🪧 Rule #11 — Place furniture legs either all on or all off the rug
💬 “Half-on, half-off? That’s not styling — that’s tripping.”
🎯 Why This Rule Grounds the Room
A rug isn’t just a soft surface — it’s an anchor. It defines a zone, creates visual order, and ties furniture together. But only when it’s used properly. When furniture legs are partly on and partly off a rug, it looks unplanned and awkward. All legs on? You get a framed, unified look. All legs off? The rug acts as a bold accent. Anywhere in between? It feels like a mistake.
🛋️ How to Do It Right
- Living rooms: Either put all furniture legs (sofa, chairs, coffee table) fully on the rug, or keep them fully off with just the coffee table in the centre.
- Bedrooms: For large rugs, push them under the bed so all front legs of the bed and bedsides are on it. For small rugs, keep them floating at the foot of the bed with nothing touching.
- Dining rooms: The rule is simple: if you’re using a rug, make sure all chair legs stay on it — even when pulled out.
Example: In a Balmain terrace, we swapped a too-small rug under a lounge (legs half hanging off) for a larger one with all seating legs fully on. Instantly: cohesion, luxury, and a space that photographed twice as well.
🧠 What Buyers Really Notice
They won’t say:
“Oh, the rug placement is off.”
But they will think:
“This feels messy.”
Clean, intentional rug placement subconsciously signals a home that’s thoughtful, spacious, and worth more.
✨ Transformation Snapshot
Before: Rug barely under the sofa, side chairs halfway off, visually “floating.”
After: Properly sized rug, all legs on, coffee table perfectly centred. The whole space suddenly felt curated.
🗣️ Agent’s Perspective
“Bad rug placement can ruin even the nicest furniture. Buyers don’t know why it feels wrong — they just know it does. Get it right, and the photos do the selling.” — Sarah K., McGrath North Shore
❌ Mistake to Avoid
Don’t use rugs that are too small. If you can’t get all the legs on, go smaller and float the rug completely. Half-committed styling looks cheap.
🧭 The Journey Continues
◀ Previous: Rule #10 — Beds must be centered with equal space on each side
▶ Next: Rule #12 — Use rugs to define zones in open spaces
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