An area rug can be a focal point of the room and one of the room's essential design elements. It reinforces the room’s design and style. Measuring for the right size rug is an important aspect of how the room will come together, so we put together a guide for how properly to measure an area rug.
Each room of the house will need a different kind of rug to suit the space, and the furniture layout will be a huge factor in the size of the rug you pick. So lets break it down by room.
Every living room is different, so the rug size and orientation should be dictated by the shape and size of the room. You can make a space feel much larger by the right size and orientation of area rug. The orientations can be broken down by three different layouts:
If you decide that all of the furniture should stay on the rug, then make sure the rug extends at least half a foot beyond each end of the furniture for proper scale, or the rug may look too small.
The size and shape of your dining table should determine what shape of rug the room needs. If your dining room table is rectangular, you should go for a rectangular rug. If the dining room table is round, a round rug will fit your needs best. The size of the rug should be large enough so that both the table and the chairs have ample room to rest on the rug. If your dining room rug is too small, then you may find that the chair legs will catch on the end of the rug and become a tripping hazard. We would recommend the rug to extend at least 3 feet beyond the sides of the table, whether circular or rectangular, so that the chars have enough space to push back from the table without falling off the edge.
A bedroom area rug will most likely be the focal point of the room, along with the bed, so the two should work together in order to properly define the space to your liking. Not only will a bedroom rug look good, it’s nice to have something soft to rest your feet on when you wake up every morning. There are three good options for a good sized bedroom rug:
For this option, the whole bed, nightstands, and end of bed bench would land on the rug. We don’t recommend including any accompanying furniture like dressers to land on the rug. In this scenario, the rug should be large enough to extend at least two feet beyond the edges of your bed, so your nightstands and bench can rest comfortably on the rug, while making sure the rug does not encroach on any main walkways and become a tripping hazard.
In this scenario, the top of the rug would end close to where the pillows rest on your bed, so that neither of the nightstands would rest on the rug at all. The rug should still extend at least two feet beyond the left, right, and end of the bed, for a good symmetrical finish.
This option is the most flexible one, and is easier to manage for different size beds and rooms. Essentially, a runner will lay on each side of the bed to give your feet a nice cusion in the morning, but no furniture will rest on the rug. We recommend the rug to end at the foot of the bed, and no further, for a nice symmetrical bedroom.
These rugs will usually be runners or mats, so let the space dictate the size of the rug. You can use tape on the floor to help you visualize the correct shape for the space. For the kitchen, a rug in front of the sink is comfortable to stand on, while centering the space. For hallways, a long rug is nice, but make sure the space doesn’t feel cluttered. For hallways we recommended to leave all furniture legs off the rug. Finally, an entryway rug should match the width of your front door.
We hope that this article was helpful and you are better informed to match the perfect rug to your space. If you are in need of a good, high-quality area rug, please browse our wide selection of luxury, sports-themed rugs!
