How to Measure for a Dining Room Rug

Nothing caps off a dining room design better than a beautiful area rug. But how do you know which size to choose for your dining table?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tape measure

1. Before measuring, consider your rug shape. Round dining room tables call for round rugs, rectangular tables for rectangular rugs and so on. Also, be sure to account for the extra length a dining room table leaf can add.

2. A quick guide for determining rug size in your dining room (from TenThousandVillages.com): To keep the chairs on the carpet while people are seated, you need a 6-by-9-foot rug for four chairs, an 8-by-10-foot rug for six chairs and a 9-by-12-foot rug for eight or more chairs.
   However, depending on the size of your room those rug dimensions might not be possible. To be certain of the size you need, measure your dining room table length and width, then add three feet to each. This will account for the amount of space a pulled out chair takes up.

3. As a general rule of thumb, and to avoid too-large rugs, choose a dining room rug that's at least 2 feet away from all the walls. Designers often follow this rule to achieve perfectly scaled room design.

Resources

• Ten Thousand Villages Dining Rug Guide