Last Updated on January 17, 2023
Rug Size Calculator – How To Calculate Rug size? The rugs, in addition to having an insulating and warm function, also serve to separate environments, delimit spaces or accentuate a specific area of your stay. Therefore, choosing the perfect rug for a particular room is not only a matter of opting for a specific color and fabric. It is also essential to know how to choose the right rug size that will make it look and perform its function properly.

Rug Size Calculator Formula
To calculate a rug’s size, apply the formula below:
- RS = (L+8), (W+8)
Where
- RS = Rug size in length and width (inches)
- L = Length of the furniture (inches)
- W = Width of the furniture (inches)
Add 8 inches to both the length and the width to get the rug’s size.
What Size Rug Should I Consider Purchasing?
The most typical recommendation for rug sizing is that it should be 8 inches longer and wider than the furniture underneath or the area in it will be placed.
The result will be the best overall appearance and the appropriate amount of rug to cover the entire area under the furniture.
How is Rug Size Calculated?
The steps required to determine a rug size are demonstrated in the example below:
- First, measure the length of the furniture or space. In this instance, we are looking at a couch that is 30 inches long.
- Then, measure the breadth of the furniture or space. The breadth in this illustration is 20 inches wide.
- Finally, use the calculation above to determine the rug’s size. The couch’s length and width should each be increased by 8 inches.
Example
- RS = (L+ 8), (W+ 8)
- RS = (20+ 8) , (15+ 8)
- RS = 28″ X 23″
How to Choose a Rug and Carpet?
It would be best if you chose a rug depending on the room in which it will be placed and its function. Again, the size of the rug also depends on the space where you will place it. Therefore, here we are going to share some very simple rules that can serve as a faithful guide in choosing the ideal size of a rug and carpet.
1. Living Room
Surely the living room is the room that will create the most doubts when choosing the perfect size of a rug. Although there is no definitive rule, we can offer you several options to calculate a rug’s ideal measure or size.
If you like large rugs, the living room will be the ideal room to put them. Whether you go for a plain rug or a very lightly patterned rug, you will have several options when it comes to positioning it and choosing a larger or smaller size. A first option would be to place it in the center and place the coffee table, the front legs of your sofa, or armchairs on it.
- This way, your rug will be large enough to put your feet on, regardless of which armchair or sofa you will get up or sit on.
- Another option is to place the rug in front of the sofa so that only the coffee table is on the rug, as long as the rug’s width is the same as your sofa or even slightly larger.
- If you have a lot of space, you can place all the legs of your sofa or armchairs, even those of the auxiliary furniture around it, on the carpet.
- In this way, the rug will have a double function since it also perfectly delimits the space with its size.
- If you want to show off the print of your rug to the fullest, be it classic, modern, or any style, the best option, even if you have more space, is to place it in the center without any furniture covering it, so that it shows all its splendor.
- If you choose to place a sofa with a chaise longue in a living room, you can place the living room rug only in a space free of furniture.
- Another ideal option is to place a larger rug so that the front legs of the furniture step on it, including the inner leg of the chaise longue.
- Also, if the sofa is very heavy or difficult to move, you can choose to have your rug specially shaped so that it covers the entire width of the chaise longue without any part of the sofa stepping on it.
Whichever option you prefer, as a general rule, keep in mind that the intention is not to cover the entire floor, so ideally, there should be a minimum of 15 cm around the perimeter to expose the floor.
2. Dining Room
Depending on the shape and size of the dining table, we can opt for one rug or another. If your table is rectangular, the rug will be rectangular. In the same way, if your table is square or round, your rug should be square or round so that all the furniture can be centered on top of the rug.
Although, as often happens in decoration, the rules are there, you can break them. Why not put a round rug on a square table? Without a doubt, it would be a most original option.
Another factor to consider, related to the size of the rug, is that it must be large enough so that when the chairs are removed from the table, they remain on the rug.
This recommendation is crucial if you don’t want your chairs to wrinkle or distort the carpet or if you don’t want to feel uncomfortable when you find that some legs of your chair are sticking out of the carpet. As a general rule, your rug should protrude 60-70cm (minimum) from each side of the table.
3. Bedroom
If there is a room in which we usually have a special interest in achieving a comfortable environment, without a doubt, that is the bedroom. And there is no doubt that rugs are the perfect complement to achieve that relaxing, well-being, warmth, and comfortable atmosphere that these rooms require.
- Now, to find the perfect rug size, we will have to consider the room’s dimensions and those of the bed.
- If you do not have space problems, bet on a large rug that covers the entire bed area, including auxiliary side furniture.
- If space is still not an issue, you can place the rug from where the nightstands end, leaving the rest as a footboard.
- In this case, the rug’s width is larger than that occupied by the bed and auxiliary furniture so that your bare foot touches the rug when you get out of bed.
- It may also be that you have a sofa as a bed base or that, for whatever reason, you do not want to place a rug under the bed since it will not be seen. In that case, the best option is the U structure or resort to the so-called trio of rugs, where we will place a rug on each side of the bed whose dimensions will be proportional to the length and width of the bed:
- In most houses, however, space is usually tight, so one of the most used options is to resort to rugs on each side of the bed.
This option is also the most used in secondary or children’s bedrooms.
4. Children’s Rugs and Their Measurements
As a general rule, in rooms with single beds, the rug is usually placed at the foot of the bed where the nightstand is.
5. Office or Work Corner Rugs
If you have an area or a room in your home dedicated to work, define the space with a rug that will make you more comfortable.
Make sure that all the furniture is inside the carpet, taking special care that the work chair is always inside the carpet, even when we remove it to get up. In this way, you will avoid trips or deformations in the rug.
6. Rug for a Computer or Sewing table

Of course, the rug should also occupy as much space as possible in work to ensure that all the decoration elements are proportioned.
7. Rug for Hall or Corridors
The golden rule to keep in mind when choosing a rug for a corridor, entrance, or stairs is that the entire area that will be stepped on must be covered so that both feet remain on the rug when stepping on it.
8. Outdoor Rugs
And what about the outdoor areas? There are also perfectly conditioned rugs that withstand sunlight, rain, and all kinds of weather agents. If you have the possibility, and your space allows it, take advantage of the opportunity to cover your terrace with rugs.
Is Rug and Carpet Same? What is Difference?
No, Rug and Carpet aren’t same. The main difference that exists between the carpet and the rugs is that the carpet is a covering that covers from wall to wall, that is, it is used as a covering for the entire floor. For its part, the rug occupies a delimited space, has the ease of being able to move from one side to another and has different shapes, sizes and designs.
Carpets Size Calculator, How to Calculate Carpets? (The Process is Not Same as Rug)

The good result in installing a wall-to-wall carpet or a floor covering is subordinated to the correct calculation of how much carpet we need to cover the surface. It is not just measuring lengths and widths. You have to know the shapes of a room, the required quantity, and critical points that can make us fail the calculation.
Tools you will need
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Paper
- Calculator (optional)
Step by Step
To carpet a single room, you must calculate its surface meters. But if you want to carpet the entire house, you must measure the area of each room and corridor, then add them to obtain the total area to be carpeted.
Calculate area
Remember to measure without dust caps and flashings since the carpet is installed under them during installation. Also, do it with the doors open to reach the junction with the following corridor or room. Lastly, measure exactly to avoid waste or mismatching.
1. Surfaces
Measure the length and width of the room and multiply the obtained values. The result is the number of square meters to be covered: 2m (length) x 3m (width) = 6m2 (total area to be covered)
2. Surfaces of irregular shape
Rooms with complex shapes should be broken down into regular areas, such as squares or rectangles. Then, calculate the areas of these figures separately and add them. The result of this sum will correspond to the total area of the space where the carpet will be installed.
This space is made up of a rectangle (surface «A») and a square (surface «B»):
Calculate surface area “A”:
3m (width) x 5m (length) = 15 m2 (rectangle surface «A»)
Calculate surface area “B”:
2m (width) x 2m (length) = 4m2 (square area “B”)
Now, Calculate the total area (“A” + “B” ):
15 m2 (surface «A») + 4m2 (surface «B») = 19 m2 (total surface to be covered)
3. Carpet Surfaces with diagonals
When the room’s surface includes diagonals, it is decomposed into regular areas. For the sector that includes the diagonals, project the figure until you get a standard rug shape, like a square or a rectangle.
This figure has a rectangle “C” of 2m x 4m. Where the diagonal is, project the formation to form a rectangle “D” of 1m x 2m. The total area of this room will be the sum of the area of rectangle «C», plus half the area of rectangle «D»:
Calculate surface area “C”:
2m (width) x 4m (length) = 8m2 (rectangle surface «C»)
Calculate surface area “D”:
1m (width) x 2m (length) = 2m2 (rectangle surface «D»)
Now, Calculate total area:
8m2 (surface «C») + (2m2 / 2 ) (half of the surface «D», that is, the surface of the triangle) = 9m 2 (total surface to be covered)
How Many Rolls of Carpet to Buy?
Calculating an additional 20% of the carpet is important since you will need at least 10 cm more per side to install correctly. The excess is cut and removed once the carpet is installed. It is advisable to save them to patch possible breaks.
Calculation According to the Type of Carpet
For the calculation to be accurate, you must consider whether the carpet is patterned or smooth and the direction of its texture. When the type of carpet is chosen, we must calculate the position where you will install it and where the cuts will go.
- Plain, single-color rug: performs better because the position of the cuts is irrelevant.
- Carpet with the pattern or various colors: calculate that each joint of the pieces fits the pattern or colors.
- High pile carpet: the seam must go toward the pile.
A fact to consider is the height of the carpet since it will depend on this to pass freely under the door and that it does not get stuck. In general, the rugs vary in height from 2 to 7 mm, depending on the type of loop or the length of their pile.
Rug or Carpet Roll Measurements
Wall-to-wall carpeting or floor coverings come in rolls. The width of that roll determines the width of the carpet and, therefore, one of the measurements to obtain the m2 (m square) that is needed. Depending on the width of the roll, you must calculate the length to obtain the amount of m2 (m square) that you want to rug.
Example: if you want 24m2 of carpet and the width of the roll that you choose is 4m, the following calculation must be applied: 24 ÷ 4 = 6 m (length to buy)
As it is likely that the width of the roll is not the same as the width of the room, the joints between pieces must be carefully planned so that they are hidden by furniture or in inconspicuous places.
Roll Width
These are some standard widths available:
- Carpet: 3.75 meters wide
- Floor covering: 4 meters wide
- Corridor carpet: 0.67 meters wide
- Regular Carpets: they can vary between 3.66 and 4 meters wide.
People Also Ask – FAQ
For a 12×12 room, the best suitable rug sizes are 5×8 and 6×9
For a 12×15 room, the best suitable rug size is 9′ x 12′.
A 5×7-foot rug is ideal for preventing furniture legs from touching the floor. And on the other hand, an 8′ x 10′ area rug reaches up to the perimeter of the furniture’s front legs and helps maximize the room’s visual impact.
An 8′ x 10′ rug is ideal for most living rooms. Use a 6′ x 9′ rug in a living room that is 11′ x 13′ or smaller.
Yes, it is.
Yes, the 5X8 rug is too small for the living room
Partially place the rug underneath the sofa, so only the front legs are on it. Extend the rug beyond both sides of the couch. To create a small “floating” look, put a smaller rug 6 to 12 inches in front of the sofa.
No, the 8X10 rug is not too big. It’s the most standard-size rug.
8X10 size rug is the optimal option for a 10X12 room.
Yes, the 9X12 rug is bigger than the standard 8×10 rug size. The large rug size category includes 9×10 rugs. This rug size is optimal for a table accommodating 6-8 people.
3-standard rug sizes in CM are:
– Small: 160X230 cm
– Medium: 200X300 cm
– Large: 250X350 cm
The regular rug sizes are- 3’x5′, 5’x8′, 8’x10′, 9’x12′ and 12’x15. ′
5X7 rug in cm is 150 x 210.
Conclusion
We hope we have helped you choose the most suitable size for the rug or carpet you need. Of course, you can comment below if you have any questions or queries. We will be back to you.