We choose to decorate our homes, offices or guesthouses with a combination of different sorts of furniture, rugs and other decorative pieces.
And among those pieces of furniture, a coffee table holds a spot for being both a decorative piece as well as a spot to spend a relaxing evening. So in order to know the best ways to decorate your coffee table, read the extract below:
Should you put a rug under a coffee table?
It is a matter of personal preference whether you should place a rug under a coffee table or not. There are rugs that only extend up to the coffee table and also rugs that extend beyond as well. A rug under the coffee table only not only enhances its beauty but also prevents the table from slipping.
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Coffee tables are low tables usually placed in drawing rooms or guest rooms meant for placing beverages, magazines or other decorative artifacts.
Since these coffee tables are usually placed at the center of the room, with the sofas placed around it, people usually pay extra attention to decorate their coffee tables with different trinkets such as showpieces, rugs, tablecloths etc.
These coffee tables are made of various sorts of material such as wood, steel as well as glass.
The variation of material gives its owners a creative freedom to use different items to decorate their coffee table – one of the most popular items is the coffee table rug.
These rugs are usually small to medium in size and come in numerous designs – with shapes usually being circular or rectangular.
You do not necessarily need to have a rug under your coffee table and it usually boils down to the personal preference and the decorative aesthetics of the room.
Which is why there are many people who like to have a rug under their coffee table while others don’t.
But there are a few benefits to having a rug under your coffee table – such as, you don’t run the risk of having your coffee table slip if you have a ceramic tiled floor or you won’t have dark marks on the floor due to the table stands.
Which is why it is suggested that you put a rug under your coffee table but not doing so won’t cause any problem as well.
Why put a rug under the coffee table?
If you are conscious about the look and feel of your room, then it is highly recommended that you put a rug under your coffee table because not only will it affect how your coffee table looks but also improve the overall outlook of the room as well.
Below are some of the reasons as to why you should put a rug under your coffee table:
Makes your coffee table a center of attention:
If you have a stylish or an exotic looking coffee table in your room, then you would definitely want it to steal the attention of your guests entering the room.
And there is no better way to make that happen than to put a complimentary rug under the table. When choosing a rug for your coffee table, you need to make sure the rug compliments the looks of the coffee table.
Brings a stark contrast in color to your room:
The color of the rug also plays an important role in the overall appearance of your room. Besides choosing your rug to compliment your coffee table, you also need to make sure the color of the rug has a good enough contrast with the room.
If the color of the rug is similar to the room, it will not catch much attention – which is why you need to choose a rug of contrasting color.
Protects your coffee table and the flooring:
If you have wood flooring then there is a high chance that the coffee table will leave marks on the surface and if you have ceramic tiled flooring, then your coffee table runs a risk of slipping.
Having a rug under your coffee table solves the issue in both cases.
Can you put a round rug under a square coffee table? Can you put a round rug under a round coffee table?
There are different shapes of coffee tables available in the furniture shops such as rectangular, square, round, oval, nesting and asymmetric.
For such varieties of coffee table types, there are many rugs available of different lengths and widths as well – generally shaped either circular or rectangular.
For square shaped coffee tables, you can use square or rectangular rugs under them but when it comes to putting round rugs under square coffee tables – there is a bit of a complication.
When putting a round rug under a square coffee table you need to make sure that the circular rug is not too small that the corners of the square coffee table overflow outside the rug’s perimeter.
In the case of round rugs and round coffee tables, you can put the rugs under the table as long as the rugs are exactly or greater than the diameter of the coffee table.
What size rug do you put under a coffee table?
There are many different types of coffee tables available which makes the range of sizes of the rugs to use even wider.
One simple way to estimate which size of rug is to measure the length and width of the coffee table and then get a rug of the same size or larger.
Another useful method is to follow the standard size guide for rugs according to the size of your coffee table. This method not only reduces your efforts of manually measuring but also makes it easier to find suitable rugs.
For square coffee tables, you could get a 5’x5’ square rug for your 3’x3’ coffee table and a 6’x6’ rug if you have a 4.5’x4.5’ coffee table.
In the case of round coffee tables, you need to measure its diameter. If you have a 3’ wide coffee table you could get a 4’x6’ square or 5’ round rug. But for wider tables such as tables of 4’ of width, it is suggested that you get a 6’ round rug.
3 things to consider before placing rungs under the coffee mat
Before you proceed to place rugs under your coffee table, you must put several factors and elements into consideration, otherwise it may ruin the overall looks of your room. Some of the notable factors to consider are:
Spacing between the sofa and the rug:
Unless you want a large enough rug to be put under your sofas along with the coffee table, you should pay attention to the size of the rug.
Ideally the coffee table should be ⅔rd of the size of your sofa and thus, the rug under it should be slightly bigger or the same as the coffee table. Therefore, make sure that there is ample space between the rug’s edge and the sofa.
Size of the rug relative to the sofa:
If you have a large room, you might be enticed into getting a larger rug – but you need to keep in mind that a bad size could ruin the outlook. Which is why you should pick a rug that is only 18 inches larger than the coffee table.
Size of the rug and the coffee table:
As previously stated, the size of the rug should not be too large or smaller than the coffee table.
If the size is too large, then the coffee table will look out of proportion, if too small – the rug will look strange. Thus, pick a rug that is slightly larger than the coffee table.
How to place an area rug under a coffee table?
The set-up procedure for a rug to place under a coffee table is detailed down below:
Measure your coffee table’s size:
Measure the length and width of your coffee table if it’s a square table, measure diameter if it’s round.
Measure the distance between your sofa and the coffee table:
To ensure an ample spacing between the sofa and the rug, you need to measure the distance between the coffee table’s edge and the sofa. The rug should be at least 12 inches away from the sofa.
Pick a suitable rug:
Finally, select a suitable rug that fits the appearance of the coffee table as well as has a good color contrast with your room.
Final Thoughts
Whether or not to place a rug under a coffee table is a matter of personal preference. Rugs that only stretch up to the coffee table are available, as are rugs that extend beyond the coffee table. A rug under the coffee table not only adds to its elegance but also keeps it from slipping.