Rug size calculator

How to use

1. Pick the layout: Choose the room and how the furniture should sit on the rug.
2. Measure the room: Length and width in feet, wall to wall.
3. Measure the furniture: Sofa length and the depth of the seating group, the dining table, or the bed, in inches.
4. Choose a border: How much bare floor you want between rug and walls; 18 in suits most rooms.
5. Tape it out: Mark the suggested size on the floor with painter's tape before you buy.

How to measure for a rug

Measure the room wall to wall in feet, then the furniture the rug has to work with, in inches: the sofa's length, and the depth of the whole seating group from the back of the sofa to the front of the chairs opposite. In a dining room measure the table; in a bedroom, the bed itself, not the mattress size printed on the label.

The furniture sets the minimum and the room sets the maximum. A rug that suits the room but not the furniture looks too small, which is the most common mistake; Home Depot's rug size guide makes the same point, that size should come from the furniture layout and not from room size alone.

Rules of thumb by room

Living room, front legs on: tuck the rug under the front legs of the sofa and chairs, and let it run past each end of the sofa. Home Depot suggests 8 × 10 ft or larger for this layout and 18 to 24 in of bare floor to the walls.

Living room, all furniture on: a room-size rug lets the furniture float in the middle. Home Depot recommends 10 × 13 ft or larger here, with 12 to 18 in of floor showing.

In front of the sofa only: at least 5 × 8 ft, or about the length of the sofa, with all four coffee-table legs on the rug.

Dining room: all chair legs should stay on the rug when the chairs are pulled out; 24 in past the table on every side is the usual working figure.

Bedroom: put the rug under the lower part of the bed, so the bed's foot legs stand on it, and let it extend at least 24 in past the sides and the foot (Home Depot).

Standard rug sizes

Ready-made area rugs in the US come in 3 × 5, 4 × 6, 5 × 8, 6 × 9, 8 × 10, 9 × 12, 10 × 14 (some brands make 10 × 13) and 12 × 15 ft. Sizes are nominal; check the listed dimensions, which can be a few inches smaller.

How it is calculated

• Living room, front legs on: rug ≥ sofa length + 6 in each end, and deep enough to reach under the front legs (group depth − 24 in, at least 5 ft)
• Living room, all furniture on: rug ≥ seating group + 6 in on every side
• Living room, in front of the sofa: at least 5 × 8 ft, or about as long as the sofa
• Dining room: rug ≥ table + 24 in on every side, so pulled-out chairs stay on it
• Bedroom: rug ≥ bed width + 24 in each side, and the lower two-thirds of the bed + 24 in past the foot
• Space for a rug = room − the bare-floor border on every side; the result is the standard size that meets the minimum and fits

Examples

16 × 12 ft living room, 84 in sofa

Front legs on: the rug needs at least 84 + 12 = 96 in (8 ft) along the sofa and 96 − 24 = 72 in (6 ft) of depth. With 18 in of bare floor the room leaves 9 × 13 ft, so the largest standard size that fits is 9 × 12 ft, with 18 in at the long walls and 24 in at the short walls.

Dining table 72 × 40 in

Add 24 in on every side: 120 × 88 in, so 8 × 10 ft is the smallest standard rug that keeps pulled-out chairs on it.

Queen bed, 60 × 80 in

Across the bed 60 + 48 = 108 in; along the bed two-thirds of 80 in plus 24 in = 77 in. 8 × 10 ft works, laid with the 10 ft side across the bed.

Frequently asked questions

What size rug do I need for my living room?

Most living rooms need an 8 × 10 or 9 × 12 ft rug. The rug should be wider than the sofa by about 6 in at each end and reach at least under the front legs of the sofa and chairs. Keep about 18 in of bare floor to the walls; Home Depot's guide gives 18 to 24 in for this layout.

Is a 5 × 8 rug too small for a living room?

Only if the furniture is meant to stand on it. A 5 × 8 ft rug works in front of a sofa up to about 8 ft long with the coffee table on it; for a front-legs-on layout most sofas need 8 × 10 ft or larger.

What size rug goes under a queen bed?

An 8 × 10 ft rug laid with the 10 ft side across the bed leaves about 24 in either side of a 60 in queen. For a king (76 in wide) a 9 × 12 ft rug does the same.

How much bigger than the dining table should a rug be?

About 24 in on every side, so the back legs of a chair stay on the rug when it is pulled out. A 72 × 40 in table needs at least 120 × 88 in, an 8 × 10 ft rug.

How far should a rug be from the wall?

Leave an even band of bare floor, typically 12 to 24 in: 18 to 24 in in a living room with front legs on the rug, and 12 to 18 in for a room-size rug under all the furniture.

Should the rug go under the sofa?

At least the front legs, or the whole sofa if the rug is big enough. A rug that floats in front of the sofa without touching it makes the seating look disconnected unless it is at least as long as the sofa.

Sources

• Selecting Proper Rug Size, The Home Depot