Size is the first question almost everyone asks us — and the wrong size is the most common regret. A rug you love can still look wrong if it is too small for the room. A rug that fits makes the whole room feel finished, even before you notice the pattern.
Here is how we work it out, in the showroom and in people’s homes.
The one rule that matters
The front legs of your sofa and chairs should sit on the rug. That is it. If only the coffee table is on the rug and the sofa is floating off it, the rug is too small — no matter how beautiful it is.
From there, two measurements do the rest:
- The rug should extend at least 6 inches past each side of the sofa.
- Leave 12 to 18 inches of bare floor between the edge of the rug and the wall. A rug that runs wall to wall stops looking like a rug and starts looking like carpet.
The tape trick
Before you buy anything, outline the size on your floor with painter’s tape. Walk around it for a day. Sit on the sofa and look down. You will know within a day whether it feels right — and it costs nothing.
If you are between two sizes, go bigger. A slightly large rug is easy to live with. A slightly small one will bother you every time you walk in.
What about a one-of-a-kind rug?
This is where vintage rugs are different from new ones. A new rug comes in every size. A vintage rug comes in the size it comes in — there is no second one in the size you want.
So shop by size first, and fall in love second. Measure the room, know your size, then look at the rugs in that range.
And if you fall in love with a rug that is a little small, it is not always a lost cause. A smaller rug can define the seating area inside a bigger room, or sit layered over a larger plain rug. Bring it home, try it, and see. That is exactly what the rug is for.
Layer it over a plain jute rug
If the rug you fall in love with is smaller than your living room needs, you don’t have to walk away from it. Put a plain jute rug underneath — in the size the room actually needs — and layer your rug on top. The jute frames it: it fills the floor and grounds the furniture, while the rug you love stays the piece you look at.
Jute works because it stays quiet. No pattern fighting yours, a neutral texture that suits almost anything, and it is usually the affordable half of the pair. The rug on top brings the character; the jute just gives it space.
Leave a border of jute showing all around — a few inches at least — so it reads as a frame, not a rug hiding underneath another one. And keep the top rug centered over the seating area. The size problem turns into a layering choice, and the rug you fell in love with still gets its place in the room.
Three from the showroom, in three sizes
- 8′ x 6’8″ — Hand-knotted Tabriz Vintage Mahi rug, Code 1250, $3,990. A generous living-room size, madder red field with a deep navy medallion and border. Link: https://saramoon.com/product/hand-knotted-tabriz-vintage-mahi-rug-8×68-code1250/
- 6’9″ x 11′ — Hand-knotted Hamedan rug, Code 1610, $3,829. Triple medallion on a crimson field, bold geometric patterns in navy, ivory, and coral. Link: https://saramoon.com/product/hand-knotted-hamedan-rug-1610/
- 4’7″ x 7’5″ — Hand-knotted Kashan rug, Code 1251, $2,590. A smaller size for a smaller seating area — and it comes as a pair, if you have two spaces. Link: https://saramoon.com/product/hand-knotted-kashan-rug-47×75-code-1251/
Every rug on our site lists its exact dimensions — measured without the fringe — so the size you see is the size you get.
If you are still unsure
Email me photos of your space, with the measurements, at Sara@saramoon.com and I will help you work it out. I can suggest which sizes would work and send you a few options to look at. We can also talk about an in-person consultation from there.
Or come to the showroom and we will work it out together. In Calgary, we can also bring rugs to your home so you can see them in the room before you decide.
Browse the collection: https://saramoon.com/shop/
Visit us: 5510 3 St SE #8, Calgary, Wed-Fri 11-6, Sat-Sun 11-5.