TL;DR
Get business pricing on tools and workshop supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
Rug designer Luke Irwin shared a simple way to test rug dimensions at home: lay pages from an old Financial Times on the floor to map the area. In an interview with Livingetc, he also advised placing all furniture on a rug in a large open-plan room, or at least the front legs in other settings.
Rug designer Luke Irwin, whose clients have included The Rolling Stones and members of the British royal family, has shared a practical way to judge rug dimensions at home: arrange pages from an old Financial Times on the floor to mark out the proposed size. The tip, given in an interview with Livingetc, addresses a common room-planning problem Irwin identifies: rugs that are too small for the furniture and space around them.
Irwin told Livingetc that size, pattern and color are the three main considerations when choosing a rug. He described size as the most difficult and consequential choice: a rug that is too large can overwhelm a room, while one that is too small can look out of proportion. His newspaper method offers a way to view the footprint in place before committing to a purchase.
For a large open-plan space, Irwin’s general rule is to have all the furniture sit on the rug, helping define the seating area. In other rooms, he recommends placing at least the front legs of the furniture on the rug. He said he finds it visually awkward when furniture is only partly on and partly off the rug.
Irwin said the Financial Times’ paper color works well for picturing the scale on a floor. The pages are a stand-in for the rug’s outline, not a precise guide to its final appearance: they do not reproduce the rug’s texture, pattern or actual color. Livingetc’s report presents the technique as an at-home visualization aid rather than a formal measuring standard.
A Simple Test Before Buying
Rug dimensions affect how a room’s furniture relates to one another and whether a seating area reads as a defined zone. Irwin’s approach gives readers a low-cost way to test a layout with materials they may already have, instead of relying only on a product image or trying to imagine the footprint from measurements.
The advice also points to a practical distinction: a rug can be attractive on its own but still feel mismatched to the room if its dimensions do not work with the furniture. Testing the outline on the floor can help reveal that mismatch before an order is placed. The source does not claim the hack guarantees the right choice; it is a planning aid that can be paired with accurate measurements.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Irwin’s Bespoke Rug Studio
Irwin’s namesake studio was established in 2003 and designs and makes hand-knotted, made-to-order rugs. According to Livingetc, the studio’s designs are developed in London and produced by traditional artisans in workshops in Jaipur and New Delhi, India, and Nepal. Customers can personalize choices including size, color, weave, textile and design, with support from the studio team.
The interview describes Irwin’s clientele as spanning music, politics and royalty, naming U2, The Rolling Stones, Barack Obama and British royals. These client references provide context for his design career; the immediate subject of the report is his advice on selecting and sizing a rug, not a newly announced commission or product launch.
“A great hack for being able to visualize the perfect size is to lay out an old copy of the Financial Times on the floor, as the color of the paper is perfect for visualizing scale.”
— Luke Irwin, speaking to Livingetc
Limits of the Newspaper Method
The interview does not specify how many newspaper pages to use, how to account for irregular room shapes, or how much clearance to leave around the rug. The paper method helps visualize an outline, but it does not replace measuring the room and furniture or checking the rug’s listed dimensions. Irwin’s placement guidance is presented as a general rule, not a universal standard for every room or furniture arrangement.
The source also does not give a publication date for the interview. It reports Irwin’s advice and career details but does not announce a new collection, client commission or change in his business.
Measure Before You Order
Readers considering the technique can mark the intended rug area with newspaper, then compare that outline with the room’s dimensions and the position of each piece of furniture. Before ordering, they should confirm the product’s actual measurements and consider whether the layout meets the needs of their particular space. The Livingetc report does not identify a follow-up announcement or event; the practical next step is to use the outline as a check alongside exact measurements.
Key Questions
What is Luke Irwin’s rug-sizing trick?
He suggests laying pages from an old Financial Times on the floor to visualize the area a rug would cover.
How should furniture sit on a rug?
Irwin’s general advice is to place all furniture on the rug in a large open-plan room, and at least the front legs on it in other settings.
Does the newspaper method replace measuring?
No. It helps show the rug’s footprint, but readers should still check the room, furniture and product’s exact dimensions.
Who is Luke Irwin?
Irwin is a rug designer whose namesake studio, established in 2003, makes hand-knotted, made-to-order rugs. Livingetc reports that his clients have included U2, The Rolling Stones, Barack Obama and British royals.
Source: rss
Fall yard work Picks
leaf blowers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
