How To Choose the Right Rug Size

And sometimes you need a little explanation to go along with it.

Maybe you need to figure out what size rug for a living room, or you’re looking to restyle a whole open concept floor plan. You’ll find that that there are standard rug types and sizes for each area. 

• Accent - 3x5 to 4x6, 4’ small round rugs for some foyers. Accent rugs are often used next to a bed or in a foyer.

• Area - 4x8 or 6x9, 8x8 for a sitting area, 2x3 mat for the foot of a favorite easy chair. Area rugs are used in a larger foyer, to define a sitting area, or under a bed.

• Room - 8x11 to 9x13, 8’ large round for some living rooms. Room rugs provide warmth in standard living or dining rooms, under a table, or under a bed.

• Runner - 2x8 or 2x10. Runners are generally used in hallways, or occasionally on either side of a bed.

Once you know how to choose a rug size, there are a few special considerations for each room.

What size rug for a living room? According to John Delong, Design Consultant at Bassett Home Furnishings’ Perimeter Center store in Atlanta, “It’s all about keeping things in scale with the furniture, keeping it in scale with the room.” In other words, consider both the size of the room and the furniture groupings. To make the room appear spacious, choose a rug size that extends a few inches beyond all the furniture. Alternatively, you could choose a rug that goes just a few inches under the front feet of the sofa, end tables, and accent chairs. Just be sure to leave some bare floor between the edge of a rug and the room’s walls – at least 5 inches in a small room, or 18 inches in a larger room. 

Under a dining room table, people often think the rug should be the same size as the tabletop. Really that’s too small. For comfort and safety, the rug should go 30 to 36 inches beyond the edge of the dining table. In other words, if the table measures 44 x 66 inches, the rug should be at least 8x10. This allows all four legs of the chairs to rest comfortably on the rug when everyone is sitting down to dinner.

Bedroom rug sizes run the gamut! Whatever size you choose, the goal is to have something soft underfoot when you pop out of bed in the morning. If you want to place the whole bed and nightstands on the rug, you’ll need a 9x12 for a king or an 8x10 for a queen. You can also opt to place just the lower 2/3 of the bed on the rug, and make the rug perpendicular to the bed itself. Other options include a runner alongside the bed – just be sure the runner doesn’t extend beyond the foot of the bed. Or you can use an accent rug just where your feet hit the floor. Whatever size you choose, be sure to add a rug pad for comfort and safety.

A hallway rug should be a runner rug that covers at least ¾ the length of the corridor, with a little floor showing on either side. If your hallway includes furniture like an accent table, make sure the furniture legs don’t rest on the runner rug.

Smaller accent rugs spice up a foyer or the foot of a favorite easy chair, and can be used bedside or in front of the kitchen sink as well. If used in the foyer, the size of the accent rug should be at least as wide as the door.

Once you know how to choose a rug size, you can move on to the fun part – choosing either a solid color rug or a patterned rug to coordinate with your room. And remember the rug pad too! A rug pad in the same size as your rug is the best way to make sure your floors are protected while keeping your family and guests safe from possible rug slips.

When choosing rug size, the easiest thing is often just to bring your room and furniture measurements to a Bassett Home Furnishings store. Our design consultants love to help you seek out a rug that coordinates with your ideas for the room. 

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