What Size Rug For Living Room?
We may earn affiliate fees for purchases using our links (at no additional cost to you).
The size of your living room rug might have an effect on the living room.
But, before you go any further, you need to find out what size rug is appropriate for the living room.
To determine what size rug for living room, considerations to make include the room’s arrangement as well as its comfort and equilibrium.
To help you out, in this article, we will guide you through the whole process of choosing the ideal size of rug for the living room.
What Size Rug For Living Room?
It is up to you to decide which size of rug would look best in your living room.
You can choose a rug that is suitable for you by following some criteria that are used by interior designers.
Always keep in mind that the appropriate proportion of a rug in a living room is essential.

The available sizes of rugs for the living room:
To have an understanding of the rug size you need; it is necessary to be familiar with the many sizes that are available for living rooms. So, let’s have a look at the available options.
Size | Characteristics |
12×18 | For spacious living spaces |
9×12 | Typical-sized, standard living room |
8×10 | Typical-sized, standard living room |
6×9 | Medium size living room |
5×8 | Most commonly used for medium size living rooms |
5×7 | Medium size living rooms |
4×6 | Small size living rooms |
3×5 | For the kitchen, bathrooms, and smaller living rooms |
12×18 size rug in the living room:
This rug size is perfect for really spacious living spaces. Rugs with a larger surface area cover more floor space and help bring the various components of a room together.
However, you also know that the cost of the rug will increase proportionately with its size. This indicates that the cost of a rug of this size will not be low.
As an alternative, the 9-by-12-foot rug may do the trick, and it costs far less than comparable options of 12×18.
9×12 Size Rug In The Living Room:

The 9-foot by 12-foot rug is quite popular. The scale is perfect for accommodating huge sofas or seats, with space left in the middle for a table.
In most stores, you won’t be able to find any rug that is larger than this 9×12 size.
In a typical-sized living room, this size rug will take up around half of the floor space. So, it is ideal for most of the living rooms.
8×10 size rug in the living room:
This is yet another standard size for rugs. It is suitable for any space that is 10 feet broad or less.
This proportion is referred to as the “ultimate ratio”, and some people also call it the “golden ratio”.
You may also acquire rugs that measure 4 by 6 feet, which is half as large as the 8 by 10 feet rugs but has the same aspect ratio.
They work well in bedrooms, but more and more people are putting them in the middle of living rooms.
6×9 size rug in the living room:
The ideal space for a rug with dimensions of 6′ x 9′ is an area no larger than 11′ x 13′.
In living rooms ranging from small to medium in size, a 6′ x 9′ rug is typically placed in front of an open fireplace with two comfortable chairs resting totally on the rug.
This rug will also fit beneath the coffee table covering the space between the couch and the other furniture in the room.
5×8 Size Rug In The Living Room:

This is the size of the rug that is most commonly found in living rooms. The typical length of a couch is around seven feet. As a result of this, the arrangement of an eight-foot rug works perfectly.
You might alternatively place all four legs of the piece of furniture on the carpet, although doing so is not the ideal option for a tidy living space.
You have the option of either overlapping the rug with your sofa or placing it in front of the sofa.
You might alternatively place all four legs of all the pieces of furniture on the carpet, although doing so is not suggested.
5×7 size rug in the living room:
A room with a floor area of 8’x10′ or less benefits the most from a 5’x7′ rug.
You have options or either place it beneath the coffee table or in front of an open fireplace with two comfortable chairs resting totally on the rug.
This rug may even accommodate the legs of your sofa depending on the available area in your living room. Thanks to its compact size.
4×6 size rug in the living room:
There isn’t anything special about this size rugs.
Alike the 5×8 ones, you can place all four legs of the piece of furniture on the carpet. The only difference is that this size will only take 1/3rd of the floor space.
3×5 Size Rug In The Living Room:

This is suitable for use in living rooms that are comparatively smaller than the standard or medium size living rooms.
In other words, this is the smallest size for any rugs brand available.
In fact, these are the carpets available in a smaller size, and these are reserved for use in kitchens and bathrooms.
But, if the living room you have is on the smaller side, the dimensions and proportions of this rug are perfect.
The room will feel much cozier with this rug. Thanks to its size and ability to fit and match with a rocking chair.
Tips for placing the rug in the living room:
To determine the rug size and orientation, you have to take into account the shape and form, size, and furnishings of your living room.
The desired seating area you want should be covered by the rug to operate the talking space or conversation area.
To avoid an unbalanced appearance of a rug in your living room, here are the tips for you to set your rug perfectly.
Before you choose your rug, take a look around: When selecting a rug for your living room, make sure that the size and desired orientation are appropriate for the available area.
Make a layout: It is also important to have a layout drawn of how you would set the rug in the living room.
Align the rug with the shape of the living room: Align the rug with the layout of the living room and arrange it so that it reflects the room’s proportions.
If you don’t like placing your furniture up against a wall, this method is very helpful.
It is also helpful if you have bigger pieces of furniture (like a sectional sofa), or if the shape of your room is irregular.
Thus, the living room space will give the impression of being spacious, and there will be a flow to the eye.
Visualize the layout: Before you purchase a rug for your living room, employ painter’s tape to make a simulation of the arrangement.
It provides a 360-degree view of the space. Thus, it enables you to see the rug’s placement in the space from all angles.
How To Place The Rug In The Living Room:

There are a lot of place-your-rug ideas. Out of them, we have found a few of the most ideal, and sophisticated rug ideas for you.
Rounded Arrangement:
If you want to draw attention to the seating area in your living room, the placement of a huge circle rug is the way to go.
Choose a rug that is not only sufficiently large but also of a regular size so that it has a few extra inches left even after accommodating all of your furniture and belongings.
You also have the option of purchasing a rug that is big enough to fit at the very least the whole front legs of all your furniture.
“All legs on” arrangement:
If your living room is large enough and you want to place all of your furniture on the rug, follow this rug idea.
Here, all of your conversational and other accessory pieces of furniture, i.e., coffee table, chairs, accent chairs, and couches will fit on the rug.
Firstly, you will have to allow for an eight-inch gap between the floor rug and the furniture’s edge.
In addition, ensure that there is a gap of anywhere between ten and eighteen inches between the wall and the rug.
Leaving more gaps would be handy and sophisticated in case you have more space.
The appearance of a “nearly wall-to-wall” carpet would be a very undesirable result if you get too near to the wall.
Pro tips: You can however avoid leaving this space if your sofa is flush against a wall or one is only a few inches away from the other.
Having a comparatively small space also excludes this rule.
Only “front legs on/go-to” arrangement:
This arrangement of rug in any standard size living room is the most common and popular option for various reasons.
A room of a smaller size may be accommodated more easily with it. It is less expensive, and it can give the impression that the space is bigger than it actually is.
Here, sofas, chairs, and all other furniture should only have their front legs resting on the rug, and all pieces of furniture should have their rare legs resting directly on the floor.
The guideline is that the rug should only cover around one-third of the width of each piece of furniture.
It maintains a coherent look across the seating area and produces a seamless appearance without the added expense of any bigger size, room-full rug.
The “rule breaker/ no feet on the rug” arrangement:
In this configuration, you do not position any of your seats on top of your rug; rather, you set simply any focal piece of furniture or coffee table there. Any 5×7 does the job finely.
If done correctly, the arrangement may be visually appealing. Proper proportions may be achieved by basing rug size on the interior measurements of your seated space.
You may use a well-placed rug to fill up the empty spaces created by your furniture arrangement.
“One on top of another” arrangement:
If your favorite rug seems small for the space, you have this option. Just place this rug on top of a more substantial and bigger one.
This design has the potential to be spectacular if the elements are properly paired.
For instance, on a jute rug, placing a different material-based, and color rug is among the finest practices.
How to choose the best living room rug:
Determine the ideal size:

It is the first thing to consider while purchasing a rug. Before deciding on other factors, such as style, composition, or color, make sure the size is perfect.
A rug may help delineate specific areas in a large open space while also adding to its overall visual appeal.
So, for pulling the entire area together and creating a well-balanced environment, the rug size is very critical.
Get the largest size that will fit. It helps to harmonize your room and specify the area you’re looking to cover.
A tiny rug will make the room appear smaller and the furniture may look disoriented.
Consider the shape:
The most ideal shape for dining, living, bedrooms and small corridor hallway runners is rectangular.
A circular rug, on the other hand, may be a lovely addition to an office, living room, playroom, bedroom, or study room.
If you want something creative and unique, you can get it made with a custom design. Consider your preferences, the rug’s function, and your budget.
Rug material:
Choosing a rug with a classic texture or a long-lasting flatweave will be your best bet if you’re overwhelmed by the variety.
Also, to make the most of your money, it is the ideal move.
High traffic spaces such as living rooms and dining rooms benefit greatly from the durability of flatweave carpets.
FAQs About Rug Size For Living Room
How Far Should A Rug Go Under A Couch?
Rugs should stretch at least 12 to 15 under the couch it is covering. For instance, when using a couch and chair combination, the rug shall extend 12-15 inches extra beyond the couch ends.
Does A Large Rug Make A Room Look Bigger Or Smaller?
Yes, as we have discussed above, it is possible to make the space appear larger by correctly using a rug or carpet. Avoid using many little rugs and go for one large area rug to give your home a more imposing appearance.
How Do You Tell If A Rug Is Too Big For A Room?
A rug that is too tiny will give the impression of floating in the living room. If it is overly big, it will dominate the space and give the impression that the room is smaller than it actually is.
Final Words:
Living room rugs certainly intensify the beauty of your living room. But it may sometimes ruin the appearance if you don’t have the proper-sized rug placed in the room.
So, follow our in-depth guide from choosing, and buying to placing the rug in your lovely living room.