Bedroom Rug Size and Placement Guide

Shopping for a new bedroom rug? Let me help you with this easy bedroom rug size and placement guide!

When it comes to home decorating, there’s a question that often pops up in my emails. It’s ‘how big should a rug be in a bedroom?’ I think we can all agree, bedroom rugs can often be a little tricky. The perfect rug can either make or break the feel of the entire room.

And in the bedroom, the bed should always be the focal point. So selecting the right size rug for the bed is key in making the whole space feel pulled together!

The perfect rug can anchor your room and add texture, color, and so much coziness to your bedroom. And since area rugs can often be a big investment, you want to know you have picked the best size and texture for your home!

So I want help guide you in finding the best bedroom rug size for your bed and room. We are going to explore common rug mistakes, standard rug sizes, and placement tips as well.

For quick reference, use the table of contents drop down menu below:

Things To Ponder About Your Bedroom

When choosing the size of the rug, there’s information you need to know before you buy. Things like the size of your bed and of course, the room size.

Then you need to take into consideration bedroom furniture, like nightstands and seating at the foot of the bed and so much more. So let’s break those down:

the measurements of your bedroom
the size of your bed
the size of your furniture like nightstands, dressers and any seating area you may place at the foot of the bed
the texture or pattern of the rug

A general rule to follow for bedroom rug sizes is to select a rug that has at least 24″ on all three sides of your bed. Having side that – let’s break down the best rug size specifically for each bed size.

What Size Rug For Queen Bed?

Ideally, for a queen-sized bed the right rug size should be an 8×10. When it comes to placement, you want to make sure the rug does not extend the night stands.

The goal of your bedroom rug is to make sure you have some space on either side of the rug once it is completely tucked under your bed. If it’s the same width of your bed it may look too squished and small for the size of your bedroom.

The beauty of an 8×10 rug is that it’s a very common size and often you can find many styles, colors and patterns available! And this size generally won’t break your budget either.

What Size Rug For King Size Bed?

When it comes to a king bed, the best option is to go bigger with a rug sized 9×12 or larger.

When it comes to placement, you should aim for leaving at least 8 inches of space from the bedside tables to the beginning edge of the rug.

king bed and nightstand in primary bedroom

If you will be placing a bench or seat at the end of the bed, make sure the rug extends the seating by at least 1 foot.

When in doubt if you should size up or down, always go bigger! An extra big rug will just add that much more coziness to your room – and that’s never a bad thing.

What Size Rug For Twin Beds?

When it comes to twin beds, the best option is to go with a rug size of 5×8.

If you have a large room, you can also go with a larger rug size of 6×9 for a twin bed as well. Most often, twin beds are used in children’s rooms, so having more space on a soft rug to play is extra nice for them!

What About Placing Rugs Next To The Sides Of The Bed?

If you don’t want to invest in a large rug that will be almost entirely be covered up by your bed, a great option is to choose two runner rugs instead. This is often a more affordable choice and you’ll get to enjoy more of the beauty of the smaller rug as well as the coziness under foot!

When it comes to the correct rug size of the runners, you want to pick longer runners that line the full length of your bed. If it’s a small space, you can go with smaller accent rugs that will still offer a warm landing spot for cold feet in the morning. But as I mentioned before, a bigger rug is always better!

Bedroom Placement Tips

When it comes to the best placement for your bedroom rug, a general rule to follow is select a rug that has at least 24″ on all three sides of your bed.
When placing a rug under a king-size beds, you should aim for leaving at least 8” of space from the nightstands to the beginning of the new rug.
For a queen bed, you want to make sure you placement of the rug does not extend the night stands.
The placement for twin beds is much the same as a king-sized bed or queen. Basically you want the rug to cover the area where feet while be placed as one gets out of bed.
When sizing runners for the side of the bed, you want to pick longer runners that line the full length of your bed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely – if you have a low-pile carpet. A rug doesn’t look or function well over a shag type of carpeting.

I definitely recommend one and here’s why: not only does it make the rug more comfortable, but it’ll save the life of your rug and help keep it in place in high-traffic areas. Tip: If there isn’t a size available in the pad for the rug you’d like, you can always cut the pad down to size.

Yes because you don’t want the pattern’s scale to overwhelm the space. In a smaller bedroom, use a small pattern. But when it comes to larger rooms, it’s easier to get away with doing something with a large pattern scale, like stripes or large checks.

Below is a great visual aid to help you remember the best bedroom rug size and placement guide. Be sure to PIN IT for later!