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.

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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

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.

The most common area rug mistake

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

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!).

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.

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!

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

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'.

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.

Common living room size & square footage

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.

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. 

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