Living room · rug layout
Area rug size calculator.
Enter your room, the floor border you want and the footprint of your sofa-and-chairs group. Pick the front legs on or all legs on rule. You get the smallest and largest rug that works and which common sizes (6 x 9, 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 10 x 14 ft) fit. Feet or metres. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Room and furniture
Rug range
Worked example
A room 12 ft wide by 15 ft long (144 x 180 in), an 18 in border, front legs on, and a seating group 9 ft wide by 7 ft deep with 12 in left off the rug. Largest rug = 144 - 2 x 18 = 108 in (9 ft) wide by 180 - 36 = 144 in (12 ft) long. Smallest rug = 108 in wide (the group width) by 84 - 12 = 72 in (6 ft) long. 6 x 9 ft and 9 x 12 ft fit; 8 x 10 ft is too small, 10 x 14 ft is too big.
Method
Plain arithmetic. Largest rug = room size minus two borders, on each axis. Smallest rug for front legs on = the seating group width by its depth minus the depth you leave off the rug. Smallest rug for all legs on = group width and depth plus 6 in on every side. Each common size (6 x 9, 8 x 10, 9 x 12 and 10 x 14 ft) is tested in both orientations against that range. The seating group width is assumed to run along the room width you entered.
What is a rule of thumb here: the layout rules and border ranges come from decorating guides listed below, not from a standard. The "depth left off the rug" is your own choice; the guides only say the front legs are on. The common sizes are retail sizes mentioned in the cited guides (the 6 x 9 ft size is an assumed small option, not a living room figure from them) and are not the only sizes sold.
Rule of thumb, not a standard. These are design rules of thumb from published decorating guides, not building codes or standards. Treat the result as a starting point and tape it out in the room before you buy or drill. Results are shown in both imperial and metric. Conversions use 1 in = 2.54 cm and 1 ft = 0.3048 m.
Sources, each opened 2026-10-08:
- How to Choose the Right Size Rug for your Space (Becki Owens): front legs on and all legs on layouts, 18-24 in and 12-18 in borders, 6 in beyond furniture, likely 8 x 10 ft or larger for a living room.
- The area rug sizes for a living room: 5 rules to follow (Homes and Gardens): front-legs guidance and living room rugs from 8 x 10 ft to 10 x 14 ft.
- What Size Rug for Living Room: Your 5-Step Guide to the Perfect Fit (Miller Waldrop): describes the all legs on and front legs on options.
- NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically (NIST): lists 1 inch = 2.54 cm, 1 foot = 0.3048 m and 1 footcandle = 10.76391 lux.
Frequently asked questions
What size rug do I need for a living room?
Decorating guides describe two layouts. With front legs on, the front legs of the sofa and chairs sit on the rug; Becki Owens says you will likely need at least 8 x 10 ft unless the space is very small, with 18 to 24 in of bare floor around it. The calculator turns your own room, border and furniture group into a size range instead of one number.
What does all legs on the rug mean?
Every piece of furniture sits fully on the rug. The same guide says the rug should extend at least 6 in past all the furniture and leave a 12 to 18 in border of floor, which is why the calculator adds 6 in on every side for this mode.
How big a border of bare floor should I leave?
Becki Owens gives 18 to 24 in for the front legs on look and 12 to 18 in for all legs on. It is a styling preference, so the border field is editable and the range updates as you change it.
Which standard rug sizes does the calculator check?
6 x 9, 8 x 10, 9 x 12 and 10 x 14 ft. Becki Owens says a living room will likely need 8 x 10 ft or larger (it quotes 6 x 9 and 9 x 12 ft only for bedrooms), and Homes and Gardens quotes living room rugs from 8 x 10 to 10 x 14 ft. They are common retail sizes, not a standard, and other and custom sizes exist.
Why does the calculator say no rug fits?
The largest rug your border allows is smaller than the smallest rug your furniture needs. Reduce the border, choose front legs on instead of all legs on, or shrink the seating group you entered.