Show the formula and working
This free rug size calculator tells homeowners and renters in the UK, Ireland and Europe which standard rug size suits a living room, dining room or bedroom, using the room measurements and the furniture the rug has to sit under. It works in centimetres or feet and shows the largest rug your floor can take, the smallest rug your furniture needs and the standard size that fits between the two.
Quick answer: A rug size calculator subtracts a bare floor border of 45 to 60 cm from each wall to find the largest rug that fits. Under a dining table, add 60 cm on every side so chairs stay on the rug. In a 5 x 4 m living room with a 45 cm border, a 280 x 360 cm rug fits.
What Is a Rug Size Calculator?
A rug size calculator is a tool that turns your room and furniture measurements into a recommended rug size, so the rug looks in proportion and stays practical to use.
The formula in plain words: the largest rug equals the room length minus two borders, by the room width minus two borders. For a dining room, the smallest rug equals the table length plus twice the clearance, by the table width plus twice the clearance. For a bedroom laid across the bed, the rug width equals the bed width plus twice the clearance, and the rug depth covers the lower two thirds of the bed plus the clearance past the foot. The tool then picks the standard size that meets those limits, matching the long side of the rug to the long side of the room.
How Do You Use the Rug Size Calculator?
- Choose the Room type: living room, dining room or bedroom.
- Measure the floor and enter the Room length and Room width. Measure wall to wall, or just the zone you want to cover in an open plan room.
- Set the Bare floor border to each wall. The default of 45 cm leaves a clear frame of floor around the rug.
- For a dining room or bedroom, enter the Table or bed length and Table or bed width.
- Adjust Rug beyond table or bed edges if you want more or less rug showing. 60 cm is the usual figure for dining chairs.
- Switch to feet with the imperial switch if you prefer. The suggested sizes change to standard foot sizes such as 5 x 8 ft.
- Read the suggested rug size, then open “Show the formula and working” to see each limit and how the size was chosen.
How Much Floor Should Show Around a Rug?
Leave about 45 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in) of bare floor between the rug and each wall in most rooms. That border frames the rug, keeps it clear of doors and skirting, and stops the room feeling like it has wall to wall carpet. In a small room you can drop the border to around 30 cm, and in a large room it can grow, as long as the furniture still sits on the rug. If you want the whole floor covered instead, a fitted carpet is the better choice, and our carpet calculator works out how much to order.
What Size Rug Do You Need for a Living Room?
Most UK living rooms suit a rug between 160 x 230 cm and 200 x 300 cm, chosen so at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs rest on it. A rug that floats in the middle of the floor with no furniture touching it tends to look too small. In a larger room, a rug big enough for every leg of the seating to sit on it pulls the furniture together into one zone. The calculator suggests the largest standard rug that fits your border, which is usually the right starting point; you can always step down one size if your sofa sits against a wall.
How Big Should a Rug Be Under a Dining Table?
A dining rug should extend about 60 cm beyond every edge of the table, so the back legs of a chair stay on the rug when someone pulls it out to sit down. For a 180 x 90 cm six seater table, that means a rug of at least 300 x 210 cm, so the nearest standard size is 240 x 340 cm. A rug that is too small catches chair legs on its edge every time someone stands up, which wears the rug and can be a trip hazard. Round tables follow the same rule: add 60 cm all round to the diameter.
What Size Rug Goes Under a Double or King Size Bed?
A rug laid across a UK double (135 x 190 cm) or king (150 x 200 cm) bed works best at 200 x 300 cm, so about 60 cm of rug shows on each side. The calculator assumes the rug starts under the lower two thirds of the bed, leaving the bedside tables on bare floor, and runs 60 cm past the foot. If you prefer a smaller rug, two runners placed either side of the bed are a common alternative. For a single bed, a 120 x 170 cm rug beside the bed usually works better than one underneath it.
Standard Rug Sizes Reference Table
| Metric size | Area | Nearest foot size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 x 150 cm | 1.2 m² | 3 x 5 ft | Hallway, bedside, small reading corner |
| 120 x 170 cm | 2.04 m² | 4 x 6 ft | Small living room, beside a single bed |
| 160 x 230 cm | 3.68 m² | 5 x 8 ft | Average living room, four seater table |
| 200 x 300 cm | 6 m² | 6 x 9 ft to 8 x 10 ft | Larger living room, double or king bed |
| 240 x 340 cm | 8.16 m² | 8 x 10 ft to 9 x 12 ft | Six seater dining table, large living room |
| 280 x 360 cm | 10.08 m² | 9 x 12 ft | Large room, corner sofa with all legs on the rug |
Foot sizes are rounded for comparison: one foot is exactly 0.3048 m, as set by the international foot definition, so a 5 x 8 ft rug measures 152 x 244 cm.
Worked Example: A Living Room Rug
Example: a living room is 5 m long and 4 m wide, with 45 cm of bare floorboards wanted around the rug. Choose Living room, enter 5 m and 4 m, and leave the border at 0.45 m.
- Largest rug: (4 m minus 2 x 0.45 m) by (5 m minus 2 x 0.45 m) = 310 x 410 cm.
- Largest standard size inside that: 280 x 360 cm, covering 10.08 m², about 50% of the 20 m² floor.
- Floor left around the rug: 60 cm on the long sides and 70 cm at the ends.
A sofa and two armchairs can all stand fully on a 280 x 360 cm rug. If a 180 x 90 cm dining table later goes into the same size room and you pick Dining room, the tool needs at least 210 x 300 cm and suggests 240 x 340 cm. If you would rather lay hard flooring first, the laminate flooring calculator sizes the boards for the same room.
Rugs are normally sold by their pile size, not including any fringe, and hand made rugs can vary by a few centimetres from the stated size. A natural fibre rug, such as wool or jute, may also relax slightly in the first weeks. Before you order, mark the rug outline on the floor with masking tape to check that doors open freely over it and that it clears floor vents.
Rug Size Calculator FAQs
How do I measure a room for a rug?
Measure the floor from wall to wall in both directions with a tape measure, then subtract about 45 to 60 cm per side for the bare floor border. In an open plan space, measure only the zone the rug should define, such as the seating area.
Is it better to have a rug too big or too small?
Too big is usually better than too small, as long as some floor still shows around the edge. A small rug floating in the middle of a room makes the furniture look disconnected, while a generous rug ties the seating together and makes the room feel larger.
What is the most common rug size in the UK?
160 x 230 cm is one of the most widely sold rug sizes in the UK because it suits an average living room or a four seater dining table. The next size up, 200 x 300 cm, suits larger rooms.
Should furniture legs sit on the rug?
At least the front legs of sofas and chairs should rest on a living room rug, which keeps the rug from creeping and links the furniture visually. Under a dining table, every chair leg should stay on the rug even when the chair is pulled out.
How far should a rug be from the wall?
A gap of 45 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in) between the rug and each wall is a widely used guide. In small rooms 30 cm can work. Keep the edge clear of door swings so doors do not catch on the pile.
Can I use two rugs in one room?
Yes. In a long or open plan room, two rugs can mark separate zones, such as seating and dining. Run the calculator once for each zone using that zone’s measurements, and leave at least 30 cm of floor between the two rugs.
For more room planning tools, see our flooring calculators. Areas are shown in the square metre, the SI unit of area, or in square feet with the imperial switch.
Checked October 2026. Sources: Rug Love, The Ultimate Rug Size Guide for UK Homes (standard sizes, wall border, dining and bed clearances), Wikipedia, Foot (unit).