Calculator
Rug size calculator
Choose a room, enter the size of your furniture group and the room, and get a standard rug size to shop for. It updates as you type and nothing leaves your device. Use inches or centimeters.
10 by 8 ft rug (target at least 10 ft by 6 ft)
Worked example (shown when scripts are off): a seating group 108 in wide and 84 in deep in a 12 by 15 ft room, with the front legs on the rug, needs about 10 by 6 ft. The nearest standard size is 10 by 8 ft, which leaves about 12 in of bare floor at each side wall and 42 in at the ends.
Before you buy
Tape the rug outline on the floor and live with it for a day. Check which way doors swing, and add a rug pad.
How the calculator works
Each room type uses a common design rule, the same ones in the rug size guide. In a living room the rug is about 6 in wider than the seating group on each side. With front legs on, it runs under the front of the furniture and the back legs sit on bare floor about 12 in from the rug edge. With all legs on, it also extends about 6 in past the back and ends of the group.
In a dining room the rug extends at least 24 in past the table on every side, and 30 in is more comfortable, so chairs stay on the rug when pulled back. Round tables use a round rug or a square one. In a bedroom the rug sits under the lower two thirds of the bed and reaches about 24 in past the sides and foot. Standard bed sizes are twin 39 by 75 in, full 54 by 75, queen 60 by 80, king 76 by 80 and California king 72 by 84.
The calculator then looks through common ready-made sizes: 5 by 8, 6 by 9, 8 by 10, 9 by 12, 10 by 14 and 12 by 15 ft, plus 4, 6, 8 and 10 ft rounds. It picks the smallest that meets the target, turning it either way, and allows about 6 in of tolerance because shops differ slightly. It also checks the result against the room, keeping 12 in of bare floor at each wall.
Limits
- It assumes a plain rectangular room and a furniture group centered in it. Doorways, radiators, fireplaces and built-ins can change what fits.
- Rugs that reach the walls can hide a floor, but they leave no border. Use the 12 in limit as a minimum, and leave 18 to 24 in in larger rooms if you can.
- A bed rug that suits the bed may be crowded by a dresser or a door. Check the clearances in the furniture fit guide.
- This is general design information, not professional advice. Rules of thumb suit most rooms, not every room.
Where this comes from
The rules come from interior design guides on rug sizing that agree on the main points (rug wider than the sofa, 24 in beyond a dining table, 18 to 24 in beyond a bed), and from the rug article on this site. Sizes vary by source, so we read several and used the ranges they share. The standard bed and rug sizes are the common sizes sold in North America. The 6 in tolerance and the 12 in wall limit are our own simplifications.