With warm weather right around the corner, many of our customers will start thinking about spring cleaning and redecorating. If you’re in that boat, take a moment to look at your area rugs. Do their sizes “feel” right to you or does something feel off about them? Before you purchase your next rug, let’s talk about whether it’s better to have a rug that’s too big or too small.
The purpose of an area rug
Some homes have hardwood throughout each of their rooms. Others have carpeting. Both have something in common, however.
Area rugs. Regardless of the type of flooring in your home, most homeowners have some kind of area rug. It serves several purposes, including:
• Reducing noise in your home;
• Providing warmth and comfort (especially true with hardwood); • Keeping your furniture from moving, and;
• Creatively tying your decor together and completing its look.
How to measure for a new rug
When figuring out your needed size for an area rug, start by using painter’s tape to mark off the edges of your furniture layout. Next, empty the space as best as you can. Then, using a straight edge such as a yardstick, mark off the ideal location of your rug. Finally, measure its length by width.
Standard rug sizes
There are several sizes of standard rugs. Those are:
• 3×5;
• 4×6;
• 5×8;
• 7×10;
• 8×11, and;
• 9×12;
Your measurements may not match these standard sizes exactly, so now you should remeasure. Tape off a size down and a size up. Which looks better to you?
So, is it better to have a rug that’s too big or too small?
This is why we’re now going to loop back to our initial question. Simply put, you should never go with a rug that’s too small for the space. As a basic example, imagine sitting around your dining room table with a rug below it. Now, imagine the front of your chair legs on the rug while the back is on a hardwood surface. Feels unbalanced, right?
A rug can also be too big, as you want at least ten inches between the edge of your rug and the wall. A rug that touches or even folds up along the bottom of your wall is never a good idea.
However, we believe that the better of the two options is a rug that’s too big — within reason. As long as you’re not experiencing what we just described, a rug that’s too big is better than one that’s too small. An undersized rug will not only look bad but also defeats the purpose of having a rug in the first place.
Finding the right size rug at Rug Source
Our inventory includes a wide range of styles, colors, patterns, and yes, sizes as well. We’ll help you find the right size of rug for your home, whether you’re looking for a handmade rug, something with an Oriental heritage, a vintage rug, or something else entirely.
Contact us today via our contact form HERE or give us a call at 980-819-7373. We’ll go over your needs and help you choose the right rug for your home!
