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Time: ~3 min·Difficulty: ●●●●
How to Measure for a Rug or Carpet
Rug under sofa, under bed, in dining room, three different rules for three different placements. Plus the universal "no rug smaller than your sofa" rule.
A too-small rug makes a room look smaller. A too-big rug runs under doors and walls awkwardly. The right size depends on what the rug is anchoring, sofa, bed, dining table, and each has its own rule.
Why measure this
- Living room: anchor the sofa visually
- Bedroom: extend past the bed for warmth on feet
- Dining room: chairs must remain on rug when pulled out
- Hallway: leave 10-15 cm of floor visible on each side
What you need
- iPhone with Ruler AR
- Manual Room Builder for irregular shapes
Step by step
- Living room, measure sofa + side tables. Rug should be wider than the sofa and ideally extend under the front legs of chairs/loveseats. Tap from sofa-left edge to right edge.
- Bedroom, measure bed + 60 cm beyond. Rug should extend 60-90 cm past the bed on three sides (left, right, and foot). Common: bed + 90 cm each side.
- Dining, measure table + chair pullout. Rug must be larger than (table footprint) + (chair depth × 2). Standard: table width + 90 cm on each side.
- Hallway / runner. Length: hallway length minus 30-50 cm. Width: hallway width minus 20-30 cm. Don't cover the entire floor, leave visible margin.
Tips
- Layered rugs (small over large) for visual interest
- Always use rug pads, prevents slipping and protects floor
Common mistakes
- Sofa floats off the rug (legs touch wood), rug too small
- Chair legs slide off the rug edge when pulled, rug too small for dining
Frequently asked
How big should a living room rug be?
Wider than your largest sofa. All-the-way-under preferred; at minimum, sofa's front legs on the rug.