When it comes to decorating your living room, selecting the perfect rug is key to pulling your space together. But one of the most common questions people have is what size rug they should get for their living room.
The right rug size can make all the difference in making a space feel cohesive and polished. A rug that’s too small will look like an afterthought, while an oversized rug can overwhelm the room. So what’s the sweet spot?
Measure Your Living Room for Proper Proportions
The first step is measuring the length and width of your living room to understand the dimensions you’re working with. Make sure to account for where major furniture pieces like your sofa and accent chairs will be placed when taking measurements.
As a general rule of thumb, your rug should be about 60-70% the width of the room. This leaves 18-24 inches of bare floor showing on either side, creating nice proportions. Having too narrow of a rug can make your space feel choppy and awkward.
Allow Room for Furniture Legs
When placing furniture like sofas and chairs on the rug, you want the front legs to be completely on the rug about 18-24 inches from the edge. This helps anchor the furniture and creates a polished, pulled-together look.
If furniture legs hang over the edges of a too-small rug, it looks sloppy and accidental. Centering pieces fully over the rug makes it obvious you selected the right scaled rug intentionally.
Minimum Size for Living Rooms
For standard living rooms, the absolute minimum rug size you want to go with is 6×9 feet. Anything smaller tends to look undersized, even in compact spaces.
If your living room is narrow, you can do a rug even smaller than 6×9 feet wide, but make sure it’s long enough for furniture placement. An 8×10 foot rug is a great medium size for the average living room of 300-400 square feet.
Typical Standard Rug Sizes
Here are some of the most common rug sizes for living rooms and the rooms they work best for:
- 5×8 feet rugs: Best for living rooms under 300 square feet
- 8×10 feet rugs: Great size for medium living rooms around 300-400 square feet
- 9×12 feet rugs: Ideal for large living rooms over 400 square feet
- Over 12×15 feet rugs: Tend to look oversized, even in bigger rooms
The Bigger, the Better!
When in doubt about rug size, it’s better to size up rather than size down. An oversized rug can be worked with by arranging furniture on top of it. But an undersized rug will never extend far enough.
Large, expansive rugs also create a luxurious, inviting look and feel. The rug becomes a major focal point that instantly makes the room feel warmer and more pulled together.
Material and Style Considerations
While dimensions are important, the rug’s actual style and material impacts the look and feel as well. Make sure to select a rug design that fits your room’s existing decor and color palette.
For traditional spaces, floral or oriental patterned rugs work well. Modern rooms look great with graphic prints or solid color rugs. The material you choose affects maintenance – wool is durable but requires professional cleaning, while synthetic fibers resist stains.
Choose a rug width that’s about 60-70% of your room’s width for great proportions. Allow an extra 18-24 inches all around for furniture placement and bare floor between the rug edges and walls.
Stick to standard rug sizes like 8×10 or 9×12 feet for average living rooms. Anything under 6×9 feet will likely be too small. When in doubt, size up for a rug that makes a statement.
And don’t forget to pick a rug style and material that perfectly complements your living room’s existing aesthetic. With the right measurements and design, your rug will pull the whole space together.
