When decorating your home, area rugs are wonderful for warming up a room, adding color, softness and defining a furniture grouping. One of the most common questions that I am asked is about the proper size for an area rug. Many people make the mistake of buying a rug that is too small for their space.

Dining Room Area Rug

When selecting an area rug for your Dining room or breakfast room, the rug should be large enough to have all furniture resting on the rug. It is important that the chairs remain on the rug when they are pulled out. To determine the correct size, measure the length and width or diameter of the table. Add 36” for chairs on each side to be sure that your chairs will rest on the rug in the pulled out position. Usually the best sizes for Dining rooms rugs are 8’ x 11’ or 9’ x 12’.

Living Room Area Rug

When deciding on a living or family room area rug try to have  all the furniture or at least the front of the furniture sit on the rug. Recommended sizes are 8’ x 11’ or 9’ x 12’.

Bedroom Area Rug

In bedrooms, it’s nice when the rug is big enough to take a couple of steps on it when you get out of bed.  If you like unexpected arrangements, you might consider angling the rug or angle the bed and rug to match.  Suggested sizes are 8’ x 11’ or 9’ x 12’.