To order a custom rug you need two figures: width and length, in cm. Measure the floor you want to cover, take off the border of bare floor you want to keep, and write the result down before you order.
What you need
A tape measure that reads in cm, a roll of masking tape, a pencil and your phone for a photo. Measure from the floor rather than the wall, because skirting boards, radiators and door frames change how much room you really have.
Step 1: Mark the rug on the floor
Decide where the rug will sit and which furniture will stand on it. Lay masking tape on the floor to mark the outline of the size you have in mind, then walk around it. Move the tape until the outline feels right, then measure the taped rectangle in cm. Masking tape lifts cleanly from most floors, and it shows you the real footprint in a way a number on paper does not.
Step 2: Leave a border of bare floor
A rug that runs wall to wall looks like fitted carpet. Leave a margin of bare floor around it. The table below gives the starting point for each room, using the same figures as our rug sizes in cm guide.
| Room | What to measure | Allowance | Worked example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living room | The seating group, so the front legs of the sofa and chairs sit on the rug | About 30 cm of bare floor between the rug and the wall | A wall-to-wall width of 400 cm gives a rug about 340 cm wide |
| Bedroom | Bed width | About 60 cm past each side of the bed, so bed width plus 120 cm | A 150 cm king needs about 270 cm. A 180 cm super king needs about 300 cm |
| Dining room | Table size | About 60 cm on every side, so that pulled-out chairs stay on the rug | A 180 x 90 cm table needs about 300 x 210 cm |
| Hall or landing | Length and width of the floor | A hand's width or two of bare floor at each end and along each side | A 400 cm hall with 20 cm kept clear at each end gives a runner about 360 cm long |
Step 3: Check doors, radiators and thresholds
Open every door that swings over the taped area and check that it clears. Check that the rug does not run under a radiator, a heating vent or the foot of a sofa you plan to move. At a threshold, stop the rug short of the doorway or plan for it to meet the floor edge squarely. If you need a rug to sit under a door, tell us the door clearance when you ask for a custom size.
Step 4: Write the size down the same way every time
Write width first, then length, in cm: 250 x 350 cm. Say which way the length runs, along the room or across it, and note it with a short sketch or a photo of the taped floor. Mixed units cause most ordering mistakes. A 9x12 ft rug is 274 x 366 cm exactly, so convert to cm yourself and keep everything in cm from then on.
Measuring awkward spaces
Round rugs
Measure one figure, the diameter. Lay the tape across the widest point of the taped circle and read it in cm.
L-shaped rooms and alcoves
Choose the one part of the room the rug should anchor, such as the seating area, and measure only that rectangle. A rug rarely needs to follow the whole shape of the room.
Stairs
Measure the width of one step and the depth of its flat tread, and leave a strip of bare stair on each side of the runner. For a runner that follows the stairs, also count the number of steps. Take a photo of the staircase with the tape in place.
Sloping or uneven floors
Measure along the floor, not through the air, and note where the floor changes level. Mention the change when you order.
Four mistakes to avoid
- Measuring wall to wall. The rug is smaller than the room. Subtract the border first.
- Measuring only once. Measure twice and tape the outline before you commit to a size.
- Ignoring furniture. Decide which legs go on the rug and which stay off it, then size to that.
- Mixing feet and cm. Convert to cm and keep it there. Our size collections are listed in cm.
What to have to hand when you order
Four things make a custom size quick to confirm: the width and length in cm, the room and what furniture sits on the rug, a photo of the taped floor, and any door, radiator or threshold the rug must clear. With those, you can ask for a custom size from our custom size rugs collection.
If your size is close to a standard one, compare it with the table in our rug sizes in cm guide first. For the full picture of how ordering works, read custom and made-to-measure rugs in the UK. If a listed size may already fit, read custom rug or ready-made rug? For a hall or stairs, read made-to-measure runners for halls and stairs.
Questions we get asked
What size should a custom size rug be?
A custom rug is made to the width and length you give, in cm. Measure the floor you want to cover, then take off about 30 cm to each wall in a living room, or add about 60 cm to each side of a bed.
How do I create a custom size rug?
Start with the floor. Mark the outline with masking tape, measure width and length in cm, then check doors and furniture against it. With those two figures you can ask for a custom size from our custom size collection.
How do I measure for a custom length rug?
Measure the floor along the side the rug will run, then take off the border: about 30 cm to the wall in a living room, or about 60 cm on every side of a dining table. That is the length to write down, in cm, with the width after it.
What does bespoke size mean for a rug?
It means the rug is made to your own width and length rather than taken from a list of standard sizes. Bespoke size, custom size and made to measure describe the same thing. Standard sizes, such as 8x10 (245 x 305 cm), are in our size guide.
How much floor should show around a rug?
About 30 cm of bare floor between the rug's edge and the wall in a living room. Around a dining table, allow about 60 cm on every side so that pulled-out chairs stay on the rug. In a bedroom the rug runs about 60 cm past each side of the bed.
