When it comes to size, what are the more standard sizes we see in area rugs?
Size matters, especially when choosing between area rugs for your space. If you go too big, you could visually shrink your room and cover flooring details. On the other hand, rugs that are too small can seem to float and cause a distraction. To get you started, there are standard rug sizes for different rooms and layouts.
In this guide, we’ll include an area rug size chart that covers:
- Standard rug sizes in inches
- Standard rug sizes in feet
- Standard rug sizes in cm
- Provide you with information on how to search our site for area rugs based on their size
We’ll also give tips on how rug sizing affects placement, and when it’s a good idea to break the rules.
What Are the Standard Sizes of Rugs?
What Is the Most Popular Area Rug Size?
In a nut shell the most popular rug size (in feet) are listed below from smallest to largest:
- 3 x 5
- 4 x 6
- 5 x 7
- 6 x 9
- 8 x 10
- 9 x 12
- 10 x 14
- 12 x 15
- 12 x 18
- 14 x 20
That said, the most popular area rug size really depends on the space that you’re designing, but there are some “standard” rug dimensions. In this section, we’ll break down area rugs into small, room size, large, extra large, wide hallway and runner rugs with the most popular dimensions for each.
Search and Shop by Common, Typical and the Most Popular Rug Size
Wide Hallway Rugs | Square Rugs | Round Rugs
Click the hyperlinks below to see some of the more popular and standard size antique rugs:
Antique 4 x 6 rugs | Antique 5 x 7 rugs | Antique 6 x 9 rugs| Antique 8 x 10 rugs | Antique 9 x 12 rugs | Antique 10 x 14 rugs | Antique 12 x 15 rugs | Antique 12 x 18 rugs | Antique 14 x 20 rugs
View our modern rug collection by standard sizes
Modern 6×9 rugs | Modern 8×10 rugs | Modern 9×12 rugs | Modern 10×14 rugs | Modern 12×15 rugs | Modern 12×18 rugs
Standard Sizes For Small Rugs
Small rugs tend to be less than 9 feet long.
Common small rug sizes in feet / inches are:
| Feet | Inches |
|---|---|
| 3 ft x 5 ft | 36 in x 60 in |
| 4 ft x 6 ft | 48 in x 72 in |
| 5 ft x 7 ft | 60 in x 84 in |
| 5 ft x 8 ft | 60 in x 96 in |
Common small rug sizes in meters / centimeters are:
| Meters | Centimeters |
|---|---|
| 0.91 m x 1.22 m | 91 cm x 122 cm |
| 1.22 m x 1.83 m | 122 cm x 183 cm |
| 1.52 m x 2.13 m | 152 cm x 213 cm |
| 1.52 m x 2.44 m | 152 cm x 244 cm |
With some additional warmth or character, small rugs can tie a room together.
Standard Sizes For Room Size Rugs
Room size rugs are large enough to define a space and are typically between 9 and 15 feet long.
Standard room size rug dimensions in feet / inches are:
| Feet | Inches |
|---|---|
| 6 ft x 9 ft | 72 in x 108 in |
| 8 ft x 10 ft | 96 in x 120 in |
| 9 ft x 12 ft | 108 in x 144 in |
| 10 ft x 14 ft | 120 in x 168 in |
| 12 ft x 15 ft | 144 in x 180 in |
Standard room size rug dimensions in meters / centimeters are:
| Meters | Centimeters |
|---|---|
| 1.83 m x 2.74 m | 183 cm x 274 cm |
| 2.44 m x 3.05 m | 244 cm x 305 cm |
| 2.74 m x 3.66 m | 274 cm x 366 cm |
| 3.05 m x 4.27 m | 305 cm x 427 cm |
| 3.66 m x 4.57 m | 366 cm x 457 cm |
Room size rugs can bring sophistication to your living room, dining room, bedroom, or family room.
More Common Sizes For Large Rugs
Between 15 and 20 feet long, large rugs are an ideal option for filling an expansive room.
Common large rug sizes in feet / inches are:
| Feet | Inches |
|---|---|
| 12 ft x 18 ft | 144 in x 216 in |
| 14 ft x 20 ft | 168 in x 240 in |
Common large rug sizes in meters / centimeters are:
| Meters | Centimeters |
|---|---|
| 3.66 m x 5.49 m | 366 cm x 549 cm |
| 4.72 m x 6.1 m | 472 cm x 610 cm |
Large rugs demand attention with their impeccable designs and craftsmanship, even in expansive rooms.
Common Sizes For Extra Large Rugs
Extra large rugs tend to be over 20 feet long.
Common extra large rug sizes in feet / inches are:
| Feet | Inches |
|---|---|
| 15 ft x 30 ft | 180 in x 360 in |
| 19 ft x 30 ft | 228 in x 360 in |
Common extra large rug sizes in meters / centimeters are:
| Meters | Centimeters |
|---|---|
| 4.57 m x 9.14 m | 457 cm x 914 cm |
| 5.79 m x 9.14 m | 579 cm x 914 cm |
Extra large oversized area rugs can serve as a commanding presence in even the largest rooms with their storied origins and intricate details.
Runner Rugs
Runner rugs are characterized by their long, narrow dimensions.
The typically runner rug sizes in feet / inches:
| Feet | Inches |
|---|---|
| 2 ft x 8 ft | 24 in x 96 in |
| 2 ft x 10 ft | 24 in x 120 in |
| 3 ft x 12 ft | 36 in x 144 in |
The typically runner rug sizes in meters / centimeters:
| Meters | Centimeters |
|---|---|
| 0.61 m x 2.44 m | 61 cm x 244 cm |
| 0.61 m x 3.05 m | 61 cm x 305 cm |
| 0.91 m x 3.66 m | 91 cm x 366 cm |
Runner rugs can line hallways, border kitchens, or add distinction along a bed or sofa.
Let us break down the beauty of Rug Sizes for you…
When it comes to choosing the right rug for a room, there are various factors to keep in mind in order to make the space look optimal. Even within the same space there are multiple options for rug sizes. With that in mind, let us break down the different sizes for you so you can have a more solid approach on what to look for in the future!
Small Rugs: Typically less than 9ft in length. Common sizes include: 5’x8′, 5’x7′, 4’x6′, and 3’x5′
Small rugs are a great way to add character to a room and designate a particular nook, or small space in the home. For instance, small Kilim rugs can be lovely by the sink in the kitchen. Or an Antique Persian rug might be beautifully inviting and decorative for an entry way. Small rugs can also be creatively layered, a trend you can further explore by clicking here to see our feature on overlapping rugs.
Islamic prayer rugs also fall under the category of small rugs, perfect for praying, meditating, or any type of vertical oriented space, as they wouldn’t really be as fitting if presented horizontally. Small rugs can also work wonderfully beneath a coffee table, artfully framing the piece of furniture.
Room Size Rugs: 9′-15′ in length
Room size rugs are the most popular sizes. They literally come in any and every style, and are essential for every home. These rugs are ideal for defining a primary space and they are decor’s MVP for adding a pop of color.
For instance, you can warm up a room with a rug of the respective hue or cool down a room with a blue-grey rug.
Large Rugs: Typically 15′-20′ in length
Large rugs are perfect for bringing a room together. When choosing a large rug, it is strongly advised to choose one that all of the room’s furniture will fit over, while still leaving a decent margin of floor space around the perimeter.
This will make the room look bigger, more elegant, and clean.
Oversized rugs: Anything that is over 20′ in length
These opulent rugs are meant for grand interiors that can accommodate them gracefully. They are especially good for a more traditional decor style, adding an abundance of decorative elements to the room. Rugs with an all over design are ideal because they give you the most options in terms of how things are placed on top of them.
Designers love rugs with allover designs because it eliminates the worry of symmetry, allowing for more creativity.
Runner Rugs: Any rug that is long and narrow
Naturally, runner rugs are terrific for hallways, but they are capable of so much more too! For instance, one can put a runner rug at the foot of the bed, or on either side. Runner rugs can also be an effective way to designate a walking area in a family room, or living room. For instance, if the furniture is situated to one side of the room, a runner rug might be perfect for behind the couch, where one walks to get to the kitchen.
Again, these pieces can be super artful, ranging from tribal and nomadic to modern and contemporary.
Furniture placement also matters. Furniture can be placed over a larger oversized rug if it has an allover repeating design, or if it has no borders. Alternatively, furniture can be grouped around a smaller rug, or overlapping slightly onto it.
In that case a smaller rug would work well in a larger room. These are all decisions that should be made before beginning to think about the style of carpet that might be appropriate.
Finding Antique Rugs by Sizes
If you are looking for rugs for your home then naturally, one of the most important factors is size. Below we have made it easy to search our rugs based on pre-set size ranges. Click the rug size links below to quickly pull up the search results based on general rug sizes. With so many sizes and common interior spaces, there’s a perfectly proportioned rug for every location. The Most common would be the rectangular shapes followed by Square rugs then round rugs.
Other, less typical sized rugs are octagonal and even diamond-shaped rugs. While the modern contemporary rugs will usually be available in standard sizes, the antique carpets can be found in common as well as unusual sizes.
For general information on how to find and search our site, please visit How to Search for Antique Rugs Online
Is It Better To Have a Bigger or Smaller Rug?
It all depends on what your goals are for your space. A rug that is too big for a room can make that room look smaller, while a rug that is too small can make your space feel disjointed. The visual effects of having a rug that doesn’t match the size of your room can also be exaggerated by other design choices. For example, rooms painted in light colors tend to look bigger, so a small rug could be even more of a mismatch in that instance.
How Do You Tell If a Rug Is Too Big for a Room?
The standard rule of thumb is that an area rug should be 18 to 24 inches smaller than the space it occupies. This is especially true for rooms with flooring that enhances the space. For example, gorgeous hardwood floors or tiles can make a room feel cozier or more elegant. In these cases, leaving some space around your rug allows you and your guests to appreciate both design elements.
Are There Rug Under Couch Rules?
When placing area rugs in rooms, the size and location of your furniture also factor into what size area rug would best fit. For couches, beds, tables and most other pieces of furniture, the standard rule is to have a rug that extends at least six inches past the furniture on all sides.
In many situations, it can be ideal to have multiple pieces of furniture placed on the same rug, like a couch and a coffee table. The standard rule works here, too, and it’s usually best to have your rug extend at least six inches past each piece of furniture.
How To Position and Place Rugs in Rooms
It’s also typical for rugs to be centered around the main furniture group—not necessarily the center of the room. For example, if you have a couch pressed against the wall and a coffee table in the middle of the room, you wouldn’t normally center the rug around the coffee table. Instead, you could anchor the rug under the couch and have it extend out past the coffee table.
Exceptions to the Rug Size Rules
In some cases, it makes sense to break the rules. The size of your area rug isn’t an isolated influence on how you place it. An example of this would be choosing a rug to go under your coffee table. Even by following the standard six-inch rule, the rug could feel too small for the room, especially if it’s surrounded by empty floor space.
When buying your area rugs, please keep in mind that you don’t always need to cover all of the space under a piece of furniture—especially in the bedroom. Sometimes, you might want to have the rug only cover the floor under two-thirds of the bed. This allows your rug to extend well beyond the foot of your bed but still be anchored by the bed.
As with many of the recent interior deign trends and “design rules”, it’s most important to do what you like. If you feel that having a rug that stretches from one edge of your living room to the other enhances the space, then that’s the size you should choose for your rug.
How Big Should a Rug be Relative to a Room?| What Size Rug Do You Put in a 12×12 Room?
Go Beyond Trends with Nazmiyal Collection
Size, style, and sophistication—no rug is complete and ready for your space without all three. For over 30 years, we’ve gathered one of the world’s largest collections of antique, vintage, and modern rugs. Explore our collection to see what suits your design style, or try your hand in making your very own custom rugs to experiment with shapes, sizes and every color and pattern imaginable.
