How much paint for a living room?
An average 14 by 18 foot living room with 8 foot ceilings needs about 2.68 gallons of paint for two coats, so buy 3 gallons. That allows for two doorways, three windows, and a 10 percent waste factor, at 350 square feet per gallon.
With a 9 foot ceiling the same room needs 3.09 gallons, so buy 4. Ceiling height matters more in a living room than anywhere else in the house.
The full arithmetic for a 14x18 living room
| Wall perimeter | (14 + 18) × 2 = 64 ft |
| Gross wall area at 8 ft | 64 × 8 = 512 sq ft |
| Subtract 2 doors | -40 sq ft |
| Subtract 3 windows | -45 sq ft |
| Net wall area | 427 sq ft |
| Two coats | 854 sq ft |
| Plus 10 percent waste | 939.4 sq ft |
| Divided by 350 sq ft per gallon | 2.68 gallons, buy 3 |
Paint by living room size
Same assumptions: 8 foot ceilings, two coats, 10 percent waste, 350 square feet per gallon.
| Room size | Openings | Net wall area | One coat | Two coats | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 x 16 ft | 2 doorways, 2 windows | 378 sq ft | 1.19 gal | 2.38 gal | 3 gallons |
| 14 x 18 ft | 2 doorways, 3 windows | 427 sq ft | 1.34 gal | 2.68 gal | 3 gallons |
| 16 x 20 ft | 2 doorways, 3 windows | 491 sq ft | 1.54 gal | 3.09 gal | 4 gallons |
| 18 x 22 ft | 2 doorways, 4 windows | 540 sq ft | 1.7 gal | 3.39 gal | 4 gallons |
Ceiling height changes the answer
| Ceiling height | Net wall area | Two coats with waste | Gallons | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | 427 sq ft | 939.4 sq ft | 2.68 | 3 gallons |
| 9 ft | 491 sq ft | 1080.2 sq ft | 3.09 | 4 gallons |
| 10 ft | 555 sq ft | 1221 sq ft | 3.49 | 4 gallons |
All figures are for the same 14 by 18 room. Going from 8 to 9 feet adds 64 square feet of wall per coat, which is enough to push you to a fourth gallon.
Open-plan living rooms
If the living room opens into a dining area or kitchen with no wall between them, measure the walls you will actually paint, not the floor. Add each wall's length, multiply by the ceiling height, and take off doorways, windows, and the kitchen backsplash or cabinets. A wide opening with no wall above it counts as zero wall. The paint calculator handles this if you enter the total wall length.
Vaulted or sloped ceilings need the gable end measured as a triangle: half the width times the extra height above the normal wall line.
What would change this estimate
- Large windows or a sliding door. A 6 foot sliding door is about 40 square feet, double a standard door.
- A fireplace or built-in shelving. Measure it and subtract it from the wall area.
- A color change. Dark to light needs a primer coat or a third coat; budget about half again.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons of paint do I need for a living room?
An average 14 by 18 foot living room with 8 foot ceilings needs about 2.68 gallons for two coats, so buy 3. Larger rooms or 9 foot ceilings usually need 4.
How much paint for a 12x16 living room?
About 2.38 gallons for two coats with 8 foot ceilings, two doorways, and two windows, so buy 3.
Is 2 gallons of paint enough for a living room?
For one coat, usually yes: a 14 by 18 room needs about 1.34 gallons for a single coat. For two coats, 2 gallons covers only a small living room of about 10 by 12 feet.
How much paint do I need for a living room ceiling?
The ceiling area equals the floor area. A 14 by 18 ceiling is 252 square feet, about 0.8 of a gallon for one coat, so 1 gallon of ceiling paint, or 2 for two coats.
Should the living room ceiling be included?
Only if you are painting it. Ceilings are usually a separate flat white product, so calculate them separately from the wall color.