What size rug for a living room?
Most living rooms need an 8x10 rug. With a 7 ft sofa and two chairs facing it across a coffee table, an 8x10 runs 18 in past each end of the sofa, catches the front legs of every seat and leaves 18 in of floor at the side walls of a 13 ft wide room. Go up to a 9x12 for an 8 ft sofa in a room at least 13 ft 4 in wide, and down to a 5x8 only for a sofa of 6 ft or less with nothing facing it.
- Rule 01Rug past each end of the sofaat least as long as the sofa, 6-24 in past each end ideal
- Rule 02Rug under the sofa's front legsfront legs on the rug
- Rule 03Rug under the chairs' front legsfront legs of every seat on the rug
- Rule 04Floor showing at the side walls8-18 in
Try it with your room
Recommended sizeliving room, 13 x 16 ft
8 × 10ft
An 8 x 10 ft rug runs 18 in past each end of a 7 ft sofa and catches the front legs of the sofa and both chairs, leaving 18 in of floor at the side walls.
Drawn to scale, 1 ft grid. Drag the rug to move it, drag its corner to snap to another standard size, or rotate it.
An 8 x 10 ft rug runs 18 in past each end of a 7 ft sofa and catches the front legs of the sofa and both chairs, leaving 18 in of floor at the side walls.
| Rule | 8x10 |
|---|---|
| Rug past each end of the sofaat least as long as the sofa, 6-24 in past each end ideal | 18 in |
| Rug under the sofa's front legsfront legs on the rug | 6 in |
| Rug under the chairs' front legsfront legs of every seat on the rug | 26 in |
| Floor showing at the side walls8-18 in | 18 in |
| Verdict | ideal |
5x8, 6x9, 8x10 and 9x12 rugs in a living room
Each plan is drawn to the same scale, with a 7 ft sofa and two chairs in a 13 x 16 ft room. The 1 ft grid shows how much floor each size covers.
The front-legs rule
Every seat in the conversation area should have at least its front legs on the rug. That ties the sofa and chairs into one group, and it keeps the rug from sliding when someone sits down.
A rug that floats in front of the sofa, touching none of the furniture, is the most common sizing mistake. It makes the room look smaller, because the eye reads the rug's edge as the edge of the seating area.
How much floor to leave at the walls
Leave 8-18 in of bare floor between the rug and the walls. Less than 8 in and the rug looks like carpet that shrank; much more than 18 in in a small room and it starts to float. In a large or open-plan room, ignore the walls and size the rug to the seating group instead.
Is a 5x7 rug big enough for a living room?
Rarely. A 5x7 is 84 in long, the same length as a standard 7 ft sofa, so the sofa's end legs sit right at the rug's edge and chairs across the coffee table do not reach it at all. It suits a reading corner, a loveseat, or a very small room with a sofa under 6 ft.
Rug size for a living room with a sectional
With a sectional, get the front legs of both runs of the L on the rug. Size the rug to the longer side plus 12-24 in, and tuck it 6-8 in under both sides. For a sectional with a 9 ft long side, that usually means an 8x10 or a 9x12.
Living room rug size by sofa
The calculator's pick for common layouts. Every row keeps the front legs of all seating on the rug.
| Setup | Best size | Smallest that works |
|---|---|---|
| 6 ft sofa, no chairs, 10 x 12 ft room | 5x8 | 5x7 |
| 7 ft sofa, no chairs, 12 x 15 ft room | 8x10 | 5x7 |
| 7 ft sofa + 2 chairs, 13 x 16 ft room | 8x10 | 6x9 |
| 8 ft sofa + 2 chairs, 14 x 18 ft room | 9x12 | 6x9 |
| 9 ft sofa + 2 chairs, 16 x 20 ft room | 9x12 | 6x9 |
Every standard size with a 7 ft sofa and two chairs
| Rug size | Rug past each end of the sofa | Rug under the chairs' front legs | Floor showing at the side walls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x648 x 72 in | -6 in | -22 in | 42 in | Too small |
| 5x760 x 84 in | 0 in | -10 in | 36 in | Too small |
| 5x860 x 96 in | 6 in | -10 in | 30 in | Too small |
| 6x972 x 108 in | 12 in | 2 in | 24 in | Works |
| 8x1096 x 120 in | 18 in | 26 in | 18 in | Best fit |
| 9x12108 x 144 in | 30 in | 38 in | 6 in | Too big for the room |
| 10x14120 x 168 in | 42 in | 50 in | -6 in | Too big for the room |
| 12x15144 x 180 in | 48 in | 74 in | -12 in | Too big for the room |
Questions people ask
How big should a living room rug be?
Big enough that the front legs of the sofa and every chair sit on it, with 8-18 in of floor showing at the walls. With a 7-8 ft sofa, that usually means an 8x10 or a 9x12.
Is a 5x7 rug big enough for a living room?
Only in a small room with a loveseat or a sofa under 6 ft. A 5x7 is as long as a standard 7 ft sofa, so it cannot reach the chairs across the coffee table.
How should a rug fit in a living room?
Center it on the seating group, not the room. Run the long side parallel to the sofa, tuck it about 6 in under the sofa's front legs, and let it run 6-24 in past each end of the sofa.
What size rug for a living room with a sectional?
Take the longer side of the sectional and add 12-24 in, then tuck the rug 6-8 in under both sides. A sectional with a 9 ft long side usually takes an 8x10 or a 9x12.