Short answer: in most UK living rooms with a three-seater sofa, a 200 × 290cm rug is the right size; with a two-seater or in a smaller room, go for 160 × 230cm. The rug should be big enough for at least the front legs of your sofa and chairs to sit on it, with a border of bare floor (roughly 20–45cm) showing around the edges. Under a dining table, the rug needs to reach at least 60cm beyond every edge of the table.
Buying a rug that is too small is the most common rug mistake by a distance. A small rug floating in the middle of a room makes the furniture look like it is drifting away from it, and makes the room look smaller. The rules below fix that, room by room, and every size mentioned here is one we stock across hundreds of designs in our rug collection.
Standard UK rug sizes (and what they are for)
| Size | Best for |
|---|---|
| 60 × 110cm, 80 × 150cm | Doorways, beside a bed, in front of a fire or a kitchen sink |
| 120 × 170cm | Small living rooms, under a coffee table only, reading corners, nurseries |
| 160 × 230cm | Two-seater sofas, small to medium living rooms, under a double bed |
| 200 × 290cm | Three-seater sofas, most dining tables for 4–6, under a king-size bed |
| 240 × 340cm | Corner sofas, large open-plan living rooms, dining tables for 6–8 |
| 67 × 200cm, 80 × 300cm | Hallways and landings (runners), alongside a bed |
| Ø 120cm round | Reading chairs, nurseries, under a small round side or coffee table |
Living room: three ways to place a rug
1. Front legs on (the safe choice)
The front feet of the sofa and armchairs sit on the rug and the back feet sit on the floor. It ties the seating together, works in almost any room and is forgiving on size. Choose a rug slightly wider than your sofa.
2. All legs on (the luxurious choice)
Every piece of furniture sits fully on the rug. This needs a big rug (usually 240 × 340cm or more) and a big room, but it creates a clear “room within a room” in open-plan spaces.
3. Floating (for small rooms)
No furniture touches the rug, which sits under the coffee table only. It suits small rooms, but the rug should still be at least as long as the coffee table plus 30cm or so each side, or it will look lost. A 120 × 170cm rug is the usual size here.
Match the rug to your sofa
| Sofa | Typical width | Rug size |
|---|---|---|
| Two-seater | 160–180cm | 160 × 230cm |
| Three-seater | 200–220cm | 200 × 290cm (160 × 230cm minimum) |
| Corner or L-shaped | 250cm+ | 240 × 340cm |
For example, our Hatton velvet sofa beds are 211cm wide, so a 200 × 290cm rug laid lengthways under the front legs gives about 40cm of rug beyond each arm, which looks balanced.
Dining room: the 60cm rule
A dining rug has one job: chairs must stay on it when they are pulled out, otherwise the back legs catch the edge every time someone sits down. So measure your table and add at least 60cm to every side (120cm to the length and 120cm to the width).
- 120 × 80cm table (like our Halo): needs at least 240 × 200cm, so a 200 × 290cm rug laid along the table is right.
- 160 × 90cm table for six: needs 280 × 210cm, so go up to 240 × 340cm.
- 80–90cm round table: needs at least 200cm in every direction, so a 200 × 290cm rectangle works best.
Practical tip: flat-woven or low-pile rugs are easier for chairs to slide over and easier to clean under a dining table than deep shaggy rugs. Not sure how big your table should be? See our guide to how much space a dining table needs.
Bedroom: under the lower two-thirds
The classic placement is a rug under the bottom two-thirds of the bed, stopping just short of the bedside tables, so your feet land on something soft on both sides when you get up.
- Double bed (135 × 190cm): 160 × 230cm, laid with the long side across the bed.
- King bed (150 × 200cm): 200 × 290cm, laid across the bed, which leaves about 70cm showing on each side.
- Alternative: two runners or 80 × 150cm rugs, one either side of the bed. Handy if the bed is against a wall or you have a storage bed you don't want to lift.
Hallways and landings: runners
- Leave roughly 10–20cm of floor showing on each side of the runner. In a typical 100–110cm hallway, a 67cm wide runner looks right; in a hallway of 120cm or more, choose an 80cm wide runner.
- Stop the runner 20–30cm short of each end wall and clear of door swings.
- Use a non-slip underlay on hard floors.
We stock runners in 67 × 200cm and 80 × 300cm across many designs, including washable options such as the Twist stripe washable runner.
The masking-tape test
Before you order, mark the rug's outline on the floor with masking tape (or lay out newspaper) and leave it for a day. Walk around it, sit on the sofa, pull out the dining chairs. If you keep thinking “a bit bigger”, go up a size: it is very rare for anyone to regret a larger rug.
Which material for which room?
- Hallways, kitchens, homes with pets and small children: washable rugs. We have over 60 machine-washable designs, such as the Chateau beige washable rug.
- Living rooms and bedrooms: soft shaggy rugs from the Moodi range (from £44.90), or patterned rugs such as the Joli doodle.
- Natural texture: jute, such as the handwoven Kunu diamond rug. It is hard-wearing and adds warmth but is not as soft underfoot.
- Conservatories, kitchens and patios: indoor-outdoor rugs like the Limonero sisal-look rug, which stand up to spills and damp.
Frequently asked questions
What size rug do I need for a 3-seater sofa?
Usually 200 × 290cm, so the front legs of the sofa sit on the rug with some rug showing beyond each arm. In a smaller room, 160 × 230cm is the minimum.
How far should a rug be from the wall?
Leave around 20–45cm of floor showing between the rug and the walls. Less than that and the rug looks like fitted carpet; much more and it looks too small.
Should a rug go under a coffee table?
Yes. The coffee table should sit fully on the rug, with the rug extending well beyond it on all sides.
Can I put a rug on top of carpet?
Yes. Choose a flat or low-pile rug with a rug gripper or carpet-specific underlay so it does not creep. It is a good way to add colour in a rented home.
