How to Choose the Right Area Rug for Under Your Bed
Finding the Right Size and Style for Your Home
The Spruce
An area rug can elevate your space by bringing in some color, texture, and pattern while also providing your feet a soft landing, every morning you wake up. Whether you decide to layer your area rug under your bed to muffle sound or to make your space look instantly bigger, it's essential to pick the correct size so everything looks proportional.
Quick Tips
An area rug can be a great way to add a pop of color to your space, cover high traffic areas, and or make a room look bigger.
We've gathered some easy guidelines you can follow when it comes to choosing the right one, so your area rug fits perfectly in your space.
What Should Sit on the Area Rug?
A square or rectangular area rug works best under any size bed. However, if you have other furniture by the foot of your bed, you may need to make a few choices about what goes on top of your area rug. If you're trying to fit everything on top, you will need to opt for a bigger area rug. There are four options when it comes to placing an area rug under your bed:
Only the entire bed frame sits on the area rug.
The entire bed frame, nightstands, and a bench at the foot of your bed all sit completely on the area rug.
Only the lower two-thirds of the bed, plus a bench at the foot of your bed, sits on the area rug, which leaves the head of your bed and any nightstands sitting on the bare (or carpeted) floor.
Only the lower third of the bed, plus a bench at the foot of your bed, sit on the area rug, leaving most of the bed on the bare floor. More of the area rug will jut out into the rest of the room. This option works best if you're laying a smaller area rug down over carpeting to give the room color and texture.
You don't want to end up with half of the furniture sitting on an area rug because it can look slightly lopsided and unbalanced when you sit down.
Area Rug Sizes for a Small Bedroom
If your bedroom is small, you could always get a small bedroom area rug for the side of your bed, Instead, think big when it comes to bedroom rug ideas. In a smaller room, select a rug that's large enough to nearly fill up the entire space and it will visually enlarge the room. Be sure to leave between 2 inches and 5 inches of bare floor between the rug and the walls.
If you have a twin-size or full-size bed in a small room, use these general guidelines for the size area rug you'll need. Note that twin-size beds typically measure about 39 inches wide by 75 inches long (a twin XL, designed for taller people, measures 80 inches long). A full-size bed, or double bed, measures 54 inches wide by 75 inches long.
A 4-foot by 6-foot or a 5-foot by 8-foot area rug fits the bottom two-thirds of the bed only.
A 6-foot by 9-foot area rug fits the bed, a nightstand, and a bench at the foot of the bed.
A 9-foot by 12-foot area rug fits two twin-size beds, one nightstand in the center of the two beds, and two benches at the foot of each bed.
Area Rug Sizes for a Large Bedroom
Choosing a rug that's too small for a large bedroom will throw the space off balance. If you do choose a large rug that fills up most of the room, leave at least 8 inches of space between the edges of the rug and the walls.
In a larger room, you may have a queen-size or king-size bed. Use these rough guidelines to choose an area rug that will look good in a big bedroom. Take into consideration the measurements of larger beds. A queen-size bed measures 60 inches wide by 80 inches long. A king-size bed measures 76 inches wide by 80 inches long. A California king-size bed measures 72 inches wide by 84 inches long.
An 8-foot by 10-foot or a 9-foot by 12-foot area rug will fit the bottom two-thirds of a queen-size or king-size bed, but not the nightstands.
A 12-foot by 15-foot rug will look balanced under the longer California king-size bed, and this size area rug will even fit under nightstands.
A general rule of thumb suggests that an area rug should always extend at least 18 inches to 24-inches from the sides and the foot of a queen-size and a king-size bed.
Area Rugs Under Dressers
Regardless of the size of your bedroom or bed, an area rug should not push up against the edge or legs of a dresser or other large piece of furniture. Choose a rug that's large enough to fully slip underneath the entire dresser. Or, pick an area rug small enough so that you can leave at least 2 inches or 3 inches of floor showing between the edge of the rug and the piece of furniture.
Choosing Style and Material
Area rugs come in all styles, textures, materials, and pile heights. The best bedroom rugs are typically plush and high-pile, and the most comfortable types of area rugs for bedrooms are soft cottons, smooth silk blends, sumptuous polyesters, and fun faux furs. A wool area rug may be strong, warm, and beautiful in a more formal or traditional-style bedroom.
Decide if you want your area rug to be calming and grounding or a splash of drama in your bedroom so you can choose an appropriate color and pattern.
Rug Pads and Maintenance
Even when your area rug is under the bed, the edges can still bunch up to cause a tripping hazard. Double-sided carpet tape is one of the best solutions. Alternatively, a nonslip rug mat placed under the entire area rug will keep the edges down.
Consider placing a rug pad underneath your rug. A rug pad has numerous benefits, such as adding another layer of soft cushioning underfoot, reducing noise in the room, and insulating the space from a cold subfloor. A felt rug pad is cushiony while a rubber rug pad will help the rug better stay in place on a bare floor.
Keep your area rug looking new with the right maintenance. An area rug under the weight of a bed will become indented. Take care to turn your area rug every so often so you can remove the indentations with an ice cube treatment. Let a small ice cube melt on the indentation, then fluff up the fibers with your fingers. Just be sure you thoroughly dry the spots you've iced so you don't accidentally step into a puddle of cold water in the morning.
Read Next: 30 Bedroom Rug Ideas to Recreate in Your Home
Frequently Asked Questions
What size rug should go under a queen-sized bed?
A rug that's placed under a queen-sized bed should extend 18 to 24 inches beyond the edges of the bed. This would generally be a 5 x 8 or a 6 x 9 sized rug.
Can you layer an area rug over a carpeted bedroom?
Yes, you can layer an area rug over a carpeted bedroom. In addition to adding warmth, style, and personality to a space, layering an area rug over carpet is a great approach for renters or for anyone who needs to replace carpet but doesn't have the budget for it at the time.
What does an area rug under a bed do for the room?
An area rug under a bed helps protect the floor from your bed. It can also reduce noise, hide any imperfections, add warmth and coziness to the room, and add to the overall decor/ambiance of the space.
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