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Ideas & Advice > Rug Size Guide > Tips on How to Layer Rugs

Rug Size Guides

Tips on How to Layer Rugs

A singular rug can transform your room’s aesthetic, but layering two rugs atop one another is a great method for furthering that style and doing something different with your rugs. There are many sizes, shapes, and layouts that allow for layered rugs in key spaces like living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. However, in order to maximize their effect, it’s best to follow certain principles in layering your rugs.

Learn More About Rug Layering

  1. Color Coordination & Patterns
  2. Sizing
  3. Layering Textures
  4. Positions & Safety
  5. How to Layer Rugs in a Living Room
  6. How to Layer Rugs in a Bedroom
  7. How to Layer Rugs Boho Style
Queen Size Runner Rug

Color Coordination & Patterns

The most popular setup for color combinations is to set a neutral colored rug as the bottom layer and a patterned, colorful rug on the top. With this approach, you show off a larger color palette through the top rug and do not hide the pattern beneath the other rug. You can layer two patterned rugs atop one another, but the room may feel cluttered with two bold rugs. If you are determined to use two patterned rugs, choose one rug that has a very large general pattern for the bottom layer and use a more intricate, colorful rug on the top. In any case, it’s wise to have some similar colors throughout both rugs, such as a brown jute rug being placed beneath an oriental rug with beige accents.

Sizing

The size of both rugs depends on the size of the room itself and how they are placed with nearby furniture. No matter what layout you settle on for your room, the base rug should always be larger than the one above it. The rug on top should be about two-thirds the size of the rug beneath. For example, a 5x8 rug would balance well with an 8x10 rug or a 6x9 would fit well on a 9x12 rug. If there is too little a difference between the rugs, like pairing a 5x7 and a 5x8, the bottom rug will be too hidden and seem like it was unintentionally placed there. Sizing and scaling are both highly important in layering rugs.

Round rug for queen size bed
Queen Size Runner Rug

Textures

Using consistent texture throughout both rugs can help create a very cohesive design. However, some styles intentionally use a textured rug like a jute or sisal rug on the bottom to highlight a more coarse texture without having that rug’s texture dominate the room. Jute rugs are often the base for wool, cotton, or synthetic rugs that are softer. Even if the two rugs do use the same texture, each rug will still add an additional layer of texture to the room and create more depth in the grand design.

Positioning & Safety

The most common layout for layering rugs is to center the smaller rug atop the other one. If you have an eclectic style, you can off center the rugs by following this method: center the large rug with your furniture. Then, play with the smaller rug’s position to accent the larger one and nearby furniture. No matter how you layer the rugs, it is important to use rug pads or other methods to secure both rugs. Without the proper grip, both rugs may slip and slide on the floor and away from one another. Tripping becomes a real hazard with improperly secured rugs, and it can be an issue if you have too many high rugs layered with one another.

Round rug for queen size bed

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Queen Size Runner Rug

How to Layer Rugs in a Living Room

Both rugs will typically be used to highlight your main seating area. The large rug should have some overlap with the nearby furniture to ground the space. Oftentimes, the front legs of the sofa and nearby chairs will rest on this base rug. If you have a particularly large living room, you may have the large rug further beneath the furniture. Then, the smaller rug can rest centered on top of the large area rug and be centered within the seating area itself. It can overlap with the front legs of nearby furniture or it can rest entirely in front of them. Common sizes for living room base rugs include 6x9, 8x10, and 9x12. The top rug may be 4x6, 5x8, or 8x10 depending on the size of the room and nearby furniture.

How to Layer Rugs in the Bedroom

If your bed is the central focal point of the room, then you will likely center both rugs directly beneath the bed. The easiest way to balance two rugs under your bed is to have them both rest all the way under the bed or both under the bottom two-thirds. Another option is to set the larger rug all the way under the bed, and a smaller accent rug can sit centered on that rug. This rug may be about half the size of the base rug to ensure the top rug is not too close to any of the edges. Large rugs can also be layered with runner rugs on the sides of the bed to frame out the space.

In bedrooms with wide, open areas, you can center the rugs in the middle of the room itself and maintain the ratio of the top being two-thirds the size of the other one. The rugs may come directly in front of other furniture like dressers, chairs, and shelves or the base rug can go a bit beneath those furnishings.

Round rug for queen size bed

How to Layer Rugs Boho Style

Boho styles are particularly eclectic with patterns and colors, which means that layered rugs in bohemian rooms can have more whimsical, unexpected positions. Oftentimes a large rug will serve as a base and then numerous smaller rugs will be layered in various positions overtop of it. A round rug may take up one corner of the rug while a rectangular runner intersects that corner and runs down the side. There are no formulas for layering rugs in bohemian settings: the concept is more about doing what feels right and balanced. In order to create that balance, look for similarities between all the rugs, such as similar colors, color tones, patterns and motifs, and overarching style. Keeping these facets in mind will help you express a bohemian style without overwhelming the room.


Layering rugs is a fun, versatile way to create your ideal tone and aesthetic. Whether you are looking to create an approachable farmhouse style or an eclectic bohemian room, you now have the knowledge and ability to layer rugs like a pro in your home.

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