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Choosing the perfect area rug size for your interior design is an absolute must. However, not many homeowners are well-versed in what rug size is perfect for their room.
Some of you end up selecting rugs that are beautiful but too large for your space while others tend to buy rugs that are too small.
That said, different rug sizes have different objectives. They can individualize and demarcate spaces in an open floor plan. They can be used to introduce beautiful accents. You can use them to visually connect different spaces.
They can also be utilized in a fully functional capacity. But doing all of these things requires you to understand the different rug sizes available in the market and how you can use them.
We’ve compiled an extensive guide for you below so that you can educate yourself better:
Rug Sizes Chart in Feet and Centimeters
Here’s a standard rug size chart and their relevant uses:
| Dimensions | Best uses |
|---|---|
| 2’-7”x4’-11” (80x150cm) | Under coffee tables, entrance-ways, in front of accent furniture, at the foot of a twin-sized bed. |
| 4’x6’ (121x182cm) | Small nooks, alcoves, as an accent piece, large hallways, entrance foyers, and lobbies. |
| 5’x8’ (152x243cm) | Center of the living room – preferably under the coffee table. Also underneath a small-sized 6-person dining table. |
| 6’x9’ (182x274cm) | Underneath compact dining tables, living rooms, and under beds. |
| 8’x10’ (243x304cm) | Accenting king and queen-sized beds, the focal point of the living room, or under an 8-person dining table. |
| 9’x12’ (274x365cm) | Beds, large living rooms, and dining rooms with medium to large-sized furniture. |
| 10’x14’ (304x426cm) | Large bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms with elaborate or large furniture. |
| 12’x18’ (365x548cm) | Under king or queen-sized beds, living rooms, and dining rooms. |
| 20’x20’ (609x609cm) | Oversized living rooms with an open floor plan. It’s best to put all furniture on top of it. |
Please note: The images below feature a full-sized bed which measures 54″x75″ (134.5cmx190.5cm).
4’x6′ Area Rug Size
4×6 Rug in Living Room
4’x6’ sized area rugs can be placed in the center of the living room. They coincide nicely with the coffee table. It’s best if you leave an 18” gap between the rug edge and surrounding furniture.
4×6 Rug in Bedroom
You can feature a 4’x6’ sized area rug at the foot of your bed. You can place a chaise lounge on it. Or you can accentuate it with floor cushions.
For a holistic effect, you can even place runners on either side of the bed. They can either match the rug or contrast it with a different color.
This type of a 4’x6’ layout only looks good if you’ve got at least 3 feet of space from the bottom edge of the rug to the wall. Otherwise, you’d have to walk on top of it to go from one end of the room to the other.
4×6 Rug in Transitional areas
4’x6’ sized area rugs look great in transitional spaces. If you want to visually connect two opposite ends of an open floor plan, then placing this rug in the middle of the circulation space can be a big help.
Similarly, you can place it in front of a sideboard buffet, in the middle of an oversized entrance foyer, or even a large corridor.
5’x8′ Area Rug Size
5×8 Rug in Living Room
A 5’x8’ rug is perfect for accentuating a small-sized living room layout. It looks best when you leave the requisite 18” gap between the edge of the rug and the start of the furniture.
5×8 Rug in Dining Room
The 5’x8’ rug only fits under the 2-chair dining table. It looks best when the furniture has been pushed against the wall. It’s perfect for tiny single-bedroom apartments and studios.
This type of a rug layout can also work well in a small breakfast nook designed by a larger kitchen.
5×8 Rug in Bedroom
The 5’x8’ rug looks best when its top edge aligns with the base of the bed. This means that you need at least 5 feet of space at the front of your bed for the rug to fully fit in your bedroom.
This is not the most well-liked rug furnishing layout by professionals because it tends to leave no room for floor circulation beyond the rug itself.
However, you can have a lot of fun furnishing with floor cushions and footboard trunks at the base of the bed. If you do it right, it would make a great sitting area.
6’x9′ Area Rug Size
6×9 Rug in Living Room
The 6’x9’ rug in a living room must only have the front legs of the furniture covering its edges. Alternately, if your space is large enough, you can leave an 18 inch boundary space between the rug edge and the furniture.
Both layouts are perfectly fine, but their quality outcome depends on the dimensions of your space.
6×9 Rug in Dining Room
A 6’x9’ sized rug is great for furnishing under a 4-chaired dining set. This makes it perfect for small apartments and homes. There’s just enough space for the chairs to be pulled in and out seamlessly.
Depending on the size of your dining table, you might not have enough space by the edges, but that’s not a problem because most of the circulation area gets covered any way.
6×9 Rug in Bedroom
The best trick for furnishing a 6’x9’ sized rug under your bed is to make sure that only 18”-24” (inches) of the edge peek out from the bottom of the footboard.
Make sure that the placement is centralized. If both of these essentials check out, then you’ve got the perfect rug layout for a small to medium sized bedroom.
8’x10′ Area Rug Size
8×10 Rug in Living Room
An 8’x10’ rug is the pinnacle of medium sized. It can fit well in both medium, large, as well as small-ish living room layouts. You just need to furnish it all the way under your 3-seater.
Your accent chairs or armchairs can take up enough rug space to have only their front feet take up the edges. This is the ideal formation.
8×10 Rug in Dining Room
8’x10’ rugs are perfect for being furnished under a compact 6-chaired dining table. It has enough space around all the edges so that the chairs can pull in and out with ease without touching the floor at all.
8×10 Rug in Bedroom
The 8’x10’ rug looks best when it is furnished all the way under the bed. The edge under the bed needs to be at least 18 inches back from the start of the nightstands.
It’s the perfect rug layout for medium, large, and small sized bedrooms. It leaves a lot of circulation space around the front, so the rug wouldn’t face the worst foot traffic.
9’x12′ Area Rug Size
9×12 Rug in Living Room
You have to furnish a 9’x12’ area rug in horizontal orientation. It pairs well with L-shaped sofas, but can also be matched with a strategically placed 3 and 2-seater sofa with a coffee table in the center.
This area rug size is perfect for medium to large living rooms.
9×12 Rug in Dining Room
A 9’x12’ area rug is perfectly sized to be furnished underneath an 8-chaired dining table. It has just the right amount of extra size which means that the chairs can easily slide in and out under the table without dropping off the rug.
9×12 Rug in Bedroom
The best way to feature a 9’x12’ rug under your bed is to align it with the headboard. It might not reach all the way beyond the footboard, but this only gives you extra circulation space.
Plus, you’ll get fully covered bedsides so that your feet won’t have to touch the cold floor when you get off the bed.
12’x18′ Area Rug Size
12×18 Rug in Living Room
You can put a 12’x18’ rug in the center of an enormous living room. It has to have 2’-3’ (feet) of circulation space all around.
All the furniture can be placed directly on top of the rug and the coffee table can take center stage within the layout.
12×18 Rug in Dining Room
12’x18’ rugs can make an oversized dining area feel cohesive. They go well with elaborate and traditional dining sets.
Anything made out of solid wood that features baroque or classic elements would pair well with this rug size. Note that such rugs can only be paired with 8-seaters and above.
12×18 Rug in Bedroom
A 12’x18’ sized rug in the bedroom needs to be furnished vertically, so that the 12’ side becomes the width. This will give you an elongated layout and you can even place a chaise lounge at the base of the bed to fully utilize the length of the rug.
Note that this rug size should only be used in enormous bedrooms.
Rug Sizes for Each Room
Now that we’ve looked at how all the common area rug sizes look in different living rooms, bedrooms, and dining room spaces, let’s do a comparative analysis of their qualities.
For further advice on how to position your rug, see our Ultimate Guide to Area Rug Placement.
What Size Rug for the Living Room?
Depending on the size of your home, you can feature almost any size of an area rug in your living room.
They can be featured either of 2 ways: you can leave an 18” gap between the rug edges and the furniture, or you can simply set up the front legs of the furniture on the first 10” of the rug edge.
The best sized rug for a small living room is 4’x6’ as it anchors the whole space like a focal point. For a medium sized living room a 6’x9’ rug is optimal as it helps ground the furniture layout. For a large living room an 8’x10’ is not too large and neither too small – perfect for pulling together the whole furniture layout.
Below, we’ve listed various rug sizes and their preferred layouts plus qualities depending on the size of your living room:
When to use Oversized Rugs for the Living Room
Oversized rugs cover a large span of the floor area. Usually 8’x10′, 12’x15’, 12’x18’, and 20’x20’ sized rugs are considered to be part of this category. They are generally used in large living rooms with spacious open floor plans.
A thumb rule for selecting an oversized area rug for your living room: measure the dimensions of your space before setting out to make the final choice.
There should be at least 18” of bare floor area that surrounds the rug edges in order for it to look good!
See more:
What Size Rug for the Dining Room?
Rug sizes for the dining area correspond directly with the size of the dining table. The smaller the dining table, the smaller the rug that can accommodate it and vice versa.
Most modern homes either have a 4-seater or a 6-seater dining table. The best rug size for a 4-seater dining table is 6’x9’ while the 6-seater is 8’x10’.
The key rule to remember here is that you need enough rug space beyond the edge of the tabletop to drag the chairs in-and-out without the chair legs touching the bare floor.
Just make sure there’s 18”-24” of a rug edge behind the back legs of the dining chairs so they won’t touch the floor when pulled out!
See our detailed guide and chart for rug sizes under a dining table.
Here’s a handy chart that can guide you better:
What Size Rug for the Bedroom?
The rug size for the bedroom depends on the dimensions of your room and the size of your bed.
The optimal rug size depends on how much space you have in front of your bed. A small bedroom with very little space in front of the bed can be furnished with either a 3’x5’ or a 4’x6’ rug, while the best size for a large bedroom can be anywhere between 5’x8’ to 6’x9’.
Below, we’ve created a chart that features various rug sizes in relation to a standard full-sized bed which measures 54″ x 75″ (134.5cm X 190.5cm).
You can check out the qualities of these layouts and pick one that suits your situation the best:
The most popular bed sizes include twin, queen, and king – each one getting bigger and bigger respectively. Let’s get a look at each size in a bit more detail:
What Size Rug for Twin Bed?
Twin size beds are the smallest and measure 39”x75” (96.5cm x 190.5cm). They can easily accommodate a single person and are perfect for tiny bedrooms.
There are a number of rugs that you can pair with a twin bed depending on the size of the space, and they include: 5’x8’, 6’x9’, and 8’x10’.
What Size Rug for Full / Double Bed?
A full or double size bed is 54”x75” and the ideal rug size for this bed is a 3’x5’ or 4’x6’.
Both of these rugs complement the small size of the bed and can be furnished at the base of the footboard. They’re great for small and medium sized rooms.
- See our guide on rug sizes under a full bed (featuring layout designs for each size)
What Size Rug for Queen Bed?
Queen size beds accommodate two people easily and are specifically designed for medium sized rooms. They measure 60”x80” (152.5cm x 203.5cm).
You can pair them with a number of large rug sizes, including: 5’x8’, 6’x9’, and 8’x10’.
- See our comprehensive guide on the best rug size under a queen bed (including detailed layout designs).
What Size Rug for King Bed?
King size beds are large and luxurious and measure 76”x80” (193cmx203.5cm).
They’re designed for larger rooms and the rug sizes that complement them include: 6’x9’, 8’x10’, and 9’x12’.
- Also see our guide to rugs under a king bed.
Bedroom Rug Size Comparison Chart
| Bed Type | Preferred Rug Sizes |
|---|---|
| Twin Bed 39” X 75” (96.5cm X 190.5cm) | 5’x8’, 6’x9’, and 8’x10’ |
| Queen Bed 60” X 80” (152.5cm X 203.5cm) | 5’x8’, 6’x9’, and 8’x10’ |
| King Bed 76” X 80” (193cm X 203.5cm) | 6’x9’, 8’x10’, and 9’x12’ |
Here’s a chart which helps you determine what size rug and layout to complement each bed size with:
What Size Rug for the Kitchen
Since the kitchen is largely a functional area of a home with high foot traffic and easy susceptibility for stains and spills, area rugs are very rarely used here.
However, if you’ve got an aisle style or galley style kitchen layout, then you can embellish the floor with inexpensive, easily replaceable runners.
If your kitchen has a large open space in the middle, then you can furnish it with a small rug of either 3’x5’ or 4’x6’. Anything larger will just get in the way.
However, these sizes are not set in stone. You can determine the perfect rug size for such kitchens by measuring your area after leaving out 18” to 24” of floor space around the edges.
Note that it’s not recommended to opt for a large rug for wet kitchens as it would be a hassle to maintain it.
However, if you’re furnishing a show kitchen for an open floor home layout, then you can definitely opt for them, as these kitchens are not where the actual cooking is carried out.
Check out the kitchen rug layout designs for; one wall, L-shaped, galley, U-shaped, island and peninsula layouts below;
Round & Oval Rug Sizes and Layout
4’ Round Rug Size
A 4′ round rug is the smallest radius you can find in a round area rug. It’s not feasible for larger spaces and definitely doesn’t look nice as a freestanding floor accent piece.
But it does look pretty great when matched with a single accent chair with an accompanying floor lamp and nesting tables.
6’ Round Rug Size
A 6′ round rug is perfect for featuring under a 4-chair round dining table. It’s perfectly sized to accommodate the pulling out of chairs without actually breaching beyond the boundaries of the rug itself.
8’ Round Rug Size
A 8′ large round rug is perfect for furnishing underneath 6-chair round dining tables without the chairs leaving the radius of the rug when they’re pulled out.
12’ Round Rug Size
A 12′ oversized round rug is perfect for featuring underneath medium and large sized living room furniture layouts.
It looks quite stylish and gives the illusion that you’ve played with the form of your living room layout. Other than that, you can also furnish it underneath 8-chair round dining table sets.
