What size rug for your room size?
A 12 x 12 ft bedroom with a queen bed takes an 8x10 rug: 30 in of rug on each side of the bed and 12 in of floor at each side wall. A 10 x 10 or 10 x 12 ft bedroom takes a 5x8, and a 12 x 15 ft room an 8x10. The furniture and the width of the room set the size, not the floor area, so the tables below list each room with a bed, a sofa and a dining table.
- Rule 01Rug on each side of the bed18 in minimum, 24-36 in ideal
- Rule 02Rug past the foot of the bed12-48 in, 18-36 in ideal
- Rule 03Gap in front of the nightstands0-6 in, or the nightstands fully on the rug
- Rule 04Floor showing at the walls8 in minimum
Try it with your room
Recommended sizequeen bed, 12 x 12 ft room
8 × 10ft
An 8 x 10 ft rug, laid with the 10 ft side across the bed, leaves 30 in of rug on each side of a queen bed and 34 in past the foot, starting just in front of the nightstands.
Drawn to scale, 1 ft grid. Drag the bed to slide it along the headboard wall. Drag the rug to move it, drag its corner to snap to another standard size, or rotate it.
An 8 x 10 ft rug, laid with the 10 ft side across the bed, leaves 30 in of rug on each side of a queen bed and 34 in past the foot, starting just in front of the nightstands.
| Rule | 8x10 |
|---|---|
| Rug on each side of the bed18 in minimum, 24-36 in ideal | 30 in |
| Rug past the foot of the bed12-48 in, 18-36 in ideal | 34 in |
| Gap in front of the nightstands0-6 in, or the nightstands fully on the rug | 0 in |
| Floor showing at the walls8 in minimum | 12 in |
| Verdict | ideal |
5x8, 6x9, 8x10 and 9x12 rugs in a 12x12 bedroom
Each plan is drawn to the same scale, under a queen bed in a 12 x 12 ft room. The 1 ft grid shows how much floor each size covers.
Why room width sets the rug size
A rug needs a frame of bare floor, 8-18 in at the walls, or it reads as carpet that was cut short. Under a bed the rug lies with its long side across the bed, so that long side has to fit the width of the room with 8 in to spare at each side wall. A 6x9 fits from 10 ft 4 in wide, an 8x10 from 11 ft 4 in and a 9x12 from 13 ft 4 in.
That is why a 10 x 10 ft room and a 10 x 12 ft room get the same rug under a bed, and why a 12 x 12 ft room and a 12 x 15 ft room do too. The extra length gives you walkway past the foot of the bed, not a bigger rug.
Rug size for a 10x10 room
A 10 x 10 ft bedroom takes a 5x8. Under a queen bed it shows 18 in on each side and 17 in past the foot; under a full bed 21 in and under a twin 29 in. A king bed is too wide for this room: no standard rug shows enough on both sides and still leaves floor at the walls. As a small living room with a 6 ft sofa, the room takes a 5x8 as well.
| Setup | Best size | Smallest that works |
|---|---|---|
| Twin bed | 5x8 | 5x7 |
| Full bed | 5x8 | 5x8 |
| Queen bed | 5x8 | 5x8 |
| King bed | No standard size | - |
| 6 ft sofa | 5x8 | 5x7 |
| 7 ft sofa and two chairs | No standard size | - |
| 4-seat dining table | No standard size | - |
| 6-seat dining table | No standard size | - |
Rug size for a 10x12 room
With the headboard on a 10 ft wall, a 10 x 12 ft bedroom takes the same 5x8 as a 10 x 10 ft room: the width has not changed. The extra 2 ft matter in a dining room, where an 8x10 fits under a 4-seat table with 33 in of rug past each edge.
| Setup | Best size | Smallest that works |
|---|---|---|
| Twin bed | 5x8 | 5x7 |
| Full bed | 5x8 | 5x8 |
| Queen bed | 5x8 | 5x8 |
| King bed | No standard size | - |
| 6 ft sofa | 5x8 | 5x7 |
| 7 ft sofa and two chairs | No standard size | - |
| 4-seat dining table | 8x10 | 8x10 |
| 6-seat dining table | 8x10 | 8x10 |
Rug size for a 12x12 room
At 12 ft wide the room is ready for an 8x10. Under a queen bed it shows 30 in on each side and 34 in past the foot, and under a full bed 33 in on each side. A twin bed takes a 6x9 with 35 in on each side. A king bed fits an 8x10 with 22 in on each side, which passes without being generous. A living room this size takes an 8x10 under a 7 ft sofa and two chairs, and a 4-seat dining table an 8x10 with 33 in all round.
| Setup | Best size | Smallest that works |
|---|---|---|
| Twin bed | 6x9 | 5x7 |
| Full bed | 8x10 | 5x8 |
| Queen bed | 8x10 | 5x8 |
| King bed | 8x10 | 8x10 |
| 6 ft sofa | 8x10 | 5x7 |
| 7 ft sofa and two chairs | 8x10 | 6x9 |
| 4-seat dining table | 8x10 | 8x10 |
| 6-seat dining table | 8x10 | 8x10 |
Rug size for a 12x15 room
A 12 x 15 ft bedroom takes an 8x10 under a queen bed, and an 8x10 under a king with 22 in on each side. A 9x12 under a king needs a room 13 ft 4 in wide; in a 14 x 16 ft room the calculator picks the 9x12, with 34 in on each side. As a living room, 12 x 15 ft takes an 8x10. As a dining room it has the length for a 9x12 under a 6-seat table, with 36 in past each edge.
| Setup | Best size | Smallest that works |
|---|---|---|
| Twin bed | 6x9 | 5x7 |
| Full bed | 8x10 | 5x8 |
| Queen bed | 8x10 | 5x8 |
| King bed | 8x10 | 8x10 |
| 6 ft sofa | 8x10 | 5x7 |
| 7 ft sofa and two chairs | 8x10 | 6x9 |
| 4-seat dining table | 9x12 | 8x10 |
| 6-seat dining table | 9x12 | 8x10 |
Start from the furniture, then check the room
Room size tells you the largest rug that fits. The furniture tells you the smallest one that works. Pick the guide for what stands on the rug, then use the rug size calculator with your exact room.
Questions people ask
What size rug for a 12x12 bedroom?
An 8x10 under a queen or full bed: 30 in of rug on each side of a queen, 34 in past the foot and 12 in of floor at each side wall. A twin bed in the same room takes a 6x9. The smallest size that works under the queen is a 5x8.
What size rug for a 10x10 room?
A 5x8. Under a queen bed it shows 18 in on each side, the minimum, and leaves 12 in of floor at each side wall. Under a full bed it shows 21 in and under a twin 29 in. A 10 x 10 ft living room with a 6 ft sofa takes the same size.
What size rug for a 10x12 room?
A 5x8 in a bedroom, because the rug lies across the bed and the 10 ft width limits it. As a dining room, a 10 x 12 ft room takes an 8x10 under a 4-seat table, with 33 in past each edge of the table.
Is an 8x10 rug too big for a 12x12 room?
No. An 8x10 laid across the bed is 10 ft wide, which leaves 12 in of floor at each side wall of a 12 ft wide room, inside the 8-18 in range that frames a rug. A 9x12 would leave no floor at the side walls, so it starts to fit from 13 ft 4 in wide.