Round rugs solve a specific problem rectangular ones can't: they soften a room full of hard angles. A round carpet under a square coffee table, or beneath a rectangular dining table, breaks up the geometry instead of repeating it.
Sizing a round rug correctly
The most common mistake is going too small. A round rug should extend at least a foot beyond the furniture it's anchoring on every side — a 7x7 foot piece like this silk-on-silk Ardebil, for instance, comfortably seats a round dining table for six with chairs pulled out.
Round rugs also work well in spaces that don't have an obvious rectangle to fill — a bay window nook, a reading corner, the foot of a curved staircase — anywhere a straight-edged rug would leave awkward gaps.
