I have oriental rugs in every room (except bathrooms!) and I don't follow any rules. Family room has all furniture on rug and living room only has the coffee table on it. What will usually be the problem is that people choose rugs that are too small and it can make the space look off or unbalanced. My rugs seem to get bigger as the years have gone by ... just bougt a 12x16 and went with a slightly unconventional layout for the master bedroom, but the room is so asymmetrical with lots of useless space in the middle, that the big rug made the most sense to fill that space. I would put down the rug, try the different positions and see which layout looks best to you. You have a good eye -- trust it!

So many great comments/advice to come home to! Thank you all very much. Helps a lot- especially since I don't speak French at the moment, so just having some "conversation" in English feels good. I'm gathering that my issue about the rug is really an overall issue regarding the configuration of (possibly) all my furniture? As I'm sure everyone knows pictures are really poor at showing space and it's my own fault and lack of math skills that I'm unable to provide dimensions. I think I found an app that can use the camera to calculate square space- I'll try it. But: I DID try to float the couch in a few spaces to no avail however never facing the window wall- great idea. Just using my tape measure now I can see if I do so, I'll need to move the piano. Yeah, it's a big heavy, smelly, old, but beautiful sounding piano- I'm pleasantly stuck with. The book case is awful, I know, it's my 4yr olds- but great idea for a stand. For sure if I move one piece, I move all- but it's worth a try. It's a bit of a puzzle dealing with the heater, lack of outlets, access to tv, and this massive couch. Question: If I'm forced to stay in this position is the area rug really a bad touch? I've never seen an area rug coming from underneath a couch- between the legs. I can't tell if it's a good rule to break here. Thank you again!

Hi Julie, I arrived home from visiting my daughter in Austin this past weekend! I thought about looking you several times as I was noticing the Austin Stone. Quite a variety of shades and sizes. I saw some near the homes of Zilker Botanical Gardens that was lovely. I will keep looking for chairs but am am hosing two large gatherings in mid to late October that I could use them for. Have not looked anymore on the pictures. There is one local artist that I like his work but have not contacted him yet. I was wondering if I could do a collection of three or four large pictures instead of one large canvas. The one canvas seemed overwhelming to me but I did try to embrace it. I am looking forward to adding the bright & bold colors into the room.

I prefer the second rug layout. It's a gracious entryway so it's nice to have the rug fill the space a bit more, plus you always want to give breathing room around a rug rather than squishing it up against a wall or piece of furniture. We generally steer clear of light toned entry rugs for practical reasons so you may want to consider that. And lastly, a flat weave rug is more suitable for a space like this than a cut pile, which is what your rug appears to be (maybe I'm reading the images incorrectly?). They're more durable and easier to clean.