Free rug size calculator. Enter room length and width to find a rug size that leaves an even border of floor showing around it.
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Subtract 2 feet from each room dimension, which leaves about 1 foot of bare floor showing on every side. That border frames the rug and keeps it from looking like wall to wall carpet.
This calculator subtracts 2 feet from each room dimension, which leaves about 1 foot of bare floor showing on every side. A 12 by 10 foot room therefore suits a 10 by 8 foot rug, and a 15 by 12 foot room suits a 13 by 10 foot rug. That border frames the rug and keeps it from looking like wall to wall carpet. Room by room rules below refine this starting rule, because a bedroom, a dining room, and a hallway each have their own furniture test.
For a living room rug size, use the front legs on rug rule as a minimum: at least the front legs of every seat should sit on the rug. In a larger room, all legs on the rug looks better and defines the seating area. Common picks are 5 by 8 feet for a small seating area, 8 by 10 feet for a standard room, 9 by 12 feet for a large room, and 10 by 14 feet for an open plan room or a sectional sofa. When in doubt between two sizes, choose the larger one.
For a bedroom rug size, size the rug to the bed, not to the budget. A rug under bed should sit under the lower two thirds of the bed and extend 18 to 24 inches past the sides and the foot. Twin beds suit 5 by 8 feet, with 6 by 9 feet ideal. Full and double beds suit 6 by 9 feet, with 8 by 10 feet ideal. Queen beds suit 8 by 10 feet, with 9 by 12 feet ideal in a larger room. King beds suit 8 by 10 feet minimum, with 9 by 12 feet ideal. A pair of bedside runners about 2.5 by 8 feet is an alternative in a small room.
For a rug under dining table, the rug must extend at least 24 inches past the table on every side, so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out. Add 48 inches to table length and width. A 72 by 36 inch table therefore needs at least 120 by 84 inches, normally bought as an 8 by 10 foot rug. A round table needs 48 inches added to its diameter. Measure to the backmost point of a pulled out chair, not to the table edge alone.
A hallway runner size should leave 4 to 6 inches of bare floor on each side, and 6 to 12 inches bare at each end, or about 90 percent of hallway length. Standard runner widths are 2 to 3 feet. A 10 foot hallway therefore takes about a 9 foot runner. Check door clearance, because a door swing must clear the rug. A kitchen runner is commonly about 2.5 by 7 feet, covering the main work zone, with standard kitchen runners from 6 by 2 feet up to 15 by 3 feet for large kitchens.
This rug size chart lists the sizes shops actually sell. Entry and sink rugs are 2 by 3 feet. Small living areas, home offices, and small bedrooms use 5 by 8 feet. Small dining tables and smaller living rooms use 6 by 9 feet. Standard living rooms, dining rooms, and queen beds use 8 by 10 feet. Large living rooms, king beds, and large dining tables use 9 by 12 feet. Open plan rooms use 10 by 14 feet. In centimetres, an 8 by 10 foot rug is roughly 240 by 300 centimetres, and a 9 by 12 foot rug is roughly 270 by 360 centimetres.
Rug pad size is simple: make the pad 1 inch smaller than the rug on every side, so it stays hidden and does not curl at the edges. Room coverage is another useful check: designers suggest roughly 40 to 65 percent of floor area covered by rugs. Below 30 percent looks like an afterthought, and over 70 percent feels like wall to wall carpet. Before ordering, tape the rug outline on the floor with painter tape and live with it for a day, checking chair pull out, door swing, and walking paths.
A rug too small is the most common rug mistake, and it makes even good furniture look lost. Other mistakes are measuring to the walls instead of to the furniture, ignoring chair pull out in the dining room, wedging a rug against walls or cabinets with no border showing, and picking a runner that a door catches on. The fix is almost always the same: measure the furniture group, apply the room rule, and size up when you are between two standard sizes.
Start with room length and width minus 2 feet on each dimension, which leaves 1 foot of floor showing on every side. Then apply the room rule: front legs on for living rooms, 24 inches past the table for dining rooms, and 18 to 24 inches past the bed for bedrooms.
The 8 by 10 foot rug is the most popular overall. It suits a standard living room, a standard dining room, and a queen bed, which is why it appears in almost every size guide.
If chairs slide off the rug when pulled out, if only the front tips of sofa legs reach it, or if it covers under 30 percent of the floor, it is too small. Tape the outline on the floor before ordering and size up when in doubt.
Measure room length and width, then measure the furniture group separately. For dining rooms measure to the back of a pulled out chair, and for bedrooms measure from the bed sides and foot, not just the walls.
A queen bed suits 8 by 10 feet, with 9 by 12 feet ideal in a larger room. A king bed suits 8 by 10 feet minimum, with 9 by 12 feet ideal. Both should extend 18 to 24 inches past the sides and foot.
At least the front legs of the sofa and chairs should sit on the rug. All legs on the rug looks better in a larger room, while front legs only suits a small or minimal room.
Add 48 inches to table length and width, which is 24 inches past the table on every side. A 72 by 36 inch table therefore needs at least 120 by 84 inches, normally bought as 8 by 10 feet.
Add 48 inches to the table diameter. A 60 inch round table therefore needs at least a 108 inch rug, and a round rug or a square rug both work, as long as pulled out chairs stay on it.
Leave 4 to 6 inches of floor on each side and 6 to 12 inches at each end, about 90 percent of hallway length. A 10 foot hallway therefore takes about a 9 foot runner, and door swings must clear it.
Standard kitchen runners run from 6 by 2 feet up to 15 by 3 feet, with about 2.5 by 7 feet covering a typical work zone. Pick a length that covers the sink to cooker path without reaching under a door swing.
Subtract 1 inch from all four sides of the rug. An 8 by 10 foot rug therefore takes a pad about 7 feet 10 inches by 9 feet 10 inches.
About 1 foot on each side is the starting rule on this page, with 12 to 18 inches common in standard rooms and 6 to 12 inches acceptable in small rooms. A visible border frames the rug, while no border makes it look like fitted carpet.
An 8 by 10 foot rug covers 80 square feet, and a 9 by 12 foot rug covers 108 square feet, which is 35 percent larger. The larger rug suits a bigger seating group, a king bed, or a larger dining table.