Nothing pulls a room together quite like a large rug. In an open-plan space, a large area rug, like an 8’x10’ or 9’x12’ rug, can define an area and visually separate it from the rest of your home. It can also dictate the mood and overall theme of a room in an enclosed space.
While both 8’x10’ and 9’x12’ rugs belong to the large rug category, choosing which rug size to buy for your living room, dining room, or bedroom isn’t always an easy decision to make. And while bigger is not always better, in some cases, it might be exactly what you need. Here are some situations where it might be more appropriate to upgrade your 8’x10’ to a larger 9’x12’ rug.
1. To cover more ground
Stylist: Jennifer of @jcdesign1.1
Room Dimensions: 15’x16’
Floor Plan: Open
8’x10’: “On my 8’x10’ Damali Black and White Rug, the sofa and accent chairs are laid in a way that only the front legs are on top of the rug. It doesn’t cover as much floor space as I want it to and I can’t have as much space in between the furniture to walk around.”
9’x12’: “On my 9’x12’ rug, my sofa is completely on the rug while the accent chairs are front legs only. The 9’x12’ is great because it covers enough floor space and is large enough to fit all my furniture. There is also more room to walk around the furniture. Additionally, I love that it extends beyond the furniture and it’s still two feet away from my walls.”
2. To make your space look bigger
Stylist: Michelle Parkhurst of @lovelywhitehome
Room Dimension: 17’x17′
Floor Plan: Open
8’x10’: We have an open floor plan, with our living room, kitchen, and breakfast nook all in the same open space. My living room design includes both a couch and loveseat focused around a television. With the 8’x10’ Leelu Black and White Rug, I have to ensure my couches are closer together to give the room the right “feel.”
9’x12’: “With the 9’x12’ rug, I was able to use the same layout that our family loves but push the furniture farther out, making the space look and feel bigger. I absolutely love the 9’x12’ and how it’s tied the space together.”
3. To make large spaces look more cohesive
Stylist: Jessica from @simplymodernliving
Room Dimension: 14.5’x14’
Floor Plan: Closed with one open wall
8’x10’: “With the 8’x10’ Soraya Trellis Ash Grey Rug, I leave the sofa legs off the rug and only the front legs of the other chairs can rest on it. I pull the sofa farther off the wall and it creates a somewhat cozier space.”
9’x12’: “On a 9’x12’ rug, all the legs of my sofa and chairs get to rest on the rug. The space feels more open and allows for easier foot traffic and more window views. If you’re not sure which size to get, I would recommend choosing the size that can get at least 4 to 6 inches of your rug under each piece of furniture to make the space look more cohesive.”
4. To make intimate spaces look cozier and more comfortable
Stylist: Aisha of @honestlyaisha
Room Dimension: 16’x20’
Floor Plan: Closed
8’x10’: “The 8’x10’ Victoria Grey Rug is beautiful and it really makes the room. It adds so much texture to my bedroom.”
9’x12’: “While I like the way the 8’x10’ looks, the 9’x12’ rug really enlarged my bedroom. It can fit all the furniture and I love the way my bedroom look bigger and feel so much cozier. I definitely prefer the 9’x12’ in this setup.”
More Styling Tips for Your 9’x12’ Rug
Still can’t decide whether to upsize to a larger rug? Jennifer has a few more tips on how to choose the best rug size for your space.
1. The rug should be the largest element in the room.
“You want your rug to be LARGER than the largest piece of furniture. The longest side of the rug should always be longer by at least 6 inches than the largest piece is furniture.”
2. Leave some visible floor space.
“You want to make sure there is a distinction between the floor and rug. Do not get a rug that is too large and covers the entire room (unless there is something on the floor you are trying to cover). Think about creating layers of colors, textures, and patterns through the use of different materials (your first layer would be the floor, next is the rug, and then furniture and décor).”
3. Leave space for walkways.
“Leave about 18 inches or more from rug to the wall unless your sofa is against the wall.”
4. Think about proportion.
“Make sure your rug is proportionate to the furniture and space! You don’t want a very large rug with small furniture and vice versa.”
5. Tape it out.
“If you think you want a 9’x12’ rug, mark out the area with a blue painter’s tape and then lay your furniture out within the tape to see if this size works for you or if you need a smaller size.”
5 Comments
Have the 2.5×7 compass print I’m looking for a 3×5 & a 28”x 48” to go on either side. The compass rug is in my RV.
Great post and pics! I’m looking for a seagrass rug to go under my 9×12 rug as it’s too small for my huge room. Do rugs come larger than that or must it be custom? Can’t seem to find any. Thanks!
Hey, Patti! At this time our largest size is a 9’x12′ and we do not offer custom sizing/rugs. We will however note your interest in seeing larger sizes added to our collection!✍😊
I’m sold! I’ll be buying one for every room in my new house. But I do have a question, can you tell me the color paint that was used in the 1st few pics on this blog? The room where the Damali Black and White Rug was used.
We are glad you like our rugs, Elizabeth! We look forward to you shopping with us in the future. Unfortunately, we don’t have information on the other décor or furniture shown, including any paint or wall features! Many of our photos and videos are shared with us from our customers.