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Getting it right

Rug size guide.

More rugs disappoint because of size than because of colour, and size is the one thing you can know before you order. A well-proportioned rug pulls the furniture into one room. These plans show how each of our sizes sits with sofas, tables and beds.

What size rug for a living room?

Choose 6 x 9 ft for a compact living room, 8 x 10 ft for an everyday one (our pick) and 9 x 12 ft for a generous one. Decide first whether the furniture sits fully on the rug or only with its front legs, and leave 20 to 30 cm of bare floor to the walls, kept even.

What size rug under a dining table?

Size the rug to the table with the chairs pulled out: at least 60 cm beyond every table edge, or 75 cm if you sit with chairs well back. That means 6 x 9 ft for four seats, 8 x 10 ft for six (our pick) and 10 x 14 ft for eight.

What size rug for a bedroom?

Choose 6 x 9 ft under a double bed and 8 x 10 ft under a queen or king bed (our pick). The rug should extend 45 to 60 cm past each side and the foot of the bed, so your first step out of bed lands on it.

Position

Measure the floor, then the furniture that will share it. The rug should relate to the largest piece in the group, not float in the middle of it.

Proportion

Most people pick one size too small. A larger rug joins the furniture together and makes the room feel bigger; a small one cuts the floor into pieces.

Border

Whatever floor you leave showing around the rug, keep it even. An uneven margin is what makes a well-furnished room look wrong.

Living room

A rug unifies the seating. Decide first whether the furniture will sit fully on it or with only its front legs, then size to that.

Front legs on, or every leg on. Avoid anything in between.

Plan: 6 x 9 ft rug in front of a sofaA sofa with its front edge over the back of a 1.8 by 2.7 metre rug, and a coffee table centred on the rug.2.7 m1.8 m

Compact6 x 9 ft, 1.8 x 2.7 m

For a small room: the rug sits in front of the sofa with the front legs resting on it and the coffee table fully on top.

Shop 6 x 9 rugs
Plan: 8 x 10 ft rug under a seating groupA sofa and two armchairs with their front legs on a 2.4 by 3 metre rug, coffee table in the middle.3 m2.4 m

Everyday8 x 10 ft, 2.4 x 3 mOur pick

The workhorse. Front legs of the sofa and both chairs sit on the rug, so the whole group reads as one.

Shop 8 x 10 rugs
Plan: 9 x 12 ft rug under all the furnitureA sofa, two armchairs and a table all fully inside a 2.7 by 3.7 metre rug.3.7 m2.7 m

Generous9 x 12 ft, 2.7 x 3.7 m

All legs on: every piece sits fully on the rug. The most generous choice, for larger rooms.

Shop 9 x 12 rugs

Dining room

Size the rug to the table with the chairs pulled out, not to the table alone.

At least 60 cm (24 in) of rug beyond every table edge.

Plan: 6 x 9 ft rug under a four-seat dining tableA small rectangular table with four chairs, one pair pulled out, all within a 1.8 by 2.7 metre rug.2.7 m1.8 m

Four seats6 x 9 ft, 1.8 x 2.7 m

Sized for a table up to 1.3 m long. The dashed chairs show the same chairs pulled out to sit: their back legs stay on the rug.

Shop 6 x 9 rugs
Plan: 8 x 10 ft rug under a six-seat dining tableA 1.8 metre table with six chairs on a 2.4 by 3 metre rug; the chairs on one side are shown pulled out.3 m2.4 m

Six seats8 x 10 ft, 2.4 x 3 mOur pick

For a 1.8 m table. About 60 cm of rug along the sides and more at the ends, so six chairs stay on it.

Shop 8 x 10 rugs
Plan: 10 x 14 ft rug under an eight-seat dining tableA long table with eight chairs inside a 3.1 by 4.3 metre rug, drawn at a smaller scale.4.3 m3.1 m

Eight seats10 x 14 ft, 3.1 x 4.3 m

For a long table of about 2.4 m, the rug grows to match. Count the chairs, not the people.

Shop 10 x 14 rugs

Bedroom

Under the bed, the rug should show on both sides and at the foot, so the first step out of bed lands on it.

Extend 45-60 cm (18-24 in) past each side and the foot.

Plan: 6 x 9 ft rug across the foot of a double bedA double bed with bedside tables and a 1.8 by 2.7 metre rug laid across its lower half and extending beyond the foot.2.7 m1.8 m

Double bed6 x 9 ft, 1.8 x 2.7 m

Laid across the lower two-thirds of the bed, about 55 cm of rug each side and well past the foot.

Shop 6 x 9 rugs
Plan: 8 x 10 ft rug under a queen bedA queen bed with a 2.4 by 3 metre rug laid across its lower portion, with margin on both sides and at the foot.3 m2.4 m

Queen or king8 x 10 ft, 2.4 x 3 mOur pick

A deeper rug for a wider bed. Plenty at each side and a generous 1 m at the foot.

Shop 8 x 10 rugs
Plan: two bedside runnersA bed with a narrow runner on each side, reaching beyond the foot of the bed.

Runners at the sidese.g. 70 x 190 cm

Two runners, one each side, long enough to reach past the foot of the bed. Made to order in your length.

Shop runners

Hallway and entry

Narrow spaces take runners; entrances take a smaller rug that clears the door.

Leave floor showing on each side, and keep clear of door swings.

Plan: runner in a hallwayA narrow hallway with a 85 by 300 centimetre runner centred in it, floor showing on every side.3 m

Hallway runnere.g. 85 x 300 cm

8-15 cm of floor showing on each side and 20-30 cm at the ends. Both feet should land on the rug as you walk.

Shop runners
Plan: entrance rug inside a doorA door in a wall with its swing shown as an arc, and a 91 by 152 centimetre rug just beyond the swing.91 cm1.5 m

Entry3 x 5 ft, 91 x 152 cmOur pick

A 3 x 5 ft rug just inside the door, set back so the door opens over bare floor.

Shop 3 x 5 rugs

Kitchen, desk and nursery

Smaller rugs earn their place in working rooms.

Size to where you stand or where the chair moves.

Plan: kitchen rug in front of a counterA kitchen counter with a sink and a 91 by 152 centimetre rug on the floor in front of it.1.5 m91 cm

Kitchen3 x 5 ft, 91 x 152 cm

A 3 x 5 ft rug in front of the sink or hob, roughly as wide as the work area.

Shop 3 x 5 rugs
Plan: rug under a desk and chairA desk against a wall, a chair rolled back from it, and a 1.5 by 2.4 metre rug under both.2.4 m1.5 m

Desk5 x 8 ft, 1.5 x 2.4 mOur pick

The chair should stay on the rug when you push back from the desk. Check by measuring your chair rolled out.

Shop 5 x 8 rugs
Plan: nursery rug with armchair and poufA 1.8 by 2.7 metre rug with an armchair, a small round side table and a pouf placed on it.2.7 m1.8 m

Nursery6 x 9 ft, 1.8 x 2.7 m

Soft floor for play, and room for a chair and a pouf. Choose an easy-care colour.

Shop 6 x 9 rugs

Round rugs

Round rugs are made to order in a diameter you choose. Measure from the widest point of the furniture.

Diameter = the table plus 60 cm (24 in) each side.

Plan: round rug under a round dining tableA round table with four chairs on a 2.4 metre round rug.

Round dining table2.4 m acrossOur pick

For a 1.1 m table: the diameter is the table plus about 60 cm on every side.

Shop round and oval rugs
Plan: small round rug under an armchairAn armchair and a round side table on a 1.5 metre round rug.

Reading corner1.5 m across

A small round rug under an armchair and side table, to mark a corner as its own place.

Shop round and oval rugs
Plan: round rug in front of a sofaA sofa with its front edge on a 1.8 metre round rug and a round coffee table in the middle.

Round coffee table1.8 m across

A round rug in front of a sofa, with a round table in the centre. Leave the sofa's front legs on or off, not half.

Shop round and oval rugs

Dots on each plan explain the rule behind that piece. Hover, tap or tab to a dot to read it. Plans are schematic and drawn from typical furniture sizes: a sofa about 2.2 m wide, a queen bed 1.6 x 2.0 m, a six-seat table 1.8 x 0.9 m.

Standard sizes

Standard rug sizes in feet and centimetres, with typical use
FeetCentimetresTypical useShop
2 x 361 x 91 cmDoormat, bedside, in front of a basinShop
3 x 591 x 152 cmEntry, kitchen counter, small landingShop
4 x 6122 x 183 cmReading chair, nursery, small bedroomShop
5 x 8152 x 244 cmDesk and chair, compact seating, a single bedShop
6 x 9183 x 274 cmSmall living room, four-seat dining, double bedShop
8 x 10244 x 305 cmLiving room, six-seat dining, queen or king bedShop
9 x 12274 x 366 cmLarge living room with every leg on the rugShop
10 x 14305 x 427 cmOpen-plan seating, eight-seat diningShop
12 x 15366 x 457 cmVery large rooms and zoned open planShop
CustomYour width and lengthMade to order, priced to your size. Runners, rounds, alcoves and stairs.How it works

Delivering to the UK or EU? Rugs there are made to your exact width and length, so treat the sizes above as a starting point and enter your own dimensions on the rug page.

How to measure

Measure the floor you want to cover, then the furniture it relates to: the sofa, the bed, the table with its chairs pulled out.

Then tape it out. Mark the rug at the size you are considering with painter’s tape, and leave it down for a day or two. Walk your usual route, open every door, pull out the dining chairs and sit down. Look at it from the doorway and from the sofa.

It takes ten minutes, costs nothing and is the best check there is. Rugs are woven within about one to two per cent of the size ordered, which matters only for a fixed opening such as an alcove or a stair.

Tolerance, and what to tell us

A handmade rug finishes within roughly one to two per cent of its ordered size. It is woven under tension, it relaxes when it comes off the loom, and it moves again when it is washed and stretched. On a rug three metres long that is a few centimetres either way, and it is normal rather than a fault.

This only matters when a rug has to fit something fixed: an alcove, a landing, a run of joinery, a stair. In that case send us the opening rather than the rug size, and we will weave to the tight end of the tolerance so it fits rather than fights.

Send us your room

Questions

What size rug for a living room?

Choose 6 x 9 ft for a compact living room, 8 x 10 ft for an everyday one (our pick) and 9 x 12 ft for a generous one. Decide first whether the furniture sits fully on the rug or only with its front legs, and leave 20 to 30 cm of bare floor to the walls, kept even.

What size rug should go under a dining table?

Large enough that a chair stays fully on the rug when pulled out to sit down. Allow at least 60 cm beyond every table edge: 6 x 9 ft for four seats, 8 x 10 ft for six and 10 x 14 ft for eight.

What size rug for a bedroom?

Choose 6 x 9 ft under a double bed and 8 x 10 ft under a queen or king bed (our pick). The rug should extend 45 to 60 cm past each side and the foot of the bed, so your first step out of bed lands on it.

Should the rug go under the sofa?

At minimum the front legs should sit on it. That is what ties the seating into one group. The half-measure where some legs are on and some are off is the arrangement to avoid.

How much bare floor should show around a rug?

Twenty to thirty centimetres to the walls in a living room, and keep it even. An uneven border is what makes a well-proportioned room look wrong.

Can I order a rug in a size that is not listed?

Yes. Most designs can be made to a custom size priced to your size at checkout, and rugs delivered to the UK and EU are always made to your exact size. Send us the room or the opening and we will advise.

How accurate will the finished size be?

Within about one to two per cent on each dimension. A rug relaxes when it comes off the loom and moves again in the wash. If you have a fixed opening to fill, tell us the opening and we will weave to the tight end of that tolerance.

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