January, 2022

What Size Rug is Best?

There are many schools of thought regarding the size of a rug in a room. Unfortunately, it’s not a ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ answer. (Pun, very much intended)

First it is important to understand what ‘Margin’ or ‘Reveal’ really means.

• Margin or Reveal – The exposed area between the finished edge of a rug and the baseboards of a room revealing the finished flooring underneath.

Room Size

For smaller to average sized rooms or bedrooms, you’ll find most of the furniture and beds are placed along the perimeter. Going with any margin between 6”-12” works best in this situation. Be sure to make sure the selected margin does not cover any floor vents or registers. If your room is a rectangle and measures 10×15, a rug 8’-6”x13’6” will provide consistent and balanced 9” margins all around the room.

Small rugs in small rooms sometimes seem accidental or out of place, while large rugs in small rooms make the room feel even smaller, while giving the appearance of a wall-to-wall carpet installation.

At the bare minimum, rugs should extend at least 3 feet from the sides and foot of a bed, allowing for end tables to sit on the rug and a comfortable path for the occupant of that bed. If there is a bench or chest at the foot of the bed, you may want to re-calculate and add that depth.

Larger rooms, such as Living Rooms and Family Rooms have a looser set of guidelines.

For one, you can use the 12” margin rule, that ensures almost every piece of furniture will be on the rug. All areas of that room will then be tied together or ‘Anchored’ by this large rug. This is a fairly common approach when using the rug as a foundation for the entire space.

Does your furniture layout break the room up into different seating areas, is it spread out? If so, the choice is to either use multiple rugs or select the main gathering area and only put a rug in that space. Both options are good and you’ll find plenty of examples in design magazines supporting each option. If selecting the main furniture layout only, make sure you select a rug size that extends past the furniture edges by about 6”- 9” on all sides.

Small rugs centered under a coffee table in large spaces often look out of place and make the room feel disconnected or crowded. Bigger usually is better in this situation.

Dining Room Rugs

Dining Room Rugs have historically been centered around the dining table, not the size of the room. The best way to size a Dining Room Rug is to measure the top of the table and add 20-30” to all sides. This ensures the chairs will always remain on the rug when guests pull out the chairs to sit down and get up. This prevents the chair legs from sliding off rug and the guest from having to lift the chair to avoid dragging the edge of the rug with them as they pull in their seat.

Visualize

Buying a roll of blue painters’ tape for a few bucks can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run, if not thousands.

Using the margin and furniture guidelines, tape out the perimeter of the rug you are considering. Now, use that frame to assess things like traffic flow, furniture placement and overall room balance.

Measure, Measure, Measure

Measuring the space properly ensures a perfect fit for your rug. Just looking at the room and assuming an 8×10 will work is not ideal. Most rooms are odd sizes so a standard 6×9 or 8×10 will not work. At Vermilion Rugs we can make any sized rug to order so that it fits your spaces perfectly. We have options of connecting virtually to ensure the dimensions are accurate and we have service providers all over the country (mostly) if you want to put the measuring in our hands.

You Have the Final Say

The rug you select will reflect the hard work and planning you put into its purchase. It will give you a foundation on which to build out your space. As mentioned before, one size does not fit all, but by taking some of these suggestions into account, you will be well on your way to creating the best rug for your home.

These guidelines are meant to help, not direct. If you have a very specific plan to what you wish to achieve, Go For It! These tips and suggestions will be here if you need them.