter-colored sectional sofa, you can bring color and life to your room using a bright, bold area rug like this beautiful Bodrum area rug. The sectional sofa should be placed in one corner of the area rug to let the bright design take center stage.

Instead of using a coffee table, try using side tables and ottomans instead to keep this look looking uncluttered and chic.

Layer Different Rugs for an Eclectic Look

If you want to go for an eclectic look in your living room, try layering two rugs with different textures or shapes underneath your sectional sofa.

This design works particularly well using neutral colors, but with different textures and styles of rug. They have used a larger natural fibre rug underneath the sectional as a main area rug, and a faux cowhide rug as an accent under the coffee table.

Create a Square With Your Sofa and Rug

When it comes to area rug placement for sectionals, a fail safe option is to choose a rug that’s the same length as the longest side of your couch. 

Align the length of the rug with the longest side of the sectional, allowing the ‘L’ to overlap onto the rug. This should create a square. This look works really well in large open-plan living areas, as the large rug helps to define the seating zone. 

Final Thoughts…

When choosing a rug for sectional sofa, it’s important to make sure you choose one that’s big enough to anchor the space. Although it doesn’t need to be bigger than your sofa, it should at least fill a majority of the space in front of your couch.

If you want to choose the correct size rug for sectional couch, make sure you measure your couch first. You can draw a to-scale floor plan with your couch, and experiment with different sizes and shapes of rugs to see what works best for your room.