How to Size Area Rugs

Position your furniture in the room where you want to add the area rugs. The furniture should be placed so that there are 3 1/2-foot-wide pathways from each doorway or entrance leading to every other doorway. You should not bump into furniture or feel like you are walking around a grouping.

Center dining room tables under the chandelier and make sure the room is wide enough to walk around the table and chairs. Position beds so that they are a focal point in the bedroom with room on both sides to access the bed and room at the foot of the bed to walk past the bottom of the bed.

Measure from the front feet of your couch and chairs grouping. Often such furniture is arranged in an L or U shape. The minimum area rug to anchor this type of grouping should extend 8 inches under the front legs of the sofa and companion chairs. A larger rug can be selected if the room is large and the furniture can sit on top of the rug or further back on the rug. When the rug goes several feet behind the backs of the furniture, it often looks awkward or oversized. Place painter's tape along your measurements to create a visual representation of the rug's position.

Measure the perimeter of the dining room table grouping. In general, it is okay for the back legs of the chairs to move from the area rug to the existing floor when a chair is pulled out for a person to sit. It is not good if the front legs cross this point as the chair may then get hung up on the edge of the rug. The rug can extend behind the chair legs so that the chair never leaves the area rug when the chair is pulled out for dining. If a larger rug is used, the edge of the rug should not become a trip hazard for those walking around the table. This means the rug should cover the walk path for larger rooms. Tape off your rug shape.

Measure a bedroom area rug intended to anchor the bed by adding 3 feet beyond each side and the bottom or foot of the bed. The area rug edge may be positioned under the front feet of the bedside tables for a clean look. Larger rugs can be used if the rug incorporates a seating area beyond the front of the bed. These rugs are often turned at an angle if the sitting group is to one side. Tape off your rug shape.

Measure the length and width of rooms where the area rug is being used to disguise a flooring problem. When possible, select a rug in the same shape and center the rug evenly spaced from each wall.