Designing With Rugs | A good example of a properly sized living room area rug

A good demonstration of a properly sized rug: ... | Designing with ...

A good demonstration of a properly sized rug: large enough to unite all elements of the seating group; not too large however that the front legs of the sofa encroach beyond the inner guard stripe of the border; evenly bordered by the hardwood floors at the ends and behind; and does not encroach beyond the border in the floor for the hearth. 
Also a nice example of the rug establishing the  room, but not overwhelming it. You can comfortably appreciate all elements of the decor without forced attention on the rug. 

How to use a bordered rug with a sectional sofa: Example

Picture shows a successful use of a bordered rug with a sectional sofa. The key is to have the correct rug size to enable the border to be revealed equally in front of the two sections of the sofa (or -- in the case of the furniture "floating" in the room -- behind the long and short sections.) The rug should be large enough too to connect with the chair across the room. As seen here, that chair normally will be placed across a corner of the rug; although that does vary with room arrangement.
Notice too how the rug really pops with the artwork above. A lot is accomplished in an apparently small space.
http://pinterest.com/pin/133348838939473236/