Selecting the Right Rug Size for a Room

If you’ve got hard surface flooring, then you likely have or want an area rug. Not only does it define a space but it makes it feel grounded, too. An area rug will also help reduce noise and prevent that slight echo you might hear in a room if you don’t have one. Plus, it’s a lot softer underfoot and adds a cozy feel.

Standard rug sizes are 3-foot by 5-foot, 5-foot by 8-foot, 8-foot by 10-foot, 9-foot by 12-foot and 12-foot by 15-foot.

But what size should you get?

Living Room
In a living room, it should be about the size of the seating area with all furniture legs on the rug and at least six inches wider than your sofa on both sides.

If your seating configuration won’t allow for this, make sure the front legs are placed on the rug to keep the seating area unified. Keep in mind that ‘back legs off’ only applies to chairs and sofas. A coffee table and side tables should always have all legs on the rug.

Never have all furniture legs off the rug as it will look like it’s floating in the room and the furniture won’t be anchored in the space.

Dining Room
A dining room rug should be at least two feet larger on all sides of the dining table to allow enough space to pull out chairs.

Bedroom
In the bedroom, the rug size often depends on the type of bed (king, queen, double or twin), whether you want to fit your bed and nightstands on it when the rug is placed perpendicular to them and the room size.

For instance, either an 8-foot by 10-foot or 9-foot by 12-foot rug is a good size to accommodate a king or queen-size bed and nightstands. A smaller sized rug can be used if you don’t want to place your nightstands on it. If placing three-quarters of the rug underneath the bed, make sure that 2 to 3-feet of the rug peeks out underneath the foot of the bed and it is a minimum of 1-foot wider than your bed on either side.

Shopping Tips
To be sure you are getting the correct size rug, mark the placement area directly on the floor with painter’s tape so you can visualize it.

If there is a generous gap between the edges of the rug and other furniture in a room, like a television console, dresser, buffet or hutch, consider sizing up.

Also, be sure to maintain a space of bare floor all the way around the room to frame the layout. This is typically eight inches in smaller rooms and up to 18 inches in larger ones.