What Is the Correct Rug Size for a Queen Bed?

When furnishing our rooms before, we’ve all experienced the dreaded question, “Is this rug the right size?” While bedroom decor is totally based on individual preference, and there is no wrong way to express yourself, a few rules of thumb will make it easy to get your rug proportions right.

‍

Let Your Rug Work With Your Room Dimensions

In a perfect world, we have plenty of room in our bedrooms (and plenty of budget) for large rugs — but we know that’s not always going to be the case! A dream-worthy rug grounds our space by running beneath the entirety of the bed and bedside tables. (Pro-tip: If you need some extra guidance on rug ratios, we have a BeSpoak School course for that).

Let’s dive into some helpful tips and considerations first.

Go Big in Your Home

Many designers feel that a minimum of 24” of bare floor space should be exposed around all sides of your bed. A grand layout presents an opportunity for your flooring to shine. Pursue luxury choices like Brazilian cherry, zebra wood, or Bocote wood.

Once the wood floor is buffed and ready to shine (literally), look for color-coordinating rugs. If you’re renting your space and don’t have a say in your flooring, the same rule applies: Look for rugs that complement your existing flooring material.

For more visually busy wood variations like zebra wood, go for a large, solid rug in a dark neutral. Select a Persian-style rug with cream and orange/red tones for warm-toned floors like Brazilian cherry. If you have lighter wood flooring (you’ve hit the jackpot), try a Moroccan rug with a neutral base and bold pops of color.

Consider a Square Rug for a Square Room

If your room is square, that rectangular rug may look off-kilter. A square rug would enhance the shape of the room.

If you are having trouble envisioning your layout with different rug sizes, plug your room dimensions into Spoak’s interior design visualization tool to create a virtual room layout. From there, you can import real rugs you’re interested in (from any URL online) and see what they could look like in your space.

Get a Practical Rug for the Smaller Bedroom

Rather than compromise on style, here are some tips for choosing a rug that will work with a smaller room and a queen-sized bed.

The size of a queen bed is 5 x 6’ x 8”, so when choosing a perfect rug based on the size of the room, you probably won’t want to go smaller than an 8 x 10’ rug (8 x 8’ for a square room). A 7 x 10’ rug would teeter on the edge of feeling too small, resulting in tension that does not give off “restful sanctuary” vibes.

Include the Nightstands

A 7 x 10’ rug is cutting it close if you have larger nightstands. If you want a big anchor rug, go with an 8 x 10’ or 9 x 12’ style. A substantial anchor rug grounds your entire bedroom, perfect for larger rooms.

Place your rug against the wall at the head of your bed, and make sure your nightstands comfortably fit on it. Enough of the rug should be visible to add to your bedroom color scheme and bring in much-needed texture. Basically, the idea is that you can make your bed without having to step off of your rug.

Or Exclude Your Nightstands

If your room is a little longer or you want more of your 7/8’ x 10’ rug to be visible, pull it out a little further from under the head of the bed and your nightstands, letting only the bottom two-thirds of the bed rest on it. It will have similar visibility to a large anchor rug and the same coziness but with less fabric.

Try a Large Round Rug

A round rug is a great way to add an interesting shape to an otherwise boxy room. Try for one that is no smaller than 8’ in diameter so that enough of it will peek out from under the bed to give the room a punch of color.

If your room is longer than 10 x 12’, pull your circular rug out further past the foot of the bed so that only the bottom two-thirds of the bed rests on it. A large round rug elongates the rug’s coverage to match the shape of your room.

If your bedroom is wide rather than long and your round rug seems wonky, bring it to one side of the bed, with two-thirds of it exposed from beneath the bed to serve as more of a runner rug. An intricately woven jute rug is a showstopper in a neutral shade that could work with many decor styles, from rustic to boho.

Use Runner Rugs

The easiest way to carpet the floor by your bed is to invest in high-quality runner rugs that lay along each side of the bed. They give your feet a warm surface in the morning before you’ve put on your slippers and provide the same grounding effect for the bedroom as a larger rug.

If you’re not sure where to start, you can create a color palette and find runners that work with your room’s palette and style with Spoak’s design suite.

Lay a Runner on Each Side

A standard runner size of 2 x 6’ would work beside a queen-sized bed when placed just in front of your nightstands. If you’d like your rug to take in the nightstands, too, go for a couple of 2 x 9’ versions. For a wider room, you may find the extra width of a 4 x 6’ runner suits you best.

Turkish runner rugs give hardwood floors a warm, vintage feel. They have an old-world charm that only improves with age and wear. Plus, traditionally subdued colors can crossover from traditional to mid-century interior design.

Use a Runner at the End of the Bed

Just as runner rugs alongside a bed mimic the look of a large anchor rug, laying a runner at the end of the bed can too. Two or three smaller rugs are much easier to clean as well (and they are usually more cost-effective).

Go With an Accent Rug

Accent rugs tend to be less about adding visual weight to a room and more about serving one small area with a big visual punch.

Make a Statement With Your Rug

If you’ve got a small bedroom and are wondering how to artfully add style to your bedroom on a budget without overwhelming your space, an accent rug on one or both sides of your queen bed may be the answer.

Or you may be one of many homeowners who are choosing carpet-free homes these days. If you are among them, you may not want a large rug for its functionality but for design purposes.

Throw a Faux Sheepskin Down

Placing a faux sheepskin on one side of the bed rather than a runner rug brings Scandinavian winter mornings to mind while providing a warm, cozy carpet. It sends a message about your style aesthetic and produces feelings of hygge and calm.

Choose a Bedroom Rug That Tells a Story

Rugs once communicated cultural or religious messages of significance, and your accent rug can tell a story too.

Did you pick up the perfect handmade Moroccan rug on a holiday? Or maybe you tried your hand at creating your own Earth-friendly rag rug with fabric scraps. These are more works of art than floor coverings and add layers to your home’s design story.

Lay the Groundwork for Your Bedroom Style

Set the tone for your bedroom design style and add a touch of comfort to your space by choosing the right rug for your bedroom. Whether you go with a small accent rug or a massive statement piece, rugs transform your home from the bottom up.

Before purchasing a new must-have, rely on Spoak’s discovery feed to source area and accent rugs for your bedroom retreat

‍

^{Photo Credit: (Left) Hunker}

‍

^Sources:

^{The timeless appeal of the Persian rug | BBC Culture}

^{Things You Didn't Know About Rugs - The History of Rugs | The Southern Maryland Chronicle}

^{Designers Debate Area Rugs vs. Bare Floors | Architectural Digest}

^{What is hygge | All you need to know about the small joys of life | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark}

^{How to Weave a Rag Rug | The New York Times}