When shopping for a rug, it’s not just about a pretty pattern or pop of color that speaks to you. It’s also important to choose the right-size rug for your room. Here’s how the pros do it. 

Rug Rules

There are a handful of rules of thumb that you should aim to follow when you buy a rug. Here are our top three tried-and-true rules of rug sizing.

#1 Bigger is better: When selecting a rug, one of the biggest mistakes that people make is buying a rug that is too small for the space. An undersized rug can actually make a room feel smaller than it really is and can diminish the room’s impact.

#2 Furniture legs on the rug: If possible, buy a rug large enough that all four legs of all of your furniture pieces can sit squarely on the rug. At the very least, the front legs of your furniture pieces should be on the rug. 

#3 Try a size before you buy: To get an idea of whether or not a certain rug size is right for a particular room, buy a roll of painter’s tape and measure out the rug size on the floor. This will help you get a sense of the size before you commit to it. 

Room-by-Room Rug Size Guide

Living Room or Family Room

This is probably one of the most lived-in rooms of your home, where family, friends and maybe even pets congregate. Not only should you look for a rug in a material that can accommodate high traffic, you should also make sure the rug is sized appropriately so that people aren’t tripping on the ends of the rug. 

Take stock of your existing furniture pieces, layout, size of the room, and proximity to other rooms in your home. If you have an open floor plan, you can use a rug to better define the living area and set it apart from adjacent areas, such as a dining space. Your rug should “float” in the room away from the walls, and be anchored down by your furniture. 

Living room rugs are typically in the neighborhood of 8’x10’ or larger, but you may go smaller (such as 6’ x 9’) if you have a room that’s on the smaller side. Your rug should be 6” to 8” wider than your sofa on both sides and run the length of the sofa, and you should aim for a 10” to 24” border of flooring around your rug.  

Our pick: The Original Sevilla Seafoam Indoor Area Rug will enhance your living room with a relaxing color palette and refined design. For living rooms, opt for the 7’10” x 10’6” or 9’10” x 13’2”. 

Dining Room

Food spills, crumbs, and people getting up and down from the table should all be part of the equation when selecting a rug for this space. Not only should your dining room rug stand up to frequent vacuuming and be stain-resistant, the correct size means people can easily pull their chairs in and out and get up and down from the table without catching a chair leg on the rug. 

They should also be able to sit at the table with all four legs of the chair on the rug. Having two legs hanging off the back of the rug can feel odd or uncomfortable. To achieve this, select a rug size that will enable all chair legs to sit completely on the rug when the rug is centered underneath the table. As well, the rug should be 30 inches larger than your table on all sides. 

Our pick: The Bohemian Martinique Multi Indoor Area Rug has a fashionable vintage vibe, with overdyed shades of brown, ivory, white, and pops of aqua blue. The 7’10” x 10’6” size is just right for a table with four to six chairs. 

Bedroom

Having a soft rug underfoot is a must for making the bedroom the tranquil escape you crave at the end of a long day.

Depending on the size of your bed, your rug should provide an 18” to 2’ minimum border on each side and at the foot of your bed. Place your rug so that the top is about where your pillows are, and so that it’s resting in front of your nightstands or bedside tables. The rug should be as wide or just wider than the far end of your nightstand. 

Do you have a king bed? A 9’ x 12’ rug is the best fit, because it allows a 2’ border on each side and at the foot. For a queen bed, select an 8’ x 10’ or 6’ x 9’. For rooms with full or twin beds, consider placing smaller rugs on either side or between beds. 

Our pick: The Original Alluvion Blueberry Indoor Area Rug comes in serene shades of deep blue and natural gray with a soothing designer pattern. It’s available in a variety of sizes that are perfect for the bedroom. 

Kitchen or Entryway

As our kitchens become less strictly utilitarian and more about combining comfort and function, rugs have found their way into kitchen designs. Likewise for entryways, which have become about creating an inviting, welcoming space, not just a transitional one. 

Smaller rugs can often be perfect to delineate and bring extra style into these spaces. Depending on your layout, adding a runner or a smaller 3’ x 5’ rug makes a statement and can help your home feel finished and pulled together.

Our rugs in a variety of designs, colors, and sizes can help revitalize your living space and help you Escape Everyday™. Shop the rugs in our collection and find the perfect one for every room in your home.