The 411 on Rug Sizes

Do you have the right size rug for your space? A few inches can make all the difference between a rug pulling the room together or making it feel disjointed. One of the more common decorating dilemmas I hear from clients is choosing an appropriately sized rug.  

Help is on the way!  Below are some general rules of thumb for helping you determine the best rug size for your space. Of course these are just guidelines; do what works best for your situation and follow your gut. 

In the Living Room

The rug is really the foundation of a living room. Typical living room rug sizes are 8x10 or 9x12. When in doubt, size up.

There are a few common ways to size a rug in the living room. Our favorite is the “front legs on” method. To do this, choose a rug that allows for only the front legs of every piece of furniture in the grouping to be on the rug. You want to make sure your rug runs the length of your sofa and preferably is at least 6” wider than your sofa on both sides.

The “all legs on rug” option is a good choice when anchoring a living room in an open-concept space or for any furniture grouping that floats (has no furniture against a wall). Placing all the furniture on the rug will unify the pieces and create a defined seating area. An option that works well for small or narrow spaces is the “float”. This is when the rug is under the coffee table only, not your seating. Just don’t let the gap from your sofa to your rug be larger than 5″.

In the Bedroom

Our favorite way of placing rugs in the bedroom is to place them horizontally under the front two-thirds of the bed like in the graphic below. We have found that an 8x10 rug works best for queen beds and a 9x12 for a king.

Another popular option is to place a rug under the entire bed and nightstands. Runners on either side of the bed are also a great look if you have a small bedroom and you don’t want your rug to take up the entire space. No matter which option you choose, allow for 2 to 3 feet of rug on either side of the bed.

In the Dining Room

The shape of your room and dining table should impact whether your rug is rectangular or round. If you have a round table, we recommend using a round rug. A rectangular table would have a rectangle rug. Whatever you do, your dining room rug should extend at least 2 feet beyond your table on each side, so there’s room to pull out the chairs.

Here are a few additional tips on picking the perfect size rug:

  • Outline your intended rug size in the room with painters tape to see if it will be a perfect fit. It will really help you visualize the final look.

  • Although the “too small rug for the room” look is a common mistake, you also don’t want your rug to overwhelm the space and look like wall to wall carpet. So give yourself at least 10″ to 18″ from rug to wall. 

  • Rugs can be pricey, especially when you are looking at a larger size. A great way to stretch your dollars is to choose a natural fiber rug, like a jute or sisal, as a large base. Then layer a smaller rug, with a different color and material, on top. 

  • Custom size rugs have now become mainstream.  Keep in mind that West Elm, Pottery Barn and Room & Board now offer customized rugs if a standard size just won’t work..

Screen Shot 2021-07-23 at 12.43.50 PM.png
Screen Shot 2021-07-23 at 12.43.40 PM.png
Screen Shot 2021-07-23 at 12.34.50 PM.png

Thanks to Wayfair for rug sizing images