Table runners tend to add a decorative appeal to the overall look of not only your table, but the entire room. It is important in determining the length of the runner to keep one thing in mind, most importantly, there is no right or wrong, its more about what you envision for your space.
For a more traditional look, you will want to measure the length of the table and add twelve to fourteen inches for overhang (six to seven inches for each end). This is probably the most common way people display their table runners, but did you know that you can also display the table runner over the width of the table instead of running it down the length of the table?
Well, you can and there are many people who prefer to do it this way.
How you lay the table runner can be factored by either the occasion you are using it for, or it can based solely on personal preference. If you use a runner on your kitchen table on a daily basis, you may not want it to hang over the ends of the table, especially if you have little ones in the house who might get hold of the ends and pull it off.
In this case, try using a shorter decorative runner so that it does not drape over the sides of the table. We suggest keeping the ends roughly three or four inches from each end of the table if you decide on the no hang style.
Possibly you use a runner to set a table centerpiece on or possibly napkins, salt, pepper etc. If that is the case, you may want to use an even shorter runner, one that is about one third the length of the table, this allows just enough coverage for be decorative and useful.