If you always use chairs at the head and foot of the table, then you should go with a larger rug. It's annoying for the chair to catch on the rug every time it's moved in or out. Two feet at each end is the minimum amount you'd need to avoid this. If you are only putting chairs at the sides, the 8 x 10 could provide a nice anchor for the table.

However, what else is in your room and how wide is the table? Both of these will affect the size of the rug.

Thank you for this post. There is a great deal of confusion regarding the appropriate sized rug for a room. This is good advice from Design Inspirations Inc. I also notice that people use too small a rug in living rooms. Often times, just the coffee table is sitting on an area rug. This makes the rug look like a postage stamp. If in doubt... go BIG!

Thanks everyone! We have an open concept kitchen/dining area. The table will be in the dining section. We will have arm chairs on either end, so I agree that going with a bigger rug is necessary to avoid the annoyance of catching on the chair every time someone moves their chair back. We aren't in the house yet (moving in a few weeks) and expecting a baby around the same time, so I'm trying to plan ahead and purchase my area rugs now. This advice really helps. Thanks again!

Oh, and here are the table measurements: 96"L x 43"W x 30"H

That's great. The 10x 12 should work nicely for you. Different rug companies produce different sizes, and often they're still not exact, but this will give a good guideline. If anything, you could go a bit longer on the ends, not shorter. Some companies will also do custom sizing for you. You still want to leave at least 1' of your floor showing around the sides, and the 10 x 12 would make it 2' on each side so it will look nicely balanced. Good luck with your project!