What size rug do you need? A room-by-room guide

The most common mistake with a rug is buying it too small. A rug that floats in the middle of the room, with every piece of furniture around it on bare floor, makes the room feel smaller and the rug feel lost. A rug large enough to hold the furniture together does the opposite: it makes the room feel calm and finished.

Here is how to choose the right size, room by room. Sizes are in feet; every rug page shows them in centimeters too.

Three rules that work in any room

• Leave a border of floor. In most rooms, aim for about 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) of bare floor between the rug and the walls.
• Let the furniture touch it. At the very least, the front legs of the sofa and chairs should rest on the rug.
• When in doubt, go bigger. One size up almost always looks better than one size down.

Living room

There are three ways to place a rug in a living room. Which one suits you depends mostly on the size of the room.

All legs on. In a large room, a rug big enough for every piece of furniture to stand on it creates one generous seating area. This usually means 9 × 12 ft or larger.

Front legs on. The most common layout, and the one that works in most living rooms. The front legs of the sofa and armchairs rest on the rug, the back legs on the floor. An 8 × 10 ft rug is the usual choice.

Coffee table only. In a small room, the rug can sit under the coffee table alone, with the furniture around it. A 4 × 6 or 5 × 8 ft rug works here, and it looks best when it is nearly as long as the sofa.

Bedroom

In a bedroom, the goal is simple: when you get up in the morning, your feet should land on wool, not on a cold floor.

Under the bed. Place a large rug under the lower two-thirds of the bed, starting just in front of the nightstands, so it shows on both sides and at the foot.

On each side. Two narrow rugs, one on each side of the bed, cover the places where you actually step. Choose them about as long as the bed, roughly 2.5 × 7 ft each.

At the foot. A smaller rug across the end of the bed, about 3 × 5 ft, adds warmth without covering the whole floor. It suits small bedrooms well.

Dining room and hallway

Dining room

The rule for a dining rug is about the chairs: they should stay on the rug when someone pulls one out to sit down. If they don't, the back legs catch on the edge every time.

Measure your table, then add at least 24 inches (60 cm) on every side. For a table for six, that usually means an 8 × 10 ft rug; for a longer table, 9 × 12 ft. Under a table, a design with a shorter, denser pile is easier to keep clean than a long shag.

Hallways and kitchens

A runner should leave some bare floor showing all around it: about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) along each side, and a little more at each end. Our standard runner is 2.5 × 10 ft, but halls come in every length, so a runner is often worth ordering to your exact measurements.

Entryways

By the front door, a 3 × 5 ft rug is usually right. Before you order, check that the door can open over it: a thick hand-knotted pile is taller than a doormat.

The sizes we weave

Every design comes in several standard sizes. These are the starting prices at our base rate of $160 per m². Some designs have a higher rate, and every rug page shows its exact prices. Shipping and import duties are always included.

Still not sure? Tape it out

The easiest way to decide is to see it. Mark the outline of the rug on your floor with painter's tape and live with it for a day or two. Walk around it, pull out the chairs, open the doors and drawers. If the outline feels cramped, go one size up.

And if none of the standard sizes fits your room, most of our designs can be woven to your exact width and length.