Area rugs are a must-have for any home. Aside from acting as a design element, adding a rug can bring a warm and comforting touch to any room. Use the tips below as a guide to choose the right rug for you.

Measure correctly

The first step to finding the perfect area rug is to measure your space properly. Most people go to a store and estimate the size only to find out upon getting home that it’s too small or too large. Measuring the room correctly can save you time and money.

Room dimensions

First and foremost, you should measure the dimensions of the entire room. Make a rough sketch on a piece of paper that labels the length of each wall, and then use masking tape to lay down the shape and size of the desired rug to get a visual of how small or large it will be.

Furniture

A lot of people forget that it’s important to measure and consider the furniture in the area too. Measure the length and width of any furniture that will go on top of your rug. If you’re wondering, for design purposes, your furniture should either be completely on top of or at least have all its front legs on the area rug. If an area rug sits in front of your furniture, it can make the room feel unbalanced.

Living Room

The trickiest place to measure and lay out an area rug is the living room. It’s likely that this area of your home has more furniture than other places. Keep in mind that an open floor plan or a defined space will affect how large you want the rug to be to match the flow of the room.

Common living room rug sizes:

• 9×12 ft.: fits a larger living room (12×18 or larger) with an open floor plan
• 8×10 ft: fits nicely in a medium-sized living room (11×13 or slightly larger)
• 5×7 ft: works perfectly underneath an ottoman or coffee table

Dining room

The size and shape of your dining room table will affect what size area rug will look best. Typically, it looks nice to have the rug underneath the entire table and chairs, leaving a bit of border room for scooting chairs in and out. You might also consider purchasing a round rug if you have a round table.

Common dining room rug sizes:

• 9×12 ft: eight-to-twelve-person table or smaller
• 8×10 ft: six-person table or smaller
• 8×8 or 6×9 ft: a small four-person table

Bedroom

Bedroom rugs help create a stylish, cozy sleep environment. However, it can be tricky to know which size will look best underneath and around your bed. These are the best sizes to consider for any bedroom setup.

Common bedroom rug sizes:

• 9×12 ft: fits completely underneath a king-sized bed, leaving about two feet of space at the foot and sides of the bed.
• 8×10 ft: covers the entire area underneath a queen-sized bed, leaving about a foot and a half of space on each side.
• 6×9 ft: works nicely underneath most full-sized beds if you don’t mind leaving out the very top area near the headboard. It also fits nicely completely underneath a twin bed, leaving ample room on all sides.
• 3×5 ft: while they can’t cover an entire bed area, they work nicely as runners on either side of a bed or underneath the nightstands.

Kitchen

Because every kitchen is shaped differently, there’s no one-size-fits-all area rug suggestion to give. However, the best kitchen area rugs are runners and small accent rugs in front of the sink. It can be risky to have a rug that covers the entire floor because spills are likely to occur.