A full-size rug helps pull every element of the room together, bringing style, polish and warmth to your home

A room without a rug feels unfinished: Each piece of furniture seems to float as an island, the various elements feel cluttered rather than connected, and noises echo and reverberate. Whether the rug comes at the beginning or end of your decorating plan, you'll find that it can be the key thread that links together the furnishings, fabrics and color scheme. Room-size rugs range from large to small, but a good rule of thumb is to allow about 12 to 18 inches of floor as a border around the rug (in small rooms, you can leave less floor showing). In a very large or open room, you may want to consider using two different but related (similarly colored) rugs to anchor each seating area.

Image shown: Devonshire Dijon Rug