20 square feet is the same as 1.86 square meters. It might not sound like very much, but when you realize what sort of objects take up around 20 square feet, you just might change your mind.
Today, I’m going to share with you 9 everyday objects that measure 20 square feet or close to it.
2 Refrigerators
One of the easiest ways to see what 20 square feet looks like is by looking at the footprint of your refrigerator. On average, a 6-foot-tall refrigerator will measure 40 inches wide and 36 inches deep, giving it a 1,400-square-inch footprint. It just so happens that 20 square feet is the same as 2,880 square inches, so you would need 2 average-sized fridges.
Of course, the exact measurements will depend on your refrigerator model. If you have a freezer chest at home, it will probably measure around 60 inches wide and 26 inches deep; in which case, you would need less than 2 of them to get to 20 square feet.
¾ of a Sofa
Similar to refrigerators, sofas come in a wide range of sizes. There are also various types of sofas, including straight-backs, rollbacks, barrelbacks, and love seats. However, the typical softa, which has enough space for 3 people, will usually measure around 80 inches wide and 40 inches deep.
So, a 3-seat sofa will have an average footprint of around 3,360 square inches or take up about 25% more than 20 square feet. Keep these figures in mind the next time you plan on rearranging the layout of your living room.
2.5 Large Coffee Tables
While you’re in your living room looking for common objects to use as size references, why not take a look at your coffee table? The typical size range of coffee tables is 36 to 48 inches in length and 18 to 24 inches wide. So, a coffee table on the larger end of the size spectrum should take up around 1,152 square inches.
To get to 20 square feet in large-coffee-table terms, you would need precisely 2.5 of them. If you have a 36-inch-wide circular coffee table, you would need about 2.8 of them to get to 20 square feet, discounting the air space between the tables.
9 15-Gallon Aquariums
Do you have pet fish at home? If so, you can use their aquarium as a reference for measuring 20 square feet. One of the more common aquarium sizes for multiple up to a dozen small-size fish is the 15-gallon variety.
The precise measurements of a 15-gallon tank will vary drastically between models. On average, it will measure 24 inches long and 13 inches wide or have a footprint of around 312 square inches. So, if you can imagine placing 9 15-gallon tanks together, they would take up around 20 square feet of space.
20 Bathroom Tiles
The next stop to look for objects as size references is the bathroom. Take a look at the floor tiles and see how large they are. They would probably measure 12 × 12 inches, meaning each square tile is exactly 1 square foot. So, if we do the math, we would need precisely 20 square-foot tiles to get to 20 square feet.
In reality, the dimensions of a square-foot tile might be a sliver under 12 inches. When installing tiles, the grout in between the individual tiles will take up about 1/8 of an inch of space, making up for the tile’s lack of size.
5 Large Suitcases
Here’s something many of you guys might have in your closet right now. If you have a large suitcase that measures 30 inches tall and 19 inches wide, you can lay it flat on its back to use it as a decent measuring tool. When laid down, the suitcase should cover around 570 square inches of space.
Now, try to imagine placing 5 large suitcases in a row, and they’ll cover a total area of around 20 square feet. Alternatively, if you have a standard-size duffel bag (22 × 10 inches), you would need a fraction more than 13 of them to get to the 20-square-foot mark.
9 Medium Moving Boxes
Moving boxes are great for a million different things, but they’re mainly used for, well, moving your belongings from one place to another. The dimensions of a moving box will depend on where you get them from, but if you purchase moving boxes from U-Haul, you can expect each medium-size box to take up 18.5 × 18 inches of floor space.
If all you have are U-Haul’s medium-size boxes, you would need slightly less than 9 of them to cover 20 square feet. Each of these boxes can be filled with up to 3 cubic feet of your belongings, so 9 of them should be more than enough to pack multiple rooms.
7 40-inch TVs
The marketed size of a TV will refer to the diagonal length of the display. That means a 40-inch TV will measure around 40 inches from the top left corner to the bottom right. The precise dimensions of the display will depend on the TV’s aspect ratio.
A 40-inch TV with an aspect ratio of 16:9 will measure 28.2 × 15.7 inches, which will take up around 443 square inches of wall space. About 7 of them would cover up a 20-square-foot-wide wall.
Door
While moving between rooms, you’re probably passing through multiple doors that are of the same size. The typical indoor door in an American home will measure 3 feet wide and 6 feet 8 inches tall, giving it a total surface area of 2,880 square inches.
Do you remember how many square inches there are in 20 square feet? That’s right—2,880 square inches, so a single standard-size door will cover that much space. If you have double-swinging doors between your kitchen and living room, they will usually stand 60 inches tall and 32 inches wide; in which case, you would need around 1.5 of them to get to 20 square feet.
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