You need to:

1. Measure the room or area,
2. Determine the layout of your furniture and decorating elements.

Once this information is known, we should be able to establish the proper rug size to fit the furniture layout and space needs.

The rule is that area rugs should be framed by the furniture or floor, as their beauty should not be covered up.

Example 1: A rug destined for a living or family room should fit within the sitting area, i.e., no furniture should be standing in it. In this manner the rug's pattern can be fully appreciated.

Example 2: a rug meant for the dining room should be large enough to accommodate the table and chairs, i.e., when a chair pulled away from the table, all of its legs should remain on top of the rug. For a standard size table that sits six people an approximately 8x10 or 8x11 rug is needed.

Example 3: A rug in a small area or a corridor should be small enough that it is framed by a 4 to 12 inch floor border