Choose the Best Area Rugs by Size
There are some helpful ways to know on finding the best size rug for your living space. Read on to learn more about how to determine the right area rug for your dining space, living room, bedroom and other areas with our area rug size guide.
Dining Room Rug Sizes
To find the best rug size for your dining area, measure the length and width of your table. Choose an area rug size that extends at least 2 feet past the table edges on all sides. This allows ample room for your guests’ chairs to sit comfortably on the rug. For example, an eight foot round rug will easily accommodate a 60-inch round dining table and chairs.
Living Room Rug Sizes
Feeling unsure about how big a living room rug should be? When choosing a rug for the living room, center the rug in the room and ensure that the main furniture is resting on top of it. A good rug size guide for living rooms is the front legs of all furniture pieces should be on the rug. If your living room is large, you can divide it into separate areas with multiple rugs. When utilizing this technique, try to use similar designs or accenting colors to maintain a cohesive look.
Bedroom Rug Sizes
Use an area rug to make the bed the focal point of the bedroom. If your bed isn’t flush with a wall, choose a rug that extends two feet past the edges of the bed on all sides. A good rug size for a king bedroom is a 9 x 12 allowing for the two foot border and also extending beyond the foot of the bed. If you have a larger bedroom, a 12 x 15 area rug can give a more luxury feel to the space.
To create a soft, warm landing in the morning, add runners along each side of the bed. You can use them on hard floors or on top of existing carpeting. Don’t be afraid to layer rugs to create unique textures and patterns.
Kitchen Rug Sizes
Rugs in front of the sink or stove help provide comfort and ease pain in your feet, legs or lower back from standing while you cook and prep. Whether you choose an 2 x 3 individual mat or rug or a 4 x 6 stylish runner, keep it about 6 inches away from the cabinets. If your rug doesn’t have a slip-resistant backing, a rug pad can help keep your area rugs firmly in place and prevent accidents.
Entryway Rug Sizes
The right size entryway rug makes a great first impression. Look for something wider than your doorway or a runner rug with at least 6 inches of open floor on all sides for comfortable arrivals and departures. Keep rug materials in mind, choosing something durable since it takes heavy traffic and the brunt of dirty shoes.
Hallway Rug Sizes
A runner is an ideal solution for hallways and passageways. Make sure you have 6 inches of floor space on all sides of the runner for a comfortable fit.
Patios and Deck Rug Sizes
When selecting an outdoor rug size, choose one that’s 24 to 30 inches wider than your dining table or conversation set on all sides. If your dining table is round, consider a round rug to complement it. Conversation sets typically look better when paired with rectangular rugs.
Area Rug Traffic
When buying an area rug, it’s important to keep in mind how much foot traffic the rug will experience. Pile height and construction materials will be the main factors on maintaining your area rug’s appearance and longevity.
Pile Height
The length of the fibers on the area rugs surface is called the pile height. This measurement will affect the appearance, feel, and functionality of your rug.
- Thin Pile: Below 0.25-in. These short fibers are easy to clean and are well-suited for entryways and kitchens.
- Medium Pile: 0.26-in to 0.75-in. Perfect for medium to high-traffic areas like a living room or family area.
- High Pile: 0.76-in or more. A soft and luxurious feeling rug for bedrooms and other low traffic areas.
- Shag: 0.5-in to 1-in or more. Loose twisted fibers give a plush feeling for low traffic areas like bedrooms and other low traffic areas.
Machine-Washable Rugs
Having kids, pets or a high-traffic area in your home are prime reasons to consider a machine-washable rug. Machine-washable rugs work well in nurseries, kids’ bedrooms, living rooms and mudrooms. A machine-washable runner works great in a kitchen or entryway.
And you don’t have to sacrifice style and comfort for function. Machine-washable rugs are soft and come in an array of colors and patterns.
Pet-Friendly Rugs
Having four-legged friends around the house means you should have some pet-friendly rugs in case of accidents. Usually constructed of durable synthetic nylon, polyester and polypropylene fibers with a low pile, pet-friendly rugs are stain-resistant and less likely to trap pet hair. They are typically machine washable and easily vacuumed. These rugs have spillproof coatings and a slip-resistant backing, which is safer for both pets and their humans.
Choosing Your Rug Style
When buying an area rug, it’s important to keep in mind how much foot traffic the rug will experience. Low-pile area rugs work best in high-traffic areas as they hide footprints or tracks. A detailed pattern is also helpful in high-traffic areas for camouflaging stains. High-pile or shag rugs are soft, making them great for bedrooms and sitting areas. You should also make the shape and size fit the space you have, so as not to overpower the room or bee too small to be useful.
Area Rug Shapes
Rectangular rugs are the most common and versatile rug shapes. Round rugs are great for seating vignettes, circular tables, and entrances. Runner rugs work well for kitchens, hallways and bathrooms. Patterned or sisal runner rugs work well on stairs. Also consider square rugs, oval, octagonal, or animal hide rugs.
Area Rug Colors
To coordinate your rug color with an existing color palette, follow the 60-30-10 rule:
- About 60% of the room is your dominant color, such as the color of the walls or the largest piece of furniture.
- 30% is a secondary color. This is where your rug color choice comes in.
- 10% is an accent color, such as the color(s) of vases and lamps.
Area Rug Patterns
Before selecting a patterned rug, consider your space. Do you have patterned walls or furniture? If so, it might be best to choose a subtly patterned rug. If your space is filled with a solid color, a bold or bright pattern may liven things up.
Solids
Solid rugs in neutral tones of gray, beige, and ivory blend well, while bold colors like navy, emerald, and rust can make a décor statement.
Geometrics
Geometric rugs with larger patterns work well in spacious rooms; smaller patterns suit compact areas. Choose contrasting colors for bold looks or tone-on-tone for subtle elegance.
Abstracts
Use abstract rugs to match or contrast your existing decor for visual harmony or bold impact. Like geometrics, large-scale patterns suit open spaces; smaller patterns are best for compact rooms.
Florals & Botanicals
Floral and botanical rugs can work with your room’s accent colors or as a statement piece. Large florals make for bold impact; smaller, repeating botanical patterns give a subtle elegance.
Medallions
Medallion rugs work beautifully in both classic and modern settings, so choose colors and pattern intensity accordingly. Neutral tones are best for subtle elegance, rich jewel tones for a bolder statement.
Selecting Your Area Rug Pad
Rug pads are important for a variety of reasons. You should use area rug size guidelines to help choose a rug pad for underneath your new area rug.
Why Should I Use Rug Pads?
Prolong the life of your rugs as well as add safety by using a rug pad. They also help to:
- Keep your rug properly positioned, preventing it from slipping.
- Absorb the impact of feet and noise.
- Make vacuuming easier.
- Protect smooth-surface flooring, like hardwoods and laminate, from being scratched by the back of the rug.
- Extend the life of your rug and help it to maintain its shape.
Grip vs. Cushion Rug Pads
Grip rug pads will help keep your rugs in place. They’ll also prevent sliding and bunching during normal daily use or if children or pets are playing. Cushion rug pads provide another layer underfoot for a softer feel. There are dual-function rug pads that can provide both extra grip and a comfortable cushion feel.
How to Choose a Rug Pad
With any rug pad, you’ll need to measure correctly. The rug pad should be slightly smaller than the rug itself. There are rug pads already made to accommodate the most popular rug sizes. If you have an unusually shaped rug or a less common size, buy a rug pad that’s bigger and then cut it to fit. You’ll also need to determine the thickness of the rug pad and rug together to ensure that doors can easily open and close.
For area rugs placed over carpet, use carpet tape or a rug pad to keep the rug in place. When choosing a pad, look for thin polyester fabric coated with adhesive. This type of pad prevents dark rug colors from bleeding through onto a light carpet.
A pad made from slightly heavier polyester scrim coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) holds a rug firmly on wood or other smooth-surface flooring and won’t damage the surface.
Learn Rug Construction and Techniques
Eliminate confusion from your shopping trip by learning some key area rug vocabulary
Construction Materials
Choosing the right construction material for your area rug depends on your needs, preferences, and the specific area where the rug will be placed. Here are some common materials and their characteristics:
- Wool: Wool rugs are durable and naturally stain-resistant and are great for high-traffic areas like living rooms and dining rooms.
- Cotton: Cotton rugs are soft and take well to dyes, often used in flat-weave rugs and blends with other materials. They are easy to clean and can be used in bathrooms.
- Synthetic Fibers: Materials like polypropylene, polyester, and nylon are commonly used in synthetic rugs. These rugs are durable, easy to clean, and are suitable for high-traffic areas and outdoor spaces.
- Natural Fibers: Jute, sisal, and seagrass rugs bring an organic feel and texture to a room or outdoor area. They are also durable but can be rough underfoot.
Wool Rugs
Wool rugs are functional, stylish and durable. They’re easy to maintain, hypoallergenic and made from natural fibers that are more flame-resistant than synthetic fibers.
Cotton Rugs
Cotton rugs are made of natural fibers. They’re versatile, durable, soft, easy to clean and machine washable.
Jute Rugs
Jute is the softest of all natural fibers. It’s durable, but it should be kept out of direct sunlight to prevent fading. The fibers will disintegrate if regularly exposed to moisture.
Nylon Rugs
Nylon rugs are made of synthetic fibers. They’re versatile, durable and ideal for areas with heavy foot traffic. Nylon rugs are easy to clean.
Polypropylene Rugs
Polypropylene, or olefin, rugs are made of synthetic fibers. These affordable rugs repel water and are impervious to most stains and fading.
Sisal Rugs
Sisal is the strongest and most durable natural fiber. These rugs are stain-resistant and colorfast.
Natural vs. Synthetic Rugs
Area rugs made of natural fibers, such as wool or cotton, look beautiful and feel great, but some are susceptible to staining and fading. Synthetic rugs are more resistant to staining and fading, and they also tend to be more affordable. Synthetics may have a shorter lifespan than natural fiber rugs do.
Loomed Rugs
Loomed rugs are made using a loom, a mechanism that weaves threads together, creating the rug. This is done either by hand (hand-loomed) or by machine (power-loomed). Hand-loomed rugs often have a more artisanal feel and unique patterns, while power-loomed rugs are typically more uniform in appearance and can be produced quicker.
Tufted Rugs
Tufted rugs are made by punching strands of yarn into a canvas backing using a tufting gun. This method creates loops or tufts that can be trimmed or left intact to shape different textures. Hand-tufted rugs involves manually using the tufting gun, while machine-tufted rugs are produced using automated processes.
Flatweave Rugs
Flatweave rugs are made by weaving fibers together on a loom, creating a flat, thin rug without any pile. This technique develops a lightweight and reversible rug, making it easy to situate and maintain. Jute and cotton are popular material choices for their look and texture.
Braided Rugs
Braided rugs are built by braiding strips of fabric or yarn together and then sewing or weaving these braids into a rug. This technique creates a durable and often reversible rug, making it an option for high-traffic areas like living rooms and hallways.
Knotted Rugs
Knotted rugs are made by tying individual knots of yarn onto a foundation, typically a warp and weft structure. This process can be done by hand (hand-knotted) or by machine (machine-knotted). Hand-knotted rugs are highly valued for their detailed patterns and durability.
Hooked Rugs
Hooked rugs are made by wrapping loops of yarn or fabric through a sturdy backing material using a hooking tool. This technique creates a textured surface with loops that can be left intact or sheared for a different look. Hand-hooked rugs involve makers manually using the hooking tool, while machine-hooked rugs are produced using automated technology.
Woven Rugs
Woven rugs are made by interlacing fibers on a loom, usually left to right, creating durable and often intricate designs. This weaving technique is either hand-woven or machine-woven, with hand-woven rugs often being unique with more craftsmanship.