How to Measure for a Vintage Rug
In the spirit of continuing to share some vintage rug tips, I’m here to talk measuring! Specifically- how to measure your space when adding a vintage rug to your home. While mass produced modern rugs come in standard sizes, all of the vintage rugs I carry are knotted by hand and one-of-a-kind. Therefore, each and every one of them are also unique in size…
If you have ever come to the studio to talk about finding the perfect vintage rug you’ve probably mentioned a specific size you are hoping for, like an 8x10 living room rug, or a 5x7 for the foot of your bed. I love the way you think but I often launch into the spiel about… the “measuring homework.” I am always encouraging people to measure their spaces for the maximum and minimum rug dimensions that will work for each space in their home. Thinking you just need an 8x10 rug for a living room is a great start, but you will find that none of the rugs in the webshop or that I start showing you in the studio will be exactly 8x10. If you’ve done some measuring at home you will actually find that the maximum length that will fit your living room may be closer to something like 10’10” with a maximum width of 8’7”. Knowing the range of sizes that will work for your space will give you a lot more flexibility when vintage rug shopping. The perfect vintage rug is probably going to be something like 8’7” x 10”4” and now that you’ve done your measuring homework you know its going to be a perfect fit!
Finding the perfect vintage rug is not only up to size and taste- it’s a lot about how you want your space to look, feel and function too. You can easily find guidelines and “rules” online about what size rug should go where and how to place it in regards to furniture. These are great tips to take into consideration, but ultimately- the set up, flow, and how you personally use your space will determine the rug size that will work for your home and bring you the most joy.
My personal thoughts on those rug rules are as follows:
RULE #1 A vintage rug needs room to breathe around it. You aren’t putting in wall-to-wall carpet right?! So think about allowing for a few inches around the border of a rug in any room. A couple of inches may be fine for a hallway runner rug and in a living room space or bedroom you may want more, 6 inches is a thoughtful starting point. Giving your vintage rug room to breathe will create ease on the eyes and not make your space feel over crowded.
RULE #2 Maximize your space when you can. Now I know bigger rugs come with bigger price tags but you are truly investing in heirloom pieces made to last and live in your home with you for a very long time. So don’t settle for something too small, a rug that’s too small will end up feeling like what I call a postage stamp rug or small floating island if you will- and it will actually make your space feel smaller instead of more spacious. AND we have an in-house layaway program just for these BIG rugs that you can read more about here.
RULE #3 Make sure your rug is helping you define the space it’s in. You don’t want a rug that is overflowing into another area, like in an open floor plan home with a joining living room and dining room. The living room rug needs to contain and hold the space it’s in. You also don’t want a rug intruding halfway into a walk way or creating a situation where you find yourself walking or standing half on and half off a rug. This doesn’t help with the flow of energy and could even lead to a potential tripping hazard.
RULE #4 In regards to furniture placement, one question I get asked a lot is- should a rug go in front of or under my couch? I have to say the answer to that isn’t so simple… A living room rug can stop in front of the couch, although I argue it should still come close enough to create a cozy spot for your feet to land. A rug can go under the front legs only OR it can go all the way back under the couch and close to the wall or behind the couch. I both love and hate this answer for you. I know you might want a hard and fast rule and I’m just not here for that. If you have a big open space and a budget for a 9x12 rug go for it! If you live in an old craftsman home here in Portland a smaller, cozier rug placed in between all of your furniture may be the ticket! What else is in the room that you might need to keep in mind? Is there is a door that needs to be able to open or a heat vent on the floor that cannot be covered- all of these details need to be considered as well. If you are shopping for a dining room rug or a rug for an office I do recommend a rug large enough that you are fully on the rug while chairs are all pushed in and while seats are pulled out. In the end it truly always come back to your personal taste, flow and ease of living…
Now it’s time for that measuring homework, so get out your measuring tape and try to have some fun with it! Some tips for you folks who really need a visual cue, folding a blanket down onto the floor can help you visualize the space a rug will take up. Or use blue painters tape to mock up your ideal size and then measure off of that for how much bigger and smaller you are also willing to go. If you already have a rug that you are ready to replace measure that as a starting point. Once you get a feel for what you want, you will end up with that range of sizes to keep note of when a fresh batch lands each week!
Here is a closer look at some of pictures ya’ll have sent me of your EV rugs in your homes- you are all doing so great at following along with these “rules” already! And remember if you are local we always offer folks the chance to take a rug home to “try it on” before committing and if you aren’t local please feel free to reach out with questions via DMs on instagram or email. You can even send pictures of your space so I can assist you!
Hope this helps, and happy measuring!
xo,
Anna