Under Bed Rug Layout Ideas + What Furniture Goes on a Rug
Many designers consider rug placement under furniture to be a simple way to add color and texture to the bedroom without sacrificing floor space.
Jenon Bailie is one such designer. “There are really no rules when it comes to laying a rug,” Bailie says. “Size and shape is a personal preference, but a rug can truly be a piece of art for the floor that makes the room feel warm, cozy, and chic.”
Size and shape is a personal preference, but a rug can truly be a piece of art for the floor that makes the room feel warm, cozy, and chic.”
Although, as Bailie says, there are no rules when it comes to laying a rug, our team of design experts have recommended three ideas that might spark inspiration.
All Furniture on the Rug
To create an easy divider between your sleeping space and the rest of the bedroom, choose a rug big enough to place all of your furniture on top. According to Jenon Bailie, this creates a “bigger and more dramatic statement.”
Bailie also recommends placing the front legs of your furniture onto the edge of the rug to “make the pieces feel more grounded in your space.”
Keep in mind that this look works best in large bedrooms– especially if you’re looking to create different “zones” within the room using area rugs. This layout also works especially well if you have a bench at the foot of the bed.
Rug In Front of the Nightstands
A popular option that ensures you have something plush under your feet when you step out of bed each morning is placing a rug in front of your nightstands. This look is great for mid-sized rugs, and can even be accomplished using two smaller rugs– one of each side of the bed.
For those wanting to give this look a try, Heather Mastrangeli recommends “ensuring the rug starts slightly in front of the nightstands and extends past the end of the bed” to create a symmetrical look that centers the bed vertically.
Diane Meyer says that the rule of thumb for placing a rug in front of your nightstands is to ensure that the foot of your bed is on the rug, as this prevents unwanted shifting of the rug. Meyer also recommends purchasing a rug that’s wide enough that your feet land on it when getting out of bed in the morning.
Rug Under Third or Two-Thirds of the Bed
For those that like the look of placing a rug under the bed, but don’t love the feel, we have a solution for you: place the rug in a bedroom under one or two-thirds of the bed frame. This way, you’ll step out onto hardwood floors in the morning while reaping all the benefits an area rug adds to your space.
For designer Lindsey Graziano, placing a rug under two-thirds of the bed is about more than just comfort, but about look as well.
“Contrary to what many believe, we actually don't recommend rugs be placed under the entire bed, as you lose so much of the rug!” says Graziano. “Instead, we recommend placing the rug only about a third to a quarter of the way under the bed, so that the rug can shine at the base of the bed while still grounding the room and adding so much color and texture.”
Read more: The Best Places To Buy Rugs Online
Rug Under Bed FAQs
Does Bed Size Impact How You Should Style a Rug?
Yes, the size of the bed—and the size of the room— are important factors to consider when selecting the right size rug for your space. There’s no one-size-fits-all best rug size.
Lindsey Graziano suggests choosing a rug between 5x9 and 8x11 for a queen-sized bed, and between 7x12 and 10x14 for a king-sized bed, however the right rug size depends on how you’d like to style the rug underneath your furniture. Many advise choosing 5x8 rugs for twin beds and 5x9 for full-sized beds,
While this isn’t always the case, many pair small rugs with smaller rooms and large rugs with larger rooms, as many small rugs in a large room can create a cluttered look.
To determine the size of the rug best for your space, use masking tape to outline the ideal boundaries of your new rug. Then, measure those boundaries, rounding up or down as needed.
For those struggling to choose between two sizes, Diane Meyer advises, “always choosing the larger rug, as going too small can look dinky.”
“Always choosing the larger rug, as going too small can look dinky.”