Why It’s Important to Pick The Right Dining Room Rug Size
Any beautiful dining room, casual or formal, deserves a great foundation. The right size rug is foundational to creating a stunning dining room. The dining room rug acts as a visual grounding zone by delineating the dining room table and chairs as a separate zone from the rest of the room.
But your rug is more than just the right color and size. Important factors like durability, pile height, maintenance, and longevity will determine if your perfect rug is really so perfect.
We’re going to break down how to find the correct dining room rug size for rectangular, round, and square dining tables with simple graphic guides so you can easily find which dining room rug size is the best fit for your table and room.
Dining Room Rug Size Basics
First things first. Let’s start with the most important determining factor, how to pick the right size dining room rug.
There are two main measurements that will give you the maximum and minimum size rug that will best fit your space. Knowing your dining room measurements will tell you how big your rug can be. Then measuring your dining room table will tell you the smallest rug size you can comfortably accommodate.
Step 1: Measure Your Dining Room
Interior designers use a basic rule to find the correct dining room rug size based off of the room dimensions. Measure the length and width of your dining room, then subtract 18” – 24” from each side. If your dining room is on the smaller side, subtract 12” – 16” from each side. This measurement will tell you the largest size rug your room can correctly fit.
Why do we do this?
Leaving this intentional gap between the wall and the rug’s edge creates the illusion of a larger space. This is an easy visual trick to make small rooms look larger. Allowing space between the wall and the rug lets you see some of the bare floor underneath, and defines the dining area.
If your rug goes wall to wall, or is less than the recommended gap width, the room will look cramped and overcrowded, giving the illusion of a smaller room than it actually is.
Step 2: Measure Your Dining Table
The second most important measurement to determine your dining room rug size is your dining table dimensions. When guests enter or leave the dining table, they need at least 24” to pull out their chairs so they can comfortably get in and out of their seats.
Anything less than 24” and the chair will catch on the edge of the rug. This can fray the rug, shortening its lifespan and aesthetic, but also frustrate your guests and potentially trip older family members.
Measure the length and width of your dining table and add 24” to each side. This means you are adding 4ft. to the length side, and 4ft. to the width side, so that each side has 2 additional feet.
Why do we do this?
This new measurement will tell you the smallest rug size you can fit under your dining table. If you notice that your new measurement is larger than the size you got from measuring the room, you might want to consider getting a slightly smaller dining table, or changing shape from a rectangular table to a square or round one.
If you haven’t selected a dining table yet, subtracting 4 ft. from the maximum dining room rug size you got from the first step is an easy way to reverse engineer finding the right dining table size.
Rectangular Dining Rug Sizes
Rectangular dining table rugs are the most popular shape and come in a variety of sizes. Here are some handy charts that help guide what size rug you’ll need depending on your table size, and number of guests.
4 Person Rectangular Dining Room Rug Size
6 Person Rectangular Dining Room Rug Size
8 Person Rectangular Dining Room Rug Size
10 Person Rectangular Dining Room Rug Size
12 Person Rectangular Dining Room Rug Size
Round Dining Rug Sizes
Round dining tables are a great option if you have a small room that you want to make feel more spacious. Because there are no sharp corners, round dining tables improve the flow and accessibility of space around the room.
Round dining tables and rugs look especially great in open floor plan designs because they give an airy, spacious visual impact. Another benefit of round dining tables is that many have pedestal style bases that provide the most leg room of any dining table shape.
So how do you find the correct size dining room rug for a round table?
Measure the diameter of your round dining table. Add 4 ft. to this measurement to find the right dining room rug size for round tables.
For oval tables, a rectangular rug is the most ideal shape. Measure the length and width of your oval table, and add 4 ft. to each dimension. This will tell you what rectangular rug will look best under your oval dining room table.
4 Person Round Dining Room Rug Size
6 Person Round Dining Room Rug Size
8 Person Round Dining Room Rug Size
10 Person Round Dining Room Rug Size
Square Dining Room Rug Sizes
Like round dining tables, square dining tables look good in open floor plan homes as well. Because of their square shape, these dining tables add a sense of balance and symmetry to your dining room.
The same measuring rule applies to square dining tables, just as round or rectangular. Add 4 ft. to your width and that will give each guest 2 ft. of space to comfortably get in and out of their chairs.
4 Person Round Dining Room Rug Size
6 Person Round Dining Room Rug Size
8 Person Round Dining Room Rug Size
Step 3: Leave Room For Accent Pieces
Most dining rooms will have other support pieces in the room than just the table and chairs. Layering your dining room with a buffet, console, or cabinet adds storage and display space.
If you are able to leave 18” – 24” of space between the wall and the rug, this allows all four feet of your support furniture to sit fully on the bare floor. Having all four furniture feet on the floor prevents your buffet or console from being unstable and having decor pieces tip over if it’s accidentally bumped.
Conclusion
Your dining room rug sets the tone for your room. Understanding how to get the correct dining room rug size lays the foundation for a successful dining room. A good dining room rug size leaves enough space for guests to easily get up from the table, and move around the room without tripping or feeling cramped.
Plenty of space between the wall and your rug makes the room feel larger and allows accent and storage pieces plenty of room to sit completely on the ground so precious decor or family heirlooms don’t accidentally get knocked over.
Depending on the number of people sitting at your dining table, and the table shape you choose will determine the best shape and size of your dining room rug. Knowing the basic rules that professional interior designers use will set you up for a gorgeous, functional dining room.
