What size rug for a living room?
A living room rug is sized off the seating, not off the walls. Set your room below, choose how much of the floor you want covered, and we will draw it.
How the size is worked out
Living room
Size a living room rug from the seating, not from the walls. Three layouts cover almost every room. All legs on: every leg of every piece sits on the rug, with about a foot of floor showing all round. A 16 by 12 foot room takes roughly 14 by 10. Front legs on: the sofa and chairs rest on the edge. It pulls the group together and forgives a room that is not quite square, and the same room takes about 13 by 8. Floating: the rug carries the coffee table alone, with the sofa just behind it and the chairs beside it on bare floor. That one lands near 7 by 5.
What size rug fits a 12 by 12 living room?
About 10 by 10 with all legs on, or 9 by 8 with front legs on. Put your own measurements into the tool above and it will give you the range to shop.
Should the sofa sit on the rug?
At least its front legs. A sofa entirely off the rug splits the seating into two groups, and that is what makes a small rug look like a mistake rather than a choice.
Is a 5 by 8 rug big enough for a living room?
Rarely, as the main rug. It is the right size for a floating layout, where the rug carries the coffee table and the seating stays around it on bare floor. If you want the sofa standing on the rug, a full sized room needs something nearer 8 by 13.
