When shopping for the perfect rug for your space, rug size and placement should be the initial contributing factors in your purchasing decision. While there are no set rules, there are certain guidelines and design aesthetics to consider during the shopping process. Here are a few things to take into consideration that will help you choose the right area rug size for any room:
Room-Filling Area Rugs
When wall-to-wall carpeting won’t do, a stunning, large area rug can do wonders for a sizable room. But the dimensions of the rug relative to the room must be considered. There should be at least an 18” perimeter from the edge of your rug to the wall. This presentation gives your eyes a place to rest, and evokes a sense of balance.
The carpet will feel considerably too large if it surpasses the aforementioned perimeter, creating tension between your design elements.
Living Room
The size of your living room rug is dictated by the space where it will lie. An average-sized living room will typically manage one of these common area rug sizes: 8'x10', 9'x12', or a 10'x14' area rug. In more spacious living rooms and/or great rooms, a 10'x14', 12'x16' or larger rug is desirable.
Gain a more accurate read on the appropriate rug size by using blue painter’s tape to mark the dimensions of various rug sizes within your space. This approach gives you a visual reference of how different sized rugs will lie before bringing a specific rug home.
We’re often asked if the legs of furniture should stand on or off the rug. Much of it depends on the size of the living room, the accompanying furniture and, of course, your personal taste. All of these can affect your decision. However, we’d like to offer you some guidance to help you present your rug and room in a most flattering manner.
All On
Placing all furniture legs on the rug is suitable to a more formal setting as it creates a plush, luxurious feel. We recommend rug sizes of 10’x14’ or 12’x16’ to introduce a more refined aesthetic and elevate your living area.
All Off
In smaller rooms that can be overwhelmed by a larger rug, we recommend a 6’x9' area rug. Keeping the furniture legs off the rug and on the floor subtly gives the space more breathability.
Part On
Quite often, you’ll come across rooms with furniture legs both on and off the rug. This presentation simultaneously anchors the room and opens it up. If you’re going to place the front legs of your sofa on the rug, you’ll want to do the same with other primary sitting pieces. This consistency ties the seating arrangement to the rug, resulting in a more well-defined, ordered space. The best way to properly achieve this effect is with 8'x10', 9'x12', or 10'x14' rugs.
Dining Room
Imagine you have company over for dinner—a full table of guests. Best practice calls for a rug that’s sizable enough to ensure that when each guest pull out their chair to sit down (or stand up), the back legs never reach the flooring.
Therefore, rugs placed under the dining room table should extend a minimum of 30-36” from the edge of your table.
In this instance, standard rug sizes are 6'x9', 8'x10', 9'x12', 10'x14', and 12’x16’. We recommend selecting a rug size that will accommodate the aforementioned perimeter. It’s perfectly fine if the rug extends a bit beyond these measurements.
Hallways
Hallways are rarely ornate, and can be rather ordinary. Why not transform yours into an inspired passageway. Consider this an opportunity for expression, and leverage your rug and space to beckon guests in or welcome you home with open arms. After all, first impressions are important. To help achieve this, we recommend the following:
When placing a runner down a hallway, it’s important to choose a runner rig that will keep some space between the edge of the rug and the wall. Obviously, hallways are inherently long and narrow. Therefore, the 18” perimeter between the rug and the wall undoubtedly won’t suffice.
Instead, try allowing for a minimum of 6”-8” of exposed floor on both sides of the rug. This presentation creates symmetry and visually broadens this elongated strip of space. Why settle for generic and constrained, when you can strive for expressive, crisp and airy.
Runners aren’t always enough to adequately serve exceedingly long hallways. Fortunately, there's a practical solve for this—one that doesn’t require rolling out a
veritable red carpet. Choose two identical, same-sized runners and allow 6” of floor space between them. Now you have an alluring runway.
Bedroom
The bedroom is surprisingly rife with rug placement options using a variety of area rug sizes. Layout largely depends on how you decide to position your furniture around the rug(s), or vice versa. Below are some recommendations on how to present your most personal room in its best light.
All On
First, choose a rug size that will extend at least 18” beyond the edge of your bed. This grants walking room around your bed and offers a luxurious landing pad to step onto come dawn. If you prefer to have your night stand sit atop the rug, allow for at least 6” of rug to extend from the side of your bedside stand.
A rug that hugs the boundary of your bed frame too tightly can make the space seem constrained and uncomfortable.
All Off
We recommend small scale rugs if you’ve come to the decision that ‘all off' is your preference. Place a 3'x5' rug on either side of the bed so when you wake, your feet are greeted with a welcoming “good morning”. An alternative approach is to place a 5'x8' or 6'x9' at the end of the foot board. We recommend leaving 6-8” of uncovered floor between the edge of the bed frame and the rug.
Part On
When placing only the legs of the foot board on top of the rug, 6’x9' or 8'x10', and larger rug sizes fit nicely. If part of the rug resides under the bed, ensure that it extends past the foot board a minimum of 18”.
Otherwise, it’ll feel disproportionate to the scale of your furniture and shift the visual emphasis to one side of the space.
One last thought to keep in mind...
Every space is unique and each home owner analyzes their space differently. These recommendations are meant to help instruct and inform you in your search for the perfect fitting Tufenkian, or any type of rug for that matter. Any room, especially your home, deserves the utmost consideration to make your space your own.
If you're ready to choose the perfect rug for your room, contact us and one of our qualified staff members will help you make the right choice.
