Things start to get trickier when you’re dealing with oddly shaped spaces. Nooks and crannies are part of the design in many homes, but they easy to calculate. You just need to be prepared to take additional measurements and do more diligence in double-checking your calculations. 

Begin by sketching your room’s general layout on a piece of paper. Take into account the main walls, as well as any incoves, outcoves or stairways. Break the room up into rectangles since they are easier to measure.

Treat your first measurement as if your room were square or rectangular. Measure and record your room’s longest length and widest width, then multiply to obtain your room’s general area.

Once you have your room’s general square footage, you can begin measuring each nook and cranny. In your notebook, make two columns — one for incoves, which you will later subtract, and one for outcoves, which you will later add, to keep track of what you need to do with each measurement. For small nooks and crannies, you can round your square footage up to account for these tiny irregularities. If your room has larger nooks and crannies, measure each one individually to obtain a more accurate estimate.

For nooks and crannies with squared edges, measure them as you would a regular square room, and take their length and width measurements. If your incoves or outcoves have rounded edges, imagine that they were straight and draw a rectangle around each one to square them out. Make sure the imaginary rectangle goes beyond the rounded incove or outcove lines rather than within it to avoid under measuring.

Multiply your width and length measurements of each nook and cranny to get each one’s square footage. For incoves, subtract their square footage from your first general square footage calculation of the whole room. For outcoves, add their square footage to the room’s total square footage.

After reaching your new total square footage calculation, add 7-15% to account for the hardwood flooring waste factor.