What Size Should A Dining Room Rug Be

What Size Should A Dining Room Rug Be

You are here: Best Decorating Ideas / 5 RULES FOR CHOOSING THE PERFECT DINING ROOM RUG

An area rug in a dining room can not only add comfort and style and color to a room but can actually frames the dining room table and make the whole room visually pleasing! Rugs are a soft piece of furnishing that carpet the area under and around the table grounding it and the dining room chairs too.

But choosing the perfect rug can be a little tricky. It's usually an investment, so we want to do everything we can to choose the right one! Here are five rules to help you choose the PERFECT dining room rug!

1. ARRANGE YOUR DINING ROOM FURNITURE WITHOUT A RUG

Before you add a rug to your dining room, now is the time to arrange and rearrange ALL of your dining room furniture and get the placement of everything exactly how you want it. Doing this will make it easier to measure and pick the right rug for your space.

We did this when we replace the wall to wall carpet with hardwood floors. We tried several arrangements and different pieces until we came up with arrangement we have now.

2. THE PERFECT SIZE

Here's a great rule-of-thumb for finding the perfect size rug for a dining room. Measure your dining room table and add 20-30 inches. Now you have a the perfect size rug for your dining room.

Some say that you should measure your table with the leaves in and then add 15-30 inches for the right size rug, but I say… how often do most people use the leaves AND how many of our dining rooms are adequate and comfortable for dining (except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and big get togethers) with the leaves in on a regular basis.

If you have the room, by all means go ahead and use the measurement with the leaves in.

I chose to measure my table without the leaves and the rug is very comfortable. If you choose to measure your rug the way I did, use the higher end of the measurement spectrum.

The rug overhangs my table on the long sides by about 25 inches and 30 inches on the short side.

3. LET YOUR ROOM BREATHE

Your rug should not be so big that it covers your entire dining room. Let the edges of your room "breathe"! Make sure you have at least 6-18 inches of floor showing all the way around the room. This will define your eating space and supporting furnishings.

4. CHOOSING THE RIGHT PATTERN AND MATERIAL

Experts say to choose your rug FIRST and then coordinate and style your room around it. That is great advice but what if you already have all your furnishings? Well, then you are just like me. I changed up a more traditional oriental rug from one that was a little more updated and modern.

So, I looked for a rug that contained the colors in my room and chose a large geometric pattern that would not compete with the patterns that were already in the dining room.

Think of a rug like art that goes on the floor!

A rug can set the tone for the whole room! Changing out my rug made a huge difference in the whole look of my dining room!

5. GO FLAT

It's important to choose a rug with a low nap or one that is relatively smooth. When a rug is too thick or too high or too nubby it becomes difficult to move chairs in and out from under the table and can actually become a hazard.

My personal favorite are the great new indoor/outdoor rugs on the market. They are easy to clean, have a smooth surface, are durable and come in fabulous colors and patterns. Many are very suitable for even the most formal and elegant dining room.

My new rug is the Saybrook from Ballard Designs. The color is black with yellow and the size is 8'x 11.2′.

Here are a few other tips that might be helpful…

• it's okay to go without a rug… just make sure to put felt pads on the legs of your chairs
• a round table does not need an round rug… measure the table at it's widest part and add 15-25 inches for a rug
• a cut carpet remnant works great as a dining room rug
• a rug can be placed over low-nap wall to wall carpeting
• always use a rug pad

Now I need your help. My beautiful new rug still has some fold "waves" in it. I've vacuumed it many times, put a rug pad under it, put it out in the sun and sprayed it down with water and even tried to stretch it using Downey Wrinkle Release. It's a whole lot better, but the photograph picks up the little ripples that still exist. If you have any ideas to get the wrinkles out of an indoor/outdoor rug… PLEASE let me know! Thanks!

Remember to pin this to your DECOR or DINING ROOM Pinterest boards. You can follow me on Pinterest and see all the great things I am finding to pin HERE.

What Size Should A Dining Room Rug Be

Source: https://www.stonegableblog.com/5-rules-for-choosing-a-dining-room-rug/

Share: