How to Choose the Right Size Area Rug

If you read my guest post on Between Carpools, you know that to really uplift a room and make it feel complete, you need the right size rug. Too small and your room looks choppy and disconnected. Too large and it looks like wall-to-wall carpeting. In my experience, most people end up with rugs that are too small for a space. I think this is because when you see a rug in the 5 x 7 size for one price and then you size up to the 8 x 10, the price goes way up as well. I know, I know, it’s tempting. But if you really want to have the beautiful space you crave, you need to get the right size rug. When in doubt, always size up!

So you’re probably thinking, how do I know what the right size rug is for my space? The general rule is that all the furniture in the room should be on the rug, or at least the front legs of the furniture. There should also (generally) be 18 inches of space around the rug and the rug should be centered in the room. This ensures that the room feels cohesive and connected. Let’s go through each room in detail.

Living Room:

So in the living room, it’s simple. Just follow the rule above. All furniture legs, or at least the front legs, should be on the rug. For an average size living room, this will usually be an 8 x 10 or 9 x 12 rug.

Bedroom:

A rug in a bedroom is not a necessity the way it is in a living room. A bedroom can look complete without an area rug. However, if you have flooring that gives you cold feet in the morning or you want to add some coziness, a rug can help you achieve that. In a bedroom, ideally, you want the rug to be under the bed and nightstands. You can leave the head of the bed off the rug which will allow you to get a smaller rug. That means that for a twin, you can usually get away with a 5×8. For a full or a queen, you should use a 6×9, or 8×10. If you have two beds in a room, you will probably need to go with a bigger size to ensure that the rug will be wide enough to fit under both beds.

Dining Room:

So if you have little kids and you use your dining room often, I would not recommend a rug. However, if this doesn’t apply to you, here’s how to size your dining room rug. Generally, your rug should match the shape of the table. So for a circle table, go with a circle rug. There should be enough room for the chairs to be pulled out from the table and still be on the rug. On average, this would be about 2 feet wider than your table.

Now for the fun part, my favorite rugs (on a budget of course!)

I personally have the rug below in my family room and it has held up great

I recently put this rug in 9 x 12 in a client’s living room and they are loving it!

If you like a more geometric look, here’s one for you!

In order to protect your rug, you should use a spray protector like this one by Scotchgard. For more tips on how to clean and maintain your rug, click here.