What size rug for a queen, king, full or twin bed

Rug size for each bed size

The Citizenry, Emily Henderson and Slumberland give the same sizes: a 5 x 8 for a twin, a 6 x 9 for a full, an 8 x 10 for a queen and a 9 x 12 for a king. A California king is narrower and longer than a king, and it takes the same 9 x 12.

How much rug shows depends on which way you turn it. The table shows the rug beside each side of the mattress with the long side of the rug along the headboard wall, which is how the rug size tool places it, and with the rug turned the other way.

Turned the short way, an 8 x 10 leaves 18 inches beside a queen, which is the minimum Bassett Furniture gives. An 8 x 10 under a king leaves only 10 inches that way, which is why kings take a 9 x 12.

A full bed in a larger room can take an 8 x 10, and a king in a large room can take a 10 x 14. Slumberland lists both 9 x 12 and 10 x 14 for a king.

Three ways to place a rug under a bed

1. 1
   All the way underThe rug covers the floor under the whole bed and the nightstands. Bassett Furniture says the rug must be at least 9 feet wide to sit under a queen bed and both nightstands, and Rugs1 names the 9 x 12 for full coverage under a king.
2. 2
   Under the lower two-thirdsThe rug starts in front of the nightstands and runs under the lower two-thirds of the bed and out past the foot. Rugs1 and Slumberland call this the most common layout. The Citizenry says to pull the rug down about a quarter of the bed.
3. 3
   Runners on the sidesA runner beside each side of the bed, with none under it. Rugs1 suggests 2.5 x 8 ft runners for a king and 2.5 x 7 ft for a queen, full or twin. Bassett Furniture says to place runners beside the bed, never under it.

In a room too small for any rug under the bed, two 2 x 3 ft rugs, one on each side, are the small-room option from The Citizenry and Emily Henderson.

How much rug should show around the bed

Designers ask for 18 to 24 inches of rug on both sides of the bed and past the foot. The Citizenry and Emily Henderson give about 24 inches on all three sides, Bassett Furniture gives at least 18 inches beside a queen, and Rugs1 gives 18 to 24 inches for a king.

To check a size yourself, subtract the mattress width from the side of the rug that runs along the headboard wall, then halve it. An 8 x 10 under a 60-inch queen leaves (120 - 60) / 2 = 30 inches each side with the 10-foot side along the wall.

Leave bare floor between the rug and the walls too. Rugs1 suggests 8 to 12 inches around a rug under a king bed. The rug size tool looks for 12 inches and calls 8 inches tight.

Rugs and nightstands

A rug either reaches under the nightstands or stops in front of them. Bassett Furniture says a rug 5 to 8 feet wide goes in front of the nightstands, and only a rug at least 9 feet wide reaches under both nightstands and the bed.

An 8 x 10 under a queen can do either: Bassett Furniture describes it under both nightstands, or started about a quarter of the way down the bed from the headboard. Rugs1 says an 8 x 10 under a king works when it starts just below the nightstands, and that a 6 x 9 under a queen keeps the nightstands off the rug.