We often spend a long time thinking about what goes on the walls when we're decorating a room, but what happens on the floor is just as important.
The right rug placement determines where furniture sits, how a seating area feels, and, ultimately, whether the room feels pulled together. Just ask Martha Stewart, whose large area rugs offer an easy way to anchor furniture and give a room the considered proportions designers look for.
Her collaboration with Safavieh (available via Amazon) brings together hand-tufted wool, natural jute, and muted, botanical-inspired patterns. The designs are understated enough to work around existing furniture, while the texture and pattern are shaping rug trends for 2027. As ever, she's ahead of the curve.
The collection also has a practical element: Martha's Amazon storefront includes a series of different-sized pieces, some of which retail for $160, making it possible to cover a larger area without spending what you might expect from a designer rug.
As top designers explain, a rug's size can make a bigger difference in a room than you might think. One of the easiest ways to make a living room feel disjointed is to choose a rug that is too small. A rug tucked beneath the coffee table, with the sofa and chairs sitting entirely around it, can leave the furniture looking as though it belongs to separate areas of the room.
Instead, designers (including Abigail Ahern, below) generally recommend choosing a rug that extends beyond the coffee table and underneath at least the front legs of the surrounding seating. It creates a clearer boundary for the seating area, making the whole layout feel more curated.
Shop Martha Stewart X SAFAVIEH Rug Deals
Martha Stewart X Safavieh Outdoor Sisal Area Rug 8'x10', Beige
This neutral rug brings a subtle pattern to a room without making it feel too busy. I’d use it to add a little more warmth and texture to a living room, bedroom or entryway. There's no wrong place for this classic piece.
Martha Stewart X Safavieh Area Rug Collection - 5' X 8', Ivory & Pink
The faded pink and ivory pattern feel especially beautiful with old wood furniture and softer upholstery. I’d use it in a bedroom or sitting room where you want the rug to bring in a little color without changing the space's overall aesthetic.
Martha Stewart X Safavieh Area Rug Collection - 9' X 12', Ivory & Green
The slightly timeworn pattern gives this rug a sense of age without looking overly traditional. I’d pair it with antiques, painted furniture and natural textures for a room that feels collected over time.
Martha Stewart X Safavieh Area Rug Collection - 9' X 12', Blue & Ivory
I love the almost sketched quality of this rug’s pattern, which gives it a little more personality than a typical blue-and-white design. I’d pair it with simple upholstery and wood furniture so the pattern can do the work.
Martha Stewart X Safavieh Area Rug Collection - 8' X 10', Ivory
I’d use this rug to break up a room full of solid upholstery and wood furniture. The faded pattern has enough character to make the space feel layered, but it doesn’t compete with the pieces around it. Of course, Martha thought of everything.
Martha Stewart X Safavieh Area Rug Collection - 10' X 14', Ivory & Green
This rug fits right into Martha Stewart’s style of mixing classic patterns with pieces that feel comfortable and lived-in. I’d pair it with painted furniture, natural wood and woven accents for a collected look that feels so Bedford-inspired.
Interior designer and author Abigail Ahern agrees that getting the scale right can significantly affect how a room works.
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'In my world, a room just isn’t complete without a rug,' she explains. 'Adding texture, coziness, and a soft spot for your feet to land, they are the finishing touch to any room, but one of the biggest mistakes can be going too small.' She adds that a rug that doesn't fill the space can 'visually shrink the room and make it feel disjointed rather than flowing.'
For larger rooms, Abigail has another solution when a single rug doesn't quite cover the floor plan. 'If a rug isn't quite large enough, I often double up, placing them next to or near each other to create a more generous footprint,' she says. 'It's one of the simplest ways to transform a space; suddenly everything feels more grounded, more cocooning, more layered.'
Martha’s approach is to use the rug to anchor the whole seating area, rather than treating it as an afterthought.
A generous living room rug gives the furniture a more defined place within the space and can make the space feel considered without adding more furniture or decoration. In the end, it's just as important as the thought you'd give to your walls.