Which Rug Size? A Guide for Living Room, Bedroom and Hallway

A beautiful rug can completely transform a room – but only if the size is right. Too small, and it looks lost. Too big, and it overwhelms the room. With a few simple rules of thumb, you’ll find the right rug size for your living room, bedroom, dining area and hallway.

The most important rule: go a little bigger

The most common mistake is a rug that is too small. A rug should connect the furniture of a zone – not float lost in the middle. If you’re torn between two sizes, choose the larger one. Still, about 20 to 40 cm of floor should remain visible around the rug so the room doesn’t feel cluttered.

Living room

• Front legs on the rug: The classic. The sofa and armchairs stand with their front legs on the rug, so the seating area looks like a unit. For a standard sofa, a rug from about 250 x 150 cm usually works; for large or corner sofas, rather 300 x 200 cm.
• All furniture on the rug: In large rooms, the rug can hold the entire seating group. Then 300 x 200 cm and more makes sense.
• Wider than the sofa: The rug should extend a little beyond the sofa on both sides – at least as wide as the sofa itself.

Bedroom

• Under the bed: The rug lies under the lower two thirds of the bed and extends about 50 to 60 cm on the left and right. That way your first step in the morning is onto soft wool. For a double bed, a rug from about 250 x 170 cm placed crosswise usually works.
• Beside the bed: Alternatively, place two small rugs or runners on either side of the bed.

Dining area

The rule here: the chairs must still stand completely on the rug when pushed back. So add about 60 to 70 cm around the table. For a 180 x 90 cm table, you’ll need a rug of about 300 x 220 cm. Tip: a flat-woven kilim or a short-pile rug is especially practical here.

Hallway and kitchen

Runners are ideal for hallways and kitchens. Leave about 10 to 15 cm of floor free at the ends and sides. In long hallways, you can also place two runners one after the other with a little space between them.

Children’s room, home office and reading corner

For smaller zones, small rugs or medium rugs are often enough. Important: the rug should be large enough for the chair or armchair to stand on it completely.

How our sizes are grouped

• Small rugs: longest side up to 180 cm
• Medium rugs: longest side 181 to 280 cm
• Large rugs: longer than 280 cm or at least 200 cm wide
• Runners: up to 110 cm wide and at least twice as long as wide

My trick for trying it out

Mark the dimensions of your dream rug on the floor with painter’s tape and leave it for a day or two. You’ll see straight away whether the size works. In the Münster area, you can also try rugs at home before you decide.

Can’t find the right size? No problem: I travel to Morocco regularly and am happy to source a rug in your desired dimensions. Just write to me.