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Rug under bed, how to place it?

Finding it difficult to choose the right rug size under your bed for your room? Well, you don’t have to worry anymore because you are not alone. However, it is one of the more frequent questions that come into homeowners’ minds.

Adding a rug under your bed will give character to your room and add more texture and aesthetics. You have room for creativity by adding a splash of colors.

Well, the real question is how to place a rug under your bed. This is today’s topic of discussion; let’s be more creative in your bedroom decor!

What Furniture Goes on a Rug?

There are no real rules to follow when placing furniture on your rug. There are some guidelines here and there, and you can ignore them if you want. So, truly styling your bedroom decor will be much more charming if you follow these guidelines.

rug under bed rules

The general rule you should follow is never to use a rug that covers the entire floor in your bedroom or has a wall-to-wall design. It is better to leave at least 10 inches to 20 inches of room between the edge of your rug and the base trim. Your rug won’t feel randomly floating in your room and will cover enough space.

Make sure you place the rug so that the front two legs of your furniture are on it. And the best part is that you can place new furniture on your rug, whether it be a table, a chair, bed or anything else.

You can include your nightstands with your bed and a bench that you plan to place at the foot end of your bed. Of course, it will entirely depend upon the size of the rug you have and the size of the room. With a larger rug, you will be able to accommodate more furniture on it.

What Size Rug for Under Bed?

What is the ideal rug size you should go for under your bed? There are different sizes available, but you have to consider a few other factors.

You must consider how big your bedroom is and what kind of furniture it has. Always keep in mind the size of your bed and whether it has a bench at the foot end and nightstands.

Of course, you have to place it the right way because, with more moving parts, you might have to make a lot of adjustments to your rug when you move around your bedroom. We will discuss queen-size beds as this is the ideal baseline for our discussion.

Why are Rug Pads Essential?

You must remember that drugs are still relevant even if you have wall-to-wall carpeting in your bedroom. The key here is not to ignore the 5th wall of your bedroom. Therefore, as you take time when buying quality curtains for your windows, you should not approach to go for just any rug under the bed.

Walking on such a rug will make walking over it more comfortable. And that is especially the case if you have hardwood floors. This is because your rug won’t displace or slip from under your feet as you walk on it. Instead, it will protect the rug and the carpet (if you have any) from rippling and wearing out.

You might be asked to go for a rug pad which is a good option. But going for a full rug will be a much better option because it just looks more stylish and will give your bedroom a unique look.

Is a Rug Over Carpet Okay?

Yes, it works fine, but it depends highly on your bedroom carpet. Going for an area rug will look extraordinary if you have a low-pile carpet. You can set your entire room in a very tidy fashion.

Your furniture won’t feel like it’s floating in your room. But with a high pile carpet, things are a bit different because you will have to give up on the looks of your carpet as plenty of areas will be covered by the rug itself. So, your best option to go for a rug is a low-pile carpet that looks amazing.

Should You Layer Rugs Over Other Area Rugs?

This is an exciting design concept, and if you go for layering, it can serve you well for an excellent design. Layering your rug with natural fibers such as sisal or jute will add a lot of texture. And you have room to go for some other vintage or patterned rug right on top of it.

But you have to keep in mind when layering area rugs that you be mindful of the size of both your rugs. You have to decide how much of each rug you want to see. Leave at least 3 inches of the base rug visible to make the look more intentional. You can also leave up to 10 or 12 inches but not anymore.

What Should I Do If I Have Kids or Pets?

A good design in your home is family-friendly, and it’s possible. You can choose the cheapest option if you want to add a rug under your kids’ room bed. You will get what you pay for.

Rather you should go for a durable rug that doesn’t wear out quickly. Such a rug will be much easier to clean. Kids and pets are tough on things, and durability will come in handy.

Strictly for the pets, you can go for those tightly woven rugs. Low-pile rugs are a pretty good option. It will prevent those little nails from getting stuck into the piles, snagged, or caught in the fibers.

Rug Placement, Shape & Size Do Matter

how to place a rug under a bed

The shape of your rug does matter significantly when placing it under your bed. In most cases, square, rectangle, or round rugs are available. But rectangle rugs are the most common, and this is the shape you should also go for.

However, you can consider going for round and square shapes as long as they are more visible from either side of your bed and its foot end. Make sure to apply these rugs to at least â…” of your bed towards its food end.

Depending on the size of the rug, you will be able to accommodate your nightstands and the bench at the foot end of your bed.

Area rug sizes for smaller rooms

You can use a bigger area rug if you have a small bedroom. You can go and fill up the entire space with it. Keep in mind to leave at least 2 to 5 inches of space from the walls. You might have a twin or a full-size bed in your small bedroom.

Twin beds measure around 39 inches in width and 75 inches in length. Twin XL beds can be up to 80 inches in length. A full bed measures 54 inches in width and 75 inches in length.

  • A 4Ă—6 or a 5Ă—8 feet rug will fit nicely in a small room. And you need to keep the rug â…” of your bed at its bottom end.
  • 6Ă—9 feet area rugs will accommodate nightstands and a bench at the foot end of your bed.
  • 9Ă—12 feet area rugs fit a couple of twin-size beds, a nightstand in the center, and two benches at the foot end of each of these beds.

Area rug sizes for larger bedrooms

Going for a rug that is way too small in your large bedroom will create a space imbalance. If you are planning to go for a larger rug that covers most of the space in your room, make sure to leave at least 8 inches of space from the walls and the rug edges.

Larger rooms mostly have queen or king-size beds. Queen size beds measure to be 60 inches in width and 80 inches in length, while king beds measure to be 76 inches in width and 80 inches in length. A California king bed is 72 inches in width and 84 inches in length.

  • 8Ă—10 or 9Ă—12 feet area rugs will fit the â…” of your bed at the foot end but won’t accommodate your nightstands. 
  • 12Ă—15 feet rugs will give a more balanced look even under a Cal king bed and accommodate nightstands.
  • Generally, an area rug should extend around 18 to 24 inches on either side and from the foot end of the bed.

How Far Under a Bed Should You Put a Rug?

For bedroom rug placement, you have to decide the placement based on the size of your rug and your room. The general rule is to place your rug at least under ⅔ of your bed towards the foot end. And it doesn’t matter what the size and shape of your rug. It has to be ⅔ towards the foot end of your bed.

Depending upon the size of the rig, you will have to decide whether it can accommodate your nightstands and that bench at the foot end of your bed, along with some other furniture. If you want to accommodate more, you will have to go for a bigger rug based on the size of your room.

Room Size

The size of your bedroom will also matter a lot. A small bedroom measures to be 12Ă—14 feet. A medium-sized bedroom measures 14Ă—20 feet, while a large bedroom is 16Ă—24 feet in size. You must consider these dimensions when choosing a suitable size for your bedroom.

You must keep in mind that you must leave at least 18 to 24 inches of space in your room between the edge of the rug and your walls to make the decor pleasing to the eye.

A 5Ă—7 or 5Ă—8 feet rug can work pretty well for small bedrooms. For a medium-sized bedroom, you need to go for 6Ă—9 or 7 x 10 rugs, while for a larger bedroom, it is better to opt for 8Ă—10 or 9Ă—12 rugs. Whether you want to cover the nightstand or accommodate that food end bench or something else is totally up to you.

Type of the Bed & Number of Nightstands

The number of nightstands is usually 1 or 2 in most bedrooms. If you have a large full, queen, or king-sized bed, you will have a couple of nightstands at each corner near the hardboards.

If you have two twin beds, you will have a single nightstand in the center of the two headboards. Based on the size of the rugs, you can accommodate these nightstands. You must ensure that at least 18 to 24 inches of the rug is explored outside the bed to make it count.

Ways to Place a Rug

Based on the guidelines that we have provided above, there are three different ways that you can use to place a rug under the bed.

Anchoring nightstand and bed

With a large bedroom and a bed rug that is wide in size, you can place it in such a way to accommodate both your bed and your nightstands. You will have to go for a larger rug, which should extend from the foot of your bed to the wall behind the headboard.

Placing your rug in front of the nightstand

If you have a rug that is not wide enough to cover that distance, then you can place it in front of the nightstands. In such a scenario, the rug must be at least a foot in front of the foot end of the bed.

Starting a rug from the mid of the bed

If you have a foot-end bench or an ottoman, you will need your area rug to go a few inches beyond to accommodate that ottoman or bench. To do this, you will have to start your rug from the middle of the bed and make sure you place it in a way that can accommodate the ottoman or bench.

Key Takeaways on Placing a Rug Under Your Bed

The Significance of Rug Placement

Placing a rug under your bed adds character and texture to your room, introducing an opportunity for creativity and aesthetic enhancement.

Guidelines for Furniture on a Rug

There’s no strict rule, but to avoid a floating feel, leave 10 to 20 inches between the rug edge and the room’s base trim. Ideally, the front two legs of furniture should rest on the rug.

Choosing the Right Rug Size

The ideal rug size depends on the bedroom’s size, existing furniture, and the bed size. As a baseline, consider the dimensions of a queen-size bed for guidance.

Importance of Rug Pads

Rug pads enhance walking comfort, especially on hardwood floors, preventing the rug from slipping and extending its longevity.

Rugs Over Carpets

Using a rug over a low-pile carpet can accentuate room aesthetics. However, with high-pile carpets, a rug might overshadow the carpet’s appearance.

Layering Rugs for Design Depth

Layering rugs, especially with natural fibers like sisal or jute, can introduce texture and depth. Ensure visible margins on the base rug for a cohesive look.

Considerations for Homes with Kids and Pets

Opt for durable, easy-to-clean rugs. For pet owners, tightly woven, low-pile rugs prevent snags from pet nails.

Rug Shape and Size Relevance

Rectangle rugs are most common for under-bed placement. Ensure rugs cover at least â…” of the bed towards its foot end, accommodating nightstands if desired.

Rug Dimensions Based on Bedroom Size

For harmony, the rug size should complement the room size, with small bedrooms typically benefiting from 4Ă—6 or 5Ă—8 feet rugs, and larger bedrooms needing 8Ă—10 or 9Ă—12 feet rugs.

Ways to Place a Rug

Rugs can be positioned to anchor both the bed and nightstands, placed in front of nightstands, or started from the bed’s midpoint to accommodate foot-end furniture.

Conclusion

Placing a rug under your bed will give your bedroom a unique and refreshing look. And the best part is that you can add more texture and pattern to your bedroom.

Make sure you have the right rug size according to your bed size and room size, which will work wonders for your bedroom decor.

Rug under bed FAQs

What size rug should you put under a king-size bed?

King beds are 80 inches in length and 76 inches in width. California king beds measure 84 inches in length and 72 inches in width. Now you have to go for a rug that should at least extend 18 to 24 inches from either side of your bed.

What size rug should you put under a Queen size bed?

Queen beds measure it to be 80 inches in length and 60 inches in width. You need to go for a rug that extends at least 18 inches from either bed size.

Why do you put a rug under a bed?

You must place your rug at least â…” towards the foot end of the bed. Now, it depends upon the size of the rug and whether you can accommodate nightstands and the ottoman placed at the foot end of your bed or not.