Got some home decor and styling questions? We’ve got the answers! Today we are tackling how to place an 8×10 area rug in your bedroom, dining room, or living room. It seems easy enough, but the placement can really make or break a room. To help shed some light on this, we talked to Kate Chipinski, an eco-friendly, DIY interior stylist, whose gorgeous designs have been featured on HGTV, Chatelaine, and G&G magazines and earned her a cult following on Instagram.
The rug is always one of the first things I pick out for a room. It’s the anchor of the space and it creates the mood for the room. An 8×10 area rug is one of the most common rug sizes people use. Aside from the bedroom, living room and dining room, you can also place an 8×10 rug in your home office, kitchen, entryway, porch—it just depends on the size of these rooms.
Your 8×10 rug would make a beautiful statement in a large foyer with a bench and console table. In the office, throw your desk, chair, and accent chairs on a rug to make the space feel polished. And for your porch, throw a couch, chairs, small coffee table, and accessories. I have this size rug in all of these rooms, except the kitchen and entryway because mine are too small.
Why the Correct Rug Placement Matters
The wrong rug size for the space is probably the most common styling mishap that happens. A rug that is too small or too large for the space and furniture will throw the entire feel of the room off. Get that tape measure out and start measuring your room and furnishings.
When placing your 8×10 rug, make sure your furniture is living on the rug (there are some exceptions to this rule, of course) and that you are not styling half of it off the rug. If most of it is hanging off the rug, it’s probably too small and you need to go bigger. Center the rug in the middle of the room, then play around with it until it feels right to you. Every space is different, so move stuff around; feel it out until it feels right.
8×10 Rug in the Bedroom
Tip #1: Your entire bed does not need to be on the rug.
I always place my bed against the wall and my rug towards the bottom two-thirds of the bed, leaving about eight inches from the wall to the start of the rug. This makes my bed float a little.
Tip #2: Make sure both sides of the bed have equal rug space exposed.
Make sure that your bed is centered on the rug. An 8×10 rug should be able to house a king- or a queen-size bed with enough exposed rug space on the side. If you have two twin beds, put them both side by side on the 8×10 rug and leave some space in between.
Tip #3: Keep the furniture at the foot of the bed on the rug.
I usually anchor the foot of my bed with a bench, chairs, and an ottoman or two. Make sure that these pieces are living on the rug, not hanging off. Otherwise, it won’t feel right.
8×10 in the Living Room
Tip #1: Make sure the rug houses all the large furniture pieces in the room.
The couch, coffee table, and chairs all need to live and have space on the rug to make the room feel cohesive. There are some exceptions to this rule, of course.
Tip #2: Accessories don’t have to be placed on the rug.
Accessories like side tables, lamps, and plants can have their own spaces dispersed throughout the room.
Tip #3: Keep the rug centered, but…
Nine times out of 10 the rug will look best when centered in the space, so try that first. Play around with the room and furniture, there is no right or wrong way for everything to fit, make sure it feels right to YOU since you are the one who is living in the space.
8×10 Rug in the Dining Room
Tip: Your chairs should all fit on the rug even when pulled out.
An 8×10 rug can fit a small round, square or rectangular table with 4 to 6 chairs nicely; 8 chairs would be the maximum. If your chairs barely fit on the rug with the ends hanging off, think about going bigger or layering with a bigger rug.
Other Things to Consider
Tip #1: Mind the room’s color scheme.
Aside from your rug size, make sure your 8×10 rug fits into the color scheme of the room. Pull colors from the rug to sprinkle around the room to make the space feel cohesive. Not everything has to be matchy-matchy, but it needs to feel cohesive. Pick out the rug color and style that speaks to you and design your room around it.
Tip #2: Consider the theme of the nearby rooms.
I also like the connecting rooms to feel cohesive with the space I’m designing. Your home should flow and transition well between rooms. If it doesn’t, it will feel blocky and off. And in turn, you will feel off.
Tip #3: When it comes to styling around your rug, focus on a few key pieces.
Start with placing the rug in the room and layering pieces in from there. With some fantastic key pieces in your space, you can’t go wrong. Mix in some vintage pieces to bring character to your space. A little old with a little new can make a room feel unique and special.
Tip #4: At the end of the day, it all boils down to how the room makes you feel.
I like to choose my rug color, style, and pattern based on how I want the room to feel. If you want to feel cool, calm, and collected in your space, pick a rug with light, calming colors and patterns, nothing too bold. If you want to feel energized in the space, go ahead and pick those vibrant colors and patterns (just make sure you tone it down a bit with furnishings and decor).
Lastly, as long as your space makes you feel happy and content, that’s all that matters. Surround yourself with things in your home that make you happy and in turn, it will make you happy!
30 Comments
Please, please, please make a 9X12 rug! 8X10 isn’t big enough for a large room and holiday entertaining!
I LOVE this idea and I bet they are working on it!
Thanks for reaching out, Candace. Though we don’t have bigger sizes in the works, we hope to in the future. -It’s definitely something we know our customers would love!
Question – we have a large room (25×18) and we have a large couch with chaise. Length of the couch is 122″ x 64″ on the chaise. Wondering if an 8×10 is too small? I’m guessing we would at least need 12″ length so that the entire length of the couch is housed on the rug? The legs would likely be on the rug if it was 8×10 because they are inset from the actual couch…. I’m worried 12″ might be too large and make the couch look smaller…HELP!
For a couch that large I think an 8×10 will feel too small. I would definitely go 9×12 or larger. Good luck!
I am wondering about putting a rug under a king size bed in a room that is carpeted. Most rugs I see in bedrooms are on hardwood or laminate flooring. Your thoughts?
Hi, Cie! We don’t suggest using over carpet unless it’s a very low pile carpet as these rugs are made to grip hard surface floors. Also, please keep in mind that some furniture may have hardware at the base which may cause damage to the rug.
Can you please share the best way to fold an 8 x 10 when placing in a top load washing machine
I love the look of the beds and living room furniture anchored on the rug, but question the utility with regard to Ruggable rugs because the idea is that they’re washable. Maybe I’m the only one with an aging dog with issues, but the prospect of moving a king sized bed or a sleeper sofa in order to get the rug out to wash seems daunting.
How bad would it be to have a 5’x9′ rug resting between the couch and chairs in a living area, with a coffee table on top? Would that look too weird?
I am not a huge fan of layering rugs on carpet, especially if it’s a plush carpet. It will look bunchy and not lay nicely. If it’s a super low pile carpet it might work better. Some people do it and love it, to each their own.
Please make 4×6 size rugs!
Hi Mary! Noted. -We’ll send your feedback along to the team. 😉
Oh, yes, I, too, could use a 9″ X 12″ rug. I hope those will be available sooner rather than later!
Hello,
I got my rug and really like it. But, I have a question about the pad. When I walk on it it is very crunchy. Will that stop after a while?
Great question, Nancy! To eliminate the noise, press down firmly on the Ruggable cover and smooth it out so that the Rug Cover and Rug Pad are fully attached. For further assistance, please reach out to us at support@ruggable.com, we’d be happy to assist.
I would something bigger than 8 x 10, I’m hoping to see that happen soon!
We have 3 large dogs that shed…a lot! I hesitate to put a rug under the couch because it is easier to vacuum and sweep when it is just hardwood floors. I know above you mentioned it pulls a room together to have the furniture on the rug – would it look terrible to not have the furniture on the rug?
I have a 13’8(l) x 10′ (w) dining room. Will center a rectangle table w/ 6 chairs length wise. What size should I consider in order to ensure table and chairs are on rug?
I feel like an 8×10 would look really good in that size space, with that size table.
We would LOVE to have the option of purchasing 9’ x 12’ rugs as well! I’m assuming it might be difficult to wash a 9’x12’ size rug in an average size washing machine… I’d be happy to have to take it to a laundromat with large enough machines— doing so would be better than needing to replace the rug after dog accidents!
I would like the option to order a smaller Ruggable than the 3×5 for bathroom and entryways. Hopefully sooner than later. I love my Ruggable rugs. I have 4- 2 5×7, 3×5 and a runner looking to purchase more.
Just have a question on a rug. We live near Disney, so am interested in the Mickey Trellis in Ash Grey for our front hallway. My question is this – the size is 2.5×7 – is it possible to get it in 2.5×8??
If not, we will probably buy the 2.5×7, but 2.5×8 would be so much better in the hallway.
Thanks for your interest, Jody! Unfortunately, we currently don’t offer custom sizes, but we’ll pass along your feedback to our team. Also, make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter by visiting Ruggable.com to get updates on all things new at Ruggable!
Hi, All of my handmade rugs went into storage because we got two dogs. We wrapped the rugs in plastic and unfortunately they were destroyed by moths. I want to get your rugs because they are washable. I need help with my dining room. It is only 10 feet by 10 ft. I had an 8 ft square in there before but to walk across the room into the kitchen we had to walk diagonally across the rug with the table a little off-center. Haven’t been able to come up with a solution unless only the table is on the rug but then the chairs won’t slide nicely. By the way I am a Minnesotan too.
Hi, Pam! We are so sorry to hear about your previous rugs! We are happy that you are looking into Ruggable to replace them and we’d be happy to provide this size guide which may be of help on determining the best size for your dining room: https://myruggable.com/size-guide
I have a long room (25×12) split into two areas, living & dining. Looking for 2 rugs that coordinate, but are different. If I look at 2 Sarrah or 2 Kamran, etc. is that my best bet to coordinate? Does 8×10 make sense in this space?
My round dining table seats 6, do I necessarily need a round area rug or would a square be just fine?Please and thanks.
Hi, Elsie! It’s ultimately up to how your space is laid out and your own preferences. Round Rugs help to offer a similar look/shape and compliment round tables/furniture, but a rectangular shape would work just as well!
Depending on the size of your table, our team often recommends a 6’x9′ or 8’x10′ rug for a six seater table.😊
My end tables and sofa are 10.6 inches wide and my new area rug is 8×10. I won’t be able to place the front legs of each end table plus the couch under the rug because rug isn’t wide enough. Should I place rug in front of all 3 pieces or just place rug under couch and leave the end tables on hardwood?
Hello Lois! I would place your couch centered on the rug and then have your end tables flank the sides of your couch. They can float off of the rug and it shouldn’t be a problem. I have the same issue in my living room, head to my Instagram to see some pics of it and how it looks @katechipinski or head to my website katechipinski.com to get a closer look too. Good luck!
Kate