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The importance of scale.

By Isabel Gomes

Home Stager with Gomes Design

May 07, 2009 06:42 AM

I just wrote a comment on the blog " A little lesson on scale - no pun intended".

I have seen clients and stagers use very small area rugs under dining tables. When you place an area rug under a table with chairs, you should be able to pull the chair out and the chair should still be on the rug. Visually there is no balance when a rug is the same size as the table and chairs stuffed in close to the table. It resembles an island inthe middle of the floor. It is best to remove the rug in this situation. Those 5x7 and 6 x8 are best used for the front door or a very small room that is a sitting area with 2 chairs.

As well as with sitting areas. If you are not covering the whole room to 1 - 1.5 feet away from the wall with an area rug, then area rug should be large enough to lay under the front feet of the sofa and chairs. 8 x 10 are a good start, and up from there or nothing at all.

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Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Hi Isabel. Very good point on scale. Like your example, you don't want too small a rug under a table. Nor too large a piece of furniture for a room.

May 07, 2009 07:42 AM

Kelly Townsend

Coldwell Banker - Santa Rosa, CA

CDPE, Realtor

I agree. Small rugs are very distracting and don't serve their original purpose which is to anchor a space.

May 07, 2009 05:23 PM

Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging

Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR

"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Isabel ~ Scale is really important when staging for selling, but in a room with hardwood floors we like to use a 5 x 8 rug in the seating area so that the selling feature -- the floors -- are highlighted. I'd use a larger rug for a design client. It really drives me crazy though when a too-small area rug is used that doesn't fit the space!

May 07, 2009 05:57 PM

Sylvie Conde

Sutton Group-Associates Realty Inc., Brokerage - Toronto, ON

Broker, Toronto Real Estate

Isabel, you're so right. Right now I have a rug under my dining room table that someone gave me (it's one of those people you can't hurt by saying "no, it's too small") ... and every time I pass by, I push the chairs closer to the table, and closer ... and closer.....
When you pull out the chairs, the rug doesn't quite make it. It doesn't look right.
I've been looking for the exact same area rug, only larger, so I can replace it, and hope no one notices. :)

May 08, 2009 03:41 AM

Isabel Gomes

Gomes Design - London, ON

Interior Decorator, Stager - London, Ont

Gary - Yes it's not just the small, its the too big for the space. When one goes out to buy furniture is looks a lot smaller than when it enters the house. It is displayed in a large area so it looks smaller. Always take you measuring tape.

Kelly - I agree. I perfer no rug at all.

Maureen - I still think that you will highlight a wood floor with a larger rug. Those small rugs also drive me nuts.

May 14, 2009 01:22 AM

Sylvie - I would find somewhere else to put it and go without under the table untilyou find the right one.

May 14, 2009 01:26 AM

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Isabel Gomes

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