You’ll never get rid of your hardwood floors, no matter how often your parents send you coupons featuring carpet and installation sales.
But a well-placed rug underneath the bed can accent your or your kid’s bedroom and add another dimension to the decor.
But what kind of rug should go under a bed and what size should the rug be?
Follow the six tips below to find a perfect rug for your bedroom. And if you are decorating your children’s room, please use a stain resistant rug as it’ll make your life much easier.
Tips for Placing a Rug Under the Bed
Tip #1
As a general rule, each side of the rug must extend at least 10 inches on either side of the bed. 10 inches is the bare minimum, and this length only counts for twin or full-sized beds.
But the bigger the bed is, the longer the rug should extend.
Think of the rug as a decorative plate that will go underneath the plate with the actual food.
If you’re picking a rug for your child’s bedroom, then a comically large rug is fine if the child’s bedroom has fun kid decorations all around it.
However, do not purchase an expensive and delicate rug for your child’s bedroom, as it’ll surely get ripped and stained.
When they ruin the expensive rug, you will feel stressed out and angry. Don’t do that to yourself.
Tip #2
Embrace a stain resistant rug. For children’s bedrooms, especially if your child is under the age of ten, you’ll want to purchase a stain resistant rug.
Stain resistant rugs are also a great idea if you are prone to spills or if your elderly parents and family members come to live with you.
Tip #3
Before you shop for a new rug, you should know the rug placement styles. There are 5 ways to place a rug under a bed:
- Rug is placed 1/3 of the way down, below the pillows and the folded comforter begins. Side or night tables are directly on the floor and not on the rug.
- Rug is completely underneath the bed and touching the wall. Side or night tables are on top of the rug.
- Rug is longer than it is wider and is next to the foot of the bed or slightly underneath the foot of the bed.
- Rug is completely underneath the bed, and the night tables sit on top of the rug. Rug does not extend past the foot of the bed.
- Rug touches the wall at the head of the bed and extends past the sides and foot of the bed.
- Three separate rugs, one for each side and one for the foot of the bed.
These styles automatically assume that the bed is in the middle of the room and only the head of the bed is touching the wall.
Tip #4
It is fine if the rug does not extend past the foot of the bed. It is more important for the rug to extend on the sides of the bed than the foot of the bed. A large rug will probably extend past the sides and the foot of the bed.
However, you should never have a rug that does not extend past the sides of the bed but does extend past the foot of the bed, as that will look very strange.
Tip #5
A king-sized bed needs a king-sized rug. For a king-sized bed, the rug underneath the bed has to extend past the size of the bed by at least 18 in.
The rug should not extend farther than 24inches from the bed, unless it has tassels.
Tip #6
If you have a queen-size bed, then the rug needs to extend at least 12in past the sides of the bed.
The best sizes for a rug underneath a queen-size bed is 6 ft by 9 ft or 8 ft by 10 ft.
Can You Put a Rug Next to a Bed?
Yes, you can place a rug next to a bed. But it needs to be in a space that makes sense or else the rug will look out of place.
One common place to put a rug is at the foot of the bed. The rug does not have to be wide, but it should extend to the corners of the bed.
You can put a rug just on the sides of the bed. Buy two rugs so you can put one on each side of the bed.
How to Prevent the Rug From Getting Damaged
You finally found a beautiful rug that will look spectacular in your bedroom.
But the rug is delicate, and you don’t want the rough legs of the bed to ruin the material.
Protective furniture covers can easily slide on the legs of chairs, tables, and beds. These covers are meant to protect hardwood or ceramic floors from developing scratches when a bed, chair, or table moves.
A bed definitely will not move as much as a chair, but it can wear holes into a rug if there is enough movement.
Plus, if you need to move the bed in order to clean on the sides or underneath it, it can also scrape against the rug and tear some of the material.
How to Choose a Rug for Your Bedroom
The color and style of the rug depends on the decor in the room.
Some decorators suggest buying a rug in a contrasting color to the rest of the colors in the room. Do not buy dark rugs for a room with light decor, as it would make the floor and the bed look smaller.
If the decor in the room is mainly darker colors, then a rug in a light color, like beige, white, snow, and even pink, can introduce a pop of color and draw the eyes towards the bed. But a dark rug would look just as well.
If the bedroom decor is mostly light colors, then a lightly colored rug would blend well with the rest of the room.
If you have a bedroom with dark hardwood floors, do not choose a light-colored rug. The rug should not be as dark as the dark hardwood floors.
If the rest of the decor matches, then a multi-color tapestry-like rug would look great against dark hardwood floors.
Conclusion to Choosing and Placing a Rug Under a Bed
A rug should never be too large for the room it is in. Stain resistant rugs are great for children’s and elderly family members’ bedrooms.
For king-size beds, the rug should extend at least 18 inches beyond the bed on each side. For a queen-size bed, the rug should extend at least 12 inches on the sides.
To protect the legs of the bed from ripping the rug underneath it, place covers on each of the bed’s legs.
