At some point in our lives, we have all experienced the moment when we move into an unfurnished house and are met with the demands of decorating a completely blank space. Where do you start? Certainly not with small decor items, a new room needs to nail down the larger furniture pieces to help frame the space. So, which comes first: the sofa or the rug?
In my rental apartment experience, I have always deemed the sofa as the more essential piece. However, after posing the question to interior design experts, it seems the answer is more likely to change with each room. Designers argue that choosing a rug is an essential first step, as it often defines the room's mood and sets a textural foundation that uniquely grounds a space in a way that a sofa does not. On the other hand, the sofa is often the piece you will use the most.
So while there is a debate for either side, that doesn't help the dilemma of designing your room. For that, I narrowed down the answers of interior designers for more streamlined guidance, and the verdict is in: it's easier to choose your rug first. Here's why.
Why Choosing the Rug First Tends to Be More Helpful
The striped sofa in this living room is more of an accent piece that can be swapped in and out, therefore being a rug that was most likely added after the more neutral sofa was chosen.
As someone with a background in the rug industry, interior designer and founder of Ashley Stark Home, Ashley Stark, says she tends to select the rug first. Why? Rugs are foundational in a space. Whether you choose a bold pattern or a texture that adds depth, a rug's placement tends to anchor the entire room.
Furthermore, "Rugs can be harder to source — finding the right pattern, texture, size, and color all have to come together, making this one of the first things I like to check off my list," explains Ashley. Sofas, on the other hand, are a bit easier to customize and come in a wider range of styles, fabrics, and colors.
When designing a space, first decide whether you want your rug to stand out as a statement or naturally support the overall design. If both pieces are neutral, it often doesn't matter as much which item you choose first. But if you’re looking for an abstract rug or statement piece, especially something with a bold pattern or hue, "I’d recommend starting with a rug," says Ashley.
Colorado-based interior designer, Leslie Dapper, adds, "In my experience, it's often easier to find a statement rug than a statement sofa. Additionally, the range of fabric options available for sofas tends to be much broader than for rugs, making it simpler to coordinate a sofa fabric with a rug."
Ashley Stark is the creative director of STARK and the namesake behind Ashley Stark Home. At an early age, she fell in love with the legendary carpet and textile company founded by her grandparents, which influenced her career in design. Ashley Stark Home is the natural evolution of her unique experience and her family’s venerable heritage brand.
Leslie settled in Steamboat Springs in the 70's and worked with an interior design firm for almost 20 years on local and national projects. She went on to create her own firm, but ultimately joined Rumor Designs as a lead designer in 2013. Leslie loves mixing classic style with contemporary finishes, or old world finishes with contemporary art or furniture.
If you've decided to go with your rug first, the best rule of thumb is to keep the sofa a bit more neutral so it can evolve with different rug trends over time, or by season. For example, in the fall and winter, "I like to layer rugs for extra warmth, so having a neutral sofa makes it much easier to mix in new colors, textures, and patterns without throwing off the entire space," says Leslie.
At the end of the day, a rug can really set the tone and overall design direction of a room. "Whether it's an heirloom antique, a cozy braided rug, a bold contemporary piece, or a western 'Yellowstone' theme, the rug often dictates the style and feel we aim for with the sofa and other furnishings," Leslie continues.
This purple statement rug from Nordic Knots is the perfect piece to frame a room around, and hits on one of this year's biggest color trends.
One of my greatest obsessions this year has been cut-out rugs, and I believe they would make the perfect addition to a rug-centered room. Plus, olive green is a hue that is easy to mix and match with a multitude of colors and styles.
If you want something a bit more neutral, this diamond jute rug by John Lewis blends beautifully into any room and with any sofa.
When Should You Choose Your Sofa First?
Both the sofa and rug are part of a neutral color scheme and don't compete for the attention of the room.
Of course, there is always an exception to the rule. Anna Baraness, interior designer at Studio AK says, "Typically, the sofa will be the most used piece in the room, so we need to perfect the comfort factor, best sofa colors, and shape before anything else." The rug can come next.
Sofas are often a major investment, and the sofa type you choose needs to hold up to daily wear and tear, whereas rugs in high-traffic areas tend to take a beating. Not to mention, if you’re working with a large room, like in open-concept living room layouts, rugs that size can get expensive fast.
Interior designer, Melanie Bryant of Mississippi-based Melanie Bryant Interiors, says, "Unless we’re working with a bigger budget (and can splurge on each piece), I’ll often choose something like a natural fiber rug (jute, sisal, or seagrass) that acts more like a neutral base. It’s functional, forgiving, and easy to replace down the line."
Anna Baraness is the founder and principal designer at Studio AK. Anna holds a Sociology and Art History degree from Guelph University and a Bachelor of Interior Design degree from Ryerson University in Toronto. Prior to founding Studio AK, Anna spent eight years working at an AD100 firm. She has experience working on luxury homes around the globe, including multiple residences throughout the UK and Europe.
Melanie Bryant, founder of Melanie Bryant Interiors, has over a decade of first-hand experience in new construction design and renovation. This experience, along with her time serving as both a representative for a home goods wholesaler and a stylist in a high-end furniture showroom, led her to expand her knowledge of residential design with formal training. Since creating MBI in 2013, she has worked on a variety of projects, ranging from designing newly constructed homes from the ground up to renovating and redecorating older homes. With a focus on refined classicism, Melanie curates spaces that beautifully showcase clients' unique personalities and lifestyles.
There's no better way to make a statement in a living room than with a patterned sofa. And, there's no pattern more in vogue, yet timeless than stripes. Plan your sofa first, rug second, with this design from Cath Kidston.
This sofa from DUSK is definitely a piece you can plan your room around. When picking a stylish, yet neutral sofa first, it allows you to play around with rug colors and patterns second — a win, win, if you ask me.
Color is often a factor that will ultimately lead to going sofa first in your design. If you are set on choosing a bold colorway (like this velvet, olive green sofa from Tom Dixon) then let the sofa anchor the room and choose your rug from there.
Rugs ground a space while sofas really offer scale and comfort. Together, they define how a space feels — whether that’s cozy, modern, traditional, or functional. No matter which you end up choosing first, when done right, "they should feel like they belong together and should not feel like they’re competing for attention," says Ashley.
Now that I've hopefully helped with this debate, next up is whether to choose paint color or furnishings first.
