When you see rugs hanging in a showroom, keep in mind that they look a lot bigger than when they are on the floor. Therefore, it can be tricky to guess the rug size you need just by looking at a room or a rug. You need to actually measure the size of the space, and know how much of the floor you want covered, as well as know which pieces of furniture you want placed on the area rug. This illustration should help you decide:
In hallways, area rugs should be centered if there is furniture on both sides of the hall, or pushed to one side if there is furniture only on one side of the wall. In either case, the furniture should not be on the rug.
