Large & Palace-Size Area Rugs: A Buying Guide

Arsh's Rug Library · Buyer Questions

Large black and rust Kashan-design rug filling a formal living room with a chandelier — Shown: Kashan Pak-Persian Jacinta, 12'1" x 15'2"

In a great room, an open-plan living space or a formal dining room, a big rug does what no small one can: it holds all the furniture together and makes the room feel finished.

When you need a large rug

Your seating group is wide. If a sofa, loveseat and chairs all need to sit on the rug, an 8x10 runs out fast.
The room is longer or wider than about 14 feet. A smaller rug looks like an island in the middle.
You want the all-legs-on look. Every piece of furniture fully on the rug is the most polished layout, and it needs size. See our living room size guide.
A dining table seats eight or more. With 24 inches for chairs on every side, a long table needs a 10x14 or bigger.

Common large sizes

Large rugs usually start around 10x14. Palace sizes run from about 12x15 up to 12x18 and beyond. Handmade rugs vary by a few inches, so every listing in our palace-size collection shows the exact measurement. If you need a size nobody has, we can make one: see custom rugs.

Tan and gold rug in a large wood-paneled living room — A large rug anchors a paneled great room or fills a grand foyer.

Gold palace-size rug in a grand marble foyer — A large rug anchors a paneled great room or fills a grand foyer.

How to measure

Mark the outside edges of your furniture group with painter's tape, then add 18 to 24 inches around it. Leave 12 to 18 inches of bare floor at the walls. In open-plan rooms, size the rug to the furniture, not the whole floor. Our size guide walks through each step.

Delivery and setup

A hand-knotted 12x18 can weigh well over 100 pounds, so plan for two people, a clear path and a rug that arrives rolled, never folded. Order a rug pad cut to size at the same time; on a big rug it stops ripples and protects the floor.

What drives the price

Price rises faster than size: a 12x18 has far more knots than an 8x10, and very large rugs need wide looms and more weavers. Our price guide explains what you're paying for. If the budget is tight, two matching rugs can zone a very large room for less than one huge rug.

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