How To Choose The Right Rug Size For Your Room

What sizes are rugs made in?

“Oriental Rugs” are by definition Handmade.  Oriental has nothing to with style, color, or pattern. Hand-knotted Rugs can be Contemporary, Traditional, Tribal, Geometric, Floral and a wide range of other styles and colors. 

Rugs come in a variety of sizes. Smaller-size rugs are perfect for entryways, bathrooms, foyers, and kitchens. The sizes most common for smaller rug sizes are 2′ x 3′,  2′ 6″ x 4′, 3′ x 5′ and 4′ x 6′.

As you move into room-sized rugs, the most common are 6′ x 9′, 8′ x 10′, 

9′ x 12′ and 10’ x 14’.  These sizes are perfect for Living rooms, Bedrooms, dining rooms, Studies, and Dens. Some homes have other large oversized rooms that can accommodate rugs as large as 12′ x 15′ or 12’ x 18’.

Runners come in a variety of lengths. The width of a runner is usually 30 inches wide but some come even wider. The length of a runner starts at 6 feet and typically go up in even increments of 2 feet (8′ long, 10′ long, 12′ long). Runners can be used in hallways, walkways, on stairs, along the side of a bed and in kitchens along an island.

Remember Hand-knotted rugs all vary a few inches plus or minus depending on how the unique patterns lay out.

Always bring in your room measurements, Pictures from different angles, and any fabrics of wallpaper you are working with!

We do Complimentary Design Consultations for anyone who is unsure on size or layout. Many families have never designed a room and may find the task overwhelming. ( For every website that tells you one thing there are 3 more telling you something else.) Our professionals can guide you to several different options.

We also have the ability to custom-make a rug for individuals who require a unique piece.

Living Room Rugs

There are several ways to set up a living room, but in general, the rug should be used to frame the seating area. When setting up your furniture the front legs of your sofa should anchor onto the edge of the rug and the back legs off so your feet are fully and comfortably on the rug. Setting your room up this way two things happen: 

1) Your feet rest on the rug vs the hardwood.  The heaviest wear on your hardwood floor is where people's feet rest when they are seated. 

2) This setup frames the seating area and allows the room to look more open and airier. A rug that is too big or small leaves the room feeling overcrowded or disjointed.

You may also have additional chairs and furniture in your living room. Accent chairs may sit on the rug, half on half off, or even off the rug completely depending on the size of the chair and personal preference.. Living Room rug sizes are generally 8′ x 10′ and 9′ x 12′ in hand-made. For a larger living room, we suggest 10’ x 14’, 12’x15’, or 12’ x 18’.

It's common to have multiple rugs of various sizes in a living room to accommodate different areas of use.

Dining Room Rugs

The rule of thumb for your dining room is “bigger is better”. Start by measuring the total dimensions of the room as well as any furniture that may sit on the perimeter. In any case, the rug must be large enough to accommodate the chairs on the rug when people are seated. This way your floor is protected from scratches and your chair legs don’t bounce, become damaged, or damage the edge of the rug going over the edge. In many cases, it is ok to go up a size if you use additional leaves regularly.  

An 8′ x 10′ rug will accommodate most tables with 6 chairs, a 9′ x 12′ size rug is necessary if you have 8 chairs. Rug sizes of 10′ x 14′ and larger are essential if you need to accommodate even more chairs. 

Bedroom Rugs

When buying a rug for the bedroom there are multiple ways to use rugs allowing different aesthetics depending on your personal preferences. 

First:  One larger piece to frame out the bed and center the room visually. In this instance, the rug typically starts 12 to 18 inches away from the nightstands extending under the bed with the fringe ends on the sides of the bed. This will allow roughly half the rug to show at the foot of the bed as well as several feet on the sides of the bed. Queen beds require a rug between 8′ x 10′ or 9′ x 12′ while King size beds need rug sizes of 9′ x 12′ or 10′ x 14′. For Oversized bedrooms you may want to consider a rug in a 12’ x 15’ or 12’ x 18’  to add visually to a grand space. Bring in your room size, wall colors, and pictures of your bedding and let our design professionals help you select the right rug.

Second: When setting up a period home it is common to use three or four different rugs that all coordinate and never match. ( one at the foot of the bed and one on each side. Possibly using smaller pieces in seating areas, around vanities, in closets, etc...

Office

Your office is another area where the size can vary widely depending on room size, the position of the desk, the overall size of the desk, and chair type.

Two general guidelines to follow in most cases are:

1. If the desk is in the middle of the room do either a larger rug allowing the desk chair and the seating on the other side to be on one rug. OR Use a rug to accommodate the seating on the far side of the desk and a separate piece for the desk chair.
2. Desks positioned against the wall can use many different sizes to just allow the desk to anchor on the edge of the rug and room for the desk chair. OR You can center a rug in the room and accommodate the desk chair as well as a good portion of the open area.

Many different setups are used in Offices depending on many variables so have our professionals look at your specific setup.

Hall

Hallways are generally well-traveled so a rug can help preserve your floors. Hall rugs should never extend end to end in your hall. We recommend approximately 6 inches of hardwood at either end. In extremely long halls you may want to consider multiple hall rugs. Bring in your hall size and let our experts find the perfect runner for your hall.

Kitchen

Hand-knotted rugs are very durable and can be used under a kitchen table, and in front of sinks and islands. Refer to the dining room section as the same guidelines apply to a kitchen table as a dining room table. Usually 3’ x 5’ or 4’ x 6’ sizes are used in front of a kitchen sink and/or runners that are 30 inches wide and extend from 6’ to 12’ or longer along the island.  This is another space where many sizes can be utilized depending on the unique dimensions of your space.

Staircases

A Kaoud runner on your staircase will instantly improve the look and safety of your home. It helps prevent people and pets not slipping and falling on the stairs. Usually, we figure 18-19 inches per step but this can vary depending on the type of installation and construction of the foundation. For example, if you have 12 steps you would need 20 feet which will cover your stairs and the top riser. This might vary depending on the riser and step in your home. Before coming into our store measure the depth of your step, and the height of your riser and count the number of steps you have starting on the first floor and counting to the second floor (don’t count the hall upstairs as a step as the carpet won’t extend there). This will help us calculate the correct length needed for your staircase. If you have an “L” shaped or “U” shaped staircase you will need more material. In most cases, we will drop by your home and look at staircases that are not “ straight up” to make sure we have the correct amount of material. Please take pictures of the area and bring them with you. Remember that a runner on your staircase increases the safety of your home as it minimizes the chances of falling or slipping!

We also carry manufactured roll runners that can be used on staircases where there need to be seams and turns of custom angles.

Why should I choose a Kaoud Rug?

Kaoud Rugs imports oriental rugs directly from our own looms in the world’s leading weaving capitals. We offer thousands of rugs in every size, style, color, and budget using only the finest wool and dyes. We’re so confident in the quality and durability of our rugs that we offer New England’s only “Lifetime Trade-In Guarantee”.