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    Home » Decor 101

    Decor 101, Living Room, Printables, Renter Friendly, Shopping Guides

    How To Choose The Right Size Rug: A Living Room Rug Guide

    If you’ve ever been confused about what size area rug to buy for your living room, you’re not alone. Use this living room rug guide to help choose the right area rug for your living room.


    Neutral gray and cream living room area rug

    This post contains affiliate links. You can view my disclosure policy HERE.  

    Jump to:
    • Do I even need a rug?
    • The most common area rug mistake
    • Living room size guide
    • Why the size of your rug is important
    • Standard area rug sizes
    • More living room rug tips and tricks
    • Affordable Large Size Living Room Area Rugs

    Choosing an area rug for your living room is a key step in creating a well-styled space.

    Although, Beyond thinking about the ideal style and color, you may be wondering, "What size rug do I need?", "What sizes do rugs come in?" and "Do I even need a rug!?".

    This guide will help you answer these questions so you can pick out the best rug size for your space. 

    Do I even need a rug?

    The short answer is YES!

    An area rug (or accent rug) is one of those home decor elements that pull a room together and makes it feel complete and stylish no matter your style.

    Rugs can also help create a warm and cozy feeling in your home. As they help soften hard surfaces like tile and wood floors.

    So yes, I would say a rug is a must in your common areas like a great room, den, family, and living room.

    This is where you probably spend a lot of time with your loved ones, so make it cozy.

    Gray and cream area rug in living room with cat

    The most common area rug mistake

    The most common area rug mistake I often see is the area rug that is too small.

    Unless it's a very small living room like the one below. Where you can get away with a 6'x9' or possibly a 5'x8' rug.

    You need to go bigger! An average size living room needs at least an 8x10 rug.

    Small Living Room with Jute Area Rug
    6'x9' Rug in small (10x13) living room

    Using a larger area rug like an 8'x10' will help pull together your seating area. By allowing at least the two front legs of the chairs to be on the rug.

    Now if you think you may have a too small rug, trust me you're not alone.

    75% of my Instagram friends think they have an area rug that's too small in their homes also.

    I've just recently made the 'too small' area rug mistake myself. In my case, I had to go from an 8'x10' to a 9'x12' rug.

    As you can see in the photos below the smaller rug did not cover the area well. Visibly shrinking the size of my living room.

    The two front legs of my armchair barely made it over the edge of the rug (I tried though 😂). If I moved the chair any further there wouldn't be enough room to walk by the coffee table.

    With the larger rug (9'x12') the whole armchair fits on top of the rug (so much better!).

    Although the 9'x12' rug was at the top of my budget. It was absolutely worth it to upgrade to the bigger size.

    Loi Loi rugs size comparison living room

    Living room size guide

    I think most of us know intuitively that smaller rooms typically will need a small rug. And larger rooms will need a large rug.

    Although when thinking about what size rug you need. It's more important to prioritize the rug placement and size as it relates to the furniture arrangement above the size of the room.

    living room rug guide
    • A free high-resolution version of the above graphic is available for download in the free printables library for my email subscribers.
    living room rug guide
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    Why the size of your rug is important

    Why the size of the rug is important is something I've been asked a couple of times before.

    And let me tell you that having the right-size rug in your living room not only makes your space look pulled together.

    It makes it feel larger too!

    Take a look at the GIF below to really see the difference rug size can make.

    Notice the smaller (5'x8') rug visually shrinks the space.

    Compared to how spacious the living area looks with the larger rugs (8'x10' & 9'x12').

    Living Room Rug Size Guide GIF
    GIF: Room & Board

    In addition, a properly sized larger rug will anchor your living room furniture grouping and help define your space.

    This is especially helpful for homes that have open floor plans. Where the living room, dining room, and kitchen are all in one big space.

    simple-and-neutral-living-room

    On the other hand, a living room rug that is not big enough can make the room look small and disjointed.

    Since it breaks the visual flow between the furniture and the rug with the bare floor.

    Creating an overall sense of the space feeling 'off'.

    An area rug that is too small

    Standard area rug sizes

    Now that you know why you need a rug. And why the right rug size rug is essential.

    Let's look at the most common rug sizes.

    Keep in mind that square rugs or a round rug can work in your space too, using a rectangular rug is just much more common.

    But either way, the same general rule of thumb applies. Measure first and always go with the larger rug size that can fit in your space.

    • Small Area Rugs: 5'X8' and 6'X9' - Good for small living rooms or any small space
    • Medium Area Rugs:  8x10 - Works wonderfully in most average size living rooms
    • Large Area Rugs: 9'X12' & larger - Great with sectionals. Helpful in large open spaces to define an area
    Standard Living Room Rug Sizes

    Common living room size & square footage

    Common Living Room Sizes

    More living room rug tips and tricks

    As I said earlier a good rule of thumb is an average size living room needs an 8'x10' rug minimum.

    But be sure to also keep these additional tips in mind the next time you're shopping for a new rug.

    • Use blue painter’s tape to mark off an area that's the same measurements as the rug you plan to get. It's a great way to see if the rug will work before buying it.
    • A rug pad is great for preventing your rug from bunching up and slipping and sliding around. They also add additional padding for rugs on the thinner side.
    • Ideally, your rug should be wider than your sofa on each side ( 8 inches of space or more).
    • Try to have at least the front legs of your furniture pieces on top of the rug.
    • Sofa tables do not need to be included in the rug area but can be.
    • Preferably side tables should be completely on the rug or off the rug. Although sometimes it can't be helped.

    Affordable Large Size Living Room Area Rugs

    As we discussed in this post, when it comes to living room rugs it's go big or go home 😄.

    If you're thinking of upgrading to a large area rug as did in my living room area, you're in luck!

    I've rounded out some stylish and affordable large-size living room rugs, including the ones in my home. I hope you like them!

    Choosing the perfect rug involves more than just picking out a rug you like; it requires a little planning and thought.

    However, when done correctly, you will end up with a rug that will last a long time and fit your space perfectly. 

    Loi Loi Layla living room rug
    8X10 rug in my living room. Nice but too small needs 9x12

    I hope this post answered some of your living room area rug questions!

    Let me know below if you would like me to create similar posts for bedroom rugs and the right size rug for your dining table!

    If this post was helpful hit the subscribe button up top to get the latest posts in your inbox.

    living room rug guide

    More Decor 101

    • How To Change Your Home Decor In 4 Simple Steps
    • Jute Rug Guide + Living Room Update
    • Styling 101: Styling Open Shelves In The Kitchen
    • 5 Easy ways to upgrade your rental bathroom

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ann says

      September 09, 2022 at 6:52 pm

      Thanks for pointing out the huge differences a rug makes in a room. I had no idea. Looking forward to implementing your ideas soon!

      Reply
      • Linda P. says

        September 09, 2022 at 10:11 pm

        Hi Ann, So glad you found this helpful! 🙏🏽

        Reply
    2. Darlene says

      September 09, 2022 at 1:53 pm

      Thanks this is good information.

      Reply
      • Linda P. says

        September 09, 2022 at 9:47 pm

        You're so welcome Darlene! 😊

        Reply

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