What Different Area Rugs Will Look Like Under Your Bed

published Aug 8, 2018
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Kath Nash)

Bedrooms are highly personal spaces, so it’s no surprise when people dedicate a lot of time and effort into making sure the decor is perfect for their needs. I moved into a new apartment last month and have spent the past few weeks tweaking my styling, trying out different layouts, and rearranging just about everything.

The only constant? The plush, geometric rug that sits under my bed. It was actually the first thing I purchased for my new room, and I absolutely love having something soft underfoot when I get out of bed in the morning. But when I started browsing for the perfect rug, I kind of had no idea what size would look right under my bed. The nuLOOM rug I fell in love with comes in six different sizes, and even though I measured everything out before deciding on the 5′ x 8′ option, it wasn’t until I placed the physical rug under my bed that I really understood what it would look like.

So to make it a little easier on all of us, we came up with these handy visual guides so you can see what three of the most common area rug sizes will look like under the four standard bed sizes: twin, full, queen, and king.

(Image credit: Kath Nash)

Twin beds measure 38 inches wide and 75 inches long, making them by far the smallest of the common bed sizes. So pairing a single twin bed with a 5′ by 8′ rug is always a safe bet. But if the room is on the bigger side, an 8′ by 10′ rug can work too, especially if the rest of the furniture is on the sizable side. Going with a 9′ by 12′ option might be a little bit of a stretch, unless the rug extends to all four walls, almost mimicking the look of carpet.

(Image credit: Kath Nash)

Similar to twin beds, fulls are 75 inches long, but have a much more substantial 54 inches in width. If your bedroom is on the smaller side (like mine, thanks NYC) a 5′ by 8′ rug will work just fine, but if you’ve got the space, going for one of the larger sizes will make a bigger visual impact.

(Image credit: Kath Nash)

On the larger side of the spectrum, queen beds measure in at 60 inches wide and 80 inches long. This means a smaller rug, like the 5′ by 8′ option is almost visually lost. The 8′ by 10′ option or even going all the way up to 9′ by 12′ gives the rug more breathing room.

(Image credit: Kath Nash)

If you’re lucky enough to come home to a 76 inch by 80 inch king bed, 1. I am incredibly jealous, but 2. There’s no real need to even consider a 5′ by 8′ rug, as it will barely peek out from under your bedding. Bigger is better in this case, and we love the look of a substantial 9′ by 12′ rug paired with a king, but an 8′ by 10′ option works as well.

So next time you’re in the market for a bedroom area rug and not sure what size to go for, just look back at these illustrations instead of relying on your imagination.