How Big Is a 17×20 Room?
A 17×20 foot room is 340 square feet (31.6 m²) — roughly 8.1 king-size beds of floor space — approaching the footprint of a two-car garage.
17×20 ft at a Glance
A flat rectangle only tells you so much. Run the full calculator or draw this room in 3D below.
Is a 17×20 Room Big?
It depends entirely on what the room is for. At 340 sq ft, here's how a 17×20 ft space rates against typical room sizes:
| As a... | Verdict | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Living Room | large | 250–400 sq ft |
| Bedroom | above typical | Above the typical range (up to 250 sq ft) |
| Dining Room | above typical | Above the typical range (up to 300 sq ft) |
| Home Office | above typical | Above the typical range (up to 200 sq ft) |
| Kitchen | above typical | Above the typical range (up to 300 sq ft) |
| Bathroom | above typical | Above the typical range (up to 150 sq ft) |
Benchmarks from our standard room dimensions guide.
Planning a 17×20 Room
17×20 is the open-plan kitchen-living space of a modern townhouse, the great room of a 1990s two-storey, and the 'one-and-a-half car' garage of older suburbs (one car plus a bay for a motorcycle or a workbench). At 340 sq ft it is a large room that splits naturally into two halves.
At 1:1.18 the 240-in length is two 120-in halves, each wide enough (204 in) for a full seating group or a kitchen whose island has a 48-in aisle on each side (counter 25, aisle 48, island 36, aisle 48: 157 in, 47 spare). It is too narrow for two cars: 76 + 76 + 36 + 48 = 236 in of width would be needed.
What this size is best used for
- 1Kitchen and living, side by side
Kitchen run 120 in on the far 17-ft wall with an island 42 in off it in the far half; seating group in the near half with a sofa facing the island and a TV on a long wall.
- 2Garage for one car plus a wide workshop
A 200-in SUV on the left side (78 in wide plus 36 in of door swing = 114 in of the 204-in width), leaving 90 in on the right for a 30-in bench and a 60-in walkway, and 240 − 200 = 40 in in front of the car for 18-in shelves.
- 3Primary suite with dressing hall
King on the 17-ft wall (64 in per side), 240 − 80 = 160 in at the foot: 40 in to walk, then a 72-in run of 24-in-deep wardrobes down each long wall (204 − 48 = 156 in between them), and 48 in at the near end for the door and a bench.
Kitchen and living side by side in a 17×20 room
Furniture sizes are the same true-to-scale pieces in the RoomSketch3D catalog; clearances are what is left after each step.
- A 120-in counter run, 25 in deep, hugs the far 17-ft wall in its left corner (84 in of that wall remain on the right for a 30-in tall pantry and a 54-in window seat): fridge 36, counter 24, sink base 30, range 30.
- A 72×36-in island sits 42 in out from the counters, lined up with their left end; beyond the island 204 − 25 − 42 − 36 = 101 in of width remain, of which 24 in are stools and 77 in walkway.
- The far half ends at 120 in. The sofa (84×36 in) faces the near 17-ft wall, where the TV hangs on a bracket, so its back is toward the island at 132 in and its front at 168 in; 240 − 168 − 16 − 20 = 36 in remain between the coffee table and the TV wall, which is why the TV has no console beneath it.
- Two 32-in chairs on the long walls at the sofa's ends, each 12 in out of a near corner, looking at each other across 204 − 64 = 140 in; entry door on the right 20-ft wall at the near corner, hung at the corner.
Mistakes this size invites
- The island across the room: 72 in of island in 204 in of width leaves 66 in each side, one of which is the route from the entry to the kitchen for everyone.
- Two cars side by side: 236 in of width needed, 204 available, so the second bay holds a motorcycle (36 in wide) and a bench, never a car.
What Furniture Fits in a 17×20 Room?
Working from 340 square feet with standard walkway clearances (36 inches), here's what comfortably fits depending on how you use the room:
As a Living Room
- Sectional sofa
- Large coffee table
- Multiple seating areas
- Large entertainment wall
- Console table
Maximum Furniture Sizes for a 17×20 ft Room
Lists like this can't tell you if it actually works
"A 3-seater sofa fits" is true — until the door swing eats two feet of wall, the radiator blocks the long wall, or the walkway to the window shrinks to 20 inches. The only way to know your layout works is to see it: draw the 17×20 ft room, place real furniture at true scale, and check the flow.
That's exactly what RoomSketch3D does. Drag-and-drop true-to-scale furniture pieces into your exact room and walk through it in 3D — before you buy, move, or assemble anything.
Draw your 17×20 ft room and see what fits
Stop imagining layouts. Build this exact room in RoomSketch3D, try furniture arrangements in minutes, and see it in 2D & 3D.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many square feet is a 17x20 room?
A 17x20 room is 340 square feet (17 ft × 20 ft = 340 sq ft), which is 31.6 square meters. Its wall perimeter is 74 feet, the figure you need for baseboard, wallpaper and cable runs.
What is a 17x20 room in meters?
A 17x20 foot room measures 5.18 × 6.1 meters, for a total area of 31.6 square meters.
What is a 17x20 room best used for?
Kitchen and living, side by side. Kitchen run 120 in on the far 17-ft wall with an island 42 in off it in the far half; seating group in the near half with a sofa facing the island and a TV on a long wall.
What is the most common layout mistake in a 17x20 room?
The island across the room: 72 in of island in 204 in of width leaves 66 in each side, one of which is the route from the entry to the kitchen for everyone.