Rug Size Guide for Living Rooms, Bedrooms and Dining Rooms
A rug that's too small is one of the most common styling mistakes. It floats in the middle of the room and makes the space look smaller. In almost every case the right answer is "bigger than you think." Here's how to work out exactly how big.
Standard rug sizes
| Metric | Imperial (approx.) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 120 × 170 cm | 4 × 6 ft | Entry, beside a bed, under a desk |
| 160 × 230 cm | 5 × 8 ft | Small living room, under a double bed |
| 200 × 290 cm | 6.5 × 9.5 ft | Medium living room, under a queen bed, 6-seat dining |
| 240 × 340 cm | 8 × 11 ft | Large living room, under a king bed, 8-seat dining |
| 300 × 400 cm | 10 × 13 ft | Large open-plan living areas |
The border rule
In most rooms, leave a band of bare floor around the rug of about 200–450 mm (8–18 in) on each side. Less than that and it looks like wall-to-wall carpet that didn't fit. More and the rug looks lost. In a very large room, think of the rug as defining a zone rather than filling the room.
Living rooms: three placements
- All legs on. Every piece of seating sits fully on the rug. This is the most luxurious and unified look, and it needs a big rug (often 240 × 340 cm or larger). Best for large rooms or zoning an open-plan space.
- Front legs on. The front legs of the sofa and chairs sit on the rug and the back legs are on the floor. This is the most versatile option. It ties the group together with a medium rug (200 × 290 cm suits most rooms) and works when the sofa is against a wall.
- Coffee table only. The rug sits inside the seating group with no furniture on it. Only use this in genuinely small rooms, and even then make sure the rug is wider than the coffee table by at least 300 mm on each side.
Whichever you choose, the rug should be at least as wide as the sofa. Ideally it extends 150–200 mm beyond each end.
Bedrooms
A rug in the bedroom is mainly so your feet land on something soft. Place it so it extends beyond the sides of the bed by at least 450–600 mm, and slide it under the bottom two-thirds of the bed so the bedside tables stay on the floor.
| Bed | Rug under the bed |
|---|---|
| Single | 120 × 170 cm across the bed, or a runner alongside |
| Double | 160 × 230 cm |
| Queen | 200 × 290 cm |
| King | 240 × 340 cm |
An alternative that suits smaller rooms and tighter budgets is two runners (about 70 × 200 cm), one each side of the bed.
Dining rooms
The rule is simple: the chairs must stay on the rug when pulled out. Measure your table and add 600–750 mm on every side. A 1.8 × 0.9 m table needs about 3.0 × 2.2 m of rug, so a 240 × 340 cm rug is the right buy, not 200 × 290 cm. Choose a low, flat weave so chairs slide easily, and a pattern that hides crumbs.
Hallways and kitchens
Runners should leave about 100–150 mm of floor on each side and stop 150–300 mm short of each end of the hall. In kitchens, a runner along the work zone in front of the sink and cooktop should be flat and washable, and needs a non-slip underlay.
Check it in the planner
Rugs are hard to visualise from a product photo. In the Living Room sample, select the rug and use the size steppers to change its width and depth. Try 2.0 × 2.9 m, then 2.4 × 3.4 m, and see which placement it gives you around the sofa.
Try this in 3D: Open the Living Room sample