Rug Size Guide

The right size anchors a room; the wrong size makes it feel unfinished. The single most common mistake is buying too small. A larger rug makes a big room feel cozier and a small room feel larger — when in doubt, size up. Here is exactly how to size a rug for every room, using the same categories you'll see across our store.

The one rule to remember: leave a consistent border of bare floor around the rug — roughly 8 to 18 inches — so the rug frames the space instead of fighting the walls.

Living room

As a rule, let the rug reach 6 to 8 inches beyond the arms of your sofa, with 8 to 18 inches of bare floor to the walls. From there you have three placements, from most to least generous:

• All legs on (best). Every furniture leg sits on the rug, with the rug extending a few inches beyond. This makes a room feel intentional and larger. Plan for a Large or Xtra Large rug — typically 9' × 12' or bigger.
• Front legs on (great, and most common). Only the front legs of the sofa and chairs rest on the rug, tying the seating together. A Medium to Large rug — usually 8' × 10'.
• Floating (use sparingly). The rug sits under the coffee table only, touching no furniture. Fine for a small reading nook; in a full living room it tends to look undersized.

Dining room

The rug has to work with chairs that move. Size it so the rug extends about 24 inches beyond every edge of the table — that keeps the back legs of the chairs on the rug even when they're pulled out. For most tables that means a Large rug; for a round table, choose a Round rug that echoes the shape.

Bedroom

• One large rug under the bed. Place the rug under the lower two-thirds of the bed so it extends 18 to 24 inches past the sides and foot — soft floor where your feet land. The head of the bed and the nightstands can sit just off the edge. A Large or Xtra Large rug, depending on bed size.
• A pair of runners. Run a Runner down each side of the bed for a more curated, layered look.

And the rug that suits the bed — bigger beds want bigger rugs.

Hallways, kitchens & entryways

Use a Runner. Leave a few inches of floor on each side, and for long halls a runner that stops short of the walls looks more deliberate than one that fills the whole width. In a galley kitchen, a runner softens the hardest-working floor in the house.

Home office & accent spaces

A Small rug grounds a desk, an entry, or a bedside. Under a desk, size it so the chair stays on the rug through its full range of roll.

Round & shaped rugs

A Round rug softens a room of hard angles — lovely under a round dining table, in a breakfast nook or entry, or as a quiet centerpiece in a bedroom. Echo the shape of whatever sits on it: a round rug under a round table, a Square rug under a square one.

How to measure your space

Before you fall for a size, measure for it. It takes ten minutes and saves an expensive mistake.

1. Settle the furniture first. Decide where the sofa, table, or bed will sit — a rug is sized to the layout, not to the room.
2. Measure to the rules above. With a steel tape, mark out the rug's footprint using the placement for that room — front legs on, 24 inches past the table, and so on.
3. Tape it out. Outline those dimensions on the floor with painter's tape and live with it for a day. Seeing the real footprint is the surest way to know a size is right before you commit.

Standard sizes at a glance

Because every hand-knotted rug is one of a kind, listed dimensions are the exact measured size of that individual piece — so check each rug's measurements on its product page.

Need an exact size?

We take custom orders and can commission a piece to your room's measurements, palette, and timeline, wherever you are. Contact us with your dimensions and we'll help you choose.

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