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How Much Paint for a 4 x 3.5 m Bedroom?

A 4 by 3.5 metre bedroom with 2.4 m walls, one door, one window and two coats needs about 5.5 litres of paint, or about 6 litres with 10% for waste.

Try your own numbers

Room lengthRoom widthSeen from aboveDoorWindowWall heightOne wall
Key Where each paint measurement is taken.
Units
m
m
Typical ceiling. About 2.4 m in newer homes. Older homes are often higher. Editorial rule of thumb.
m
m²

If you fill this in, it is used instead of the room size for the walls.

Typical door. The most typical internal door in England and Wales is 1981 x 762 mm (6 ft 6 in x 2 ft 6 in), about 1.5 m². A 838 mm wide door is 1.66 m². Scotland often uses 2040 mm doors. Source: Howarth Timber, listed below.
m²
Windows vary a lot. The starting figure is only a placeholder. Measure each window you will not paint.
m²
m²/L

Check the tin. The starting figure is cautious.

%
£

Adds an estimated cost for the suggested sizes.

Paintable area32.7 m²
Paint needed, 2 coats5.45 L
Paint to buy, with waste6.0 litres
Suggested tins1 × 5 L + 1 × 1 L (6 L)

Walls: 2 × (4 + 3.5) × 2.4 m = 36 m², minus doors and windows 3.3 m², gives 32.7 m² to paint. × 2 coats = 65.4 m²; ÷ 12 m²/L = 5.45 L; with 10% waste = 6.00 L.

Porous, rough or dark surfaces need more paint. Check the coverage on the tin.

Fig. 1 A 4 x 3.5 m bedroom, walls only.

Every formula is tested against worked examples. How we check

CoatsPaint to buySuggested tins
1 coat3.00 L3 × 1 L
2 coats6.00 L1 × 5 L + 1 × 1 L
3 coats8.99 L1 × 5 L + 4 × 1 L

Fig. 2 The same room at one, two and three coats.

Last checked 10/11/2026. Sources: Dulux UK: Dulux Matt (coverage up to 14 m² per litre); Dulux Trade Paint Expert: Vinyl Matt (up to 17 m² per litre); Howarth Timber: UK door sizes (1981 x 762 mm is the most typical internal size in England and Wales).

Coverage is the number to check

The walls are 2 × (4 + 3.5) × 2.4 = 36 m². The door (1.9 m²) and window (1.4 m²) take off 3.3 m², leaving 32.7 m², and two coats make 65.4 m². At 12 m² per litre that is 5.45 litres.

The coverage figure moves the answer more than anything else. Dulux lists up to 14 m² per litre for its Matt emulsion: at that figure the same room needs 4.67 litres. At a cautious 10 m² per litre it needs 6.54 litres. The tin will give the figure for your paint, and "up to" means the best case on a smooth, sealed surface.

New plaster soaks up paint, so a mist coat or primer first is usual, and it is a separate quantity. Woodwork and skirting boards take different paint and are not included.

Common questions

How many 5 litre tins do I need?

One 5 litre tin is slightly short of the 5.45 litres needed before waste, so the tool suggests a 5 litre and a 1 litre tin for 6 litres.

Does the ceiling count?

Not unless you tick the box. A 4 x 3.5 m ceiling adds 14 m², or 2.3 litres for two coats at 12 m² per litre.

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