Bedroom Rug Placement Ideas

by Melissa Vickers March 12, 2021

Thinking About Buying a New Bedroom Rug?

When you choose a rug for your bedroom, be sure to keep its placement in mind. The wrong rug placement can throw off the entire bedroom design.

You'll need to consider the size and design of your bedroom, the size and shape of the rug, and the ideal bedroom rug placement. Once you take all of these factors into consideration, you can then find the perfect rug for your bedroom depending on where you plan to place it.

How will you know where to place the rug?

In the guide below, there are several rug placement tips for your bedroom. Continue reading to find out everything there is to know about your future bedroom rug!

Infographic showing all the ways a rug can be placed in a bedroom

Under All Furniture

There are several ways to place a rug in the bedroom. It's best to review all your different options and then choose the one you think would look best in your room! The first option to consider is placing the rug under all legs of furniture.

Infographic showing placement of all the furniture on the rug

All legs of the furniture on the rug
You can exclude your dresser, window bench, and other furniture pieces far away from the bed
A perfect option for large rooms with hard flooring

You'll want all four legs of the bed on top of the rug. The same is true for your nightstands or bookshelves next to the bed as well. This rug-placement option works best in large rooms with hard floors.

The rug will cover a large amount of space on the floor without covering the entire room. It'll provide you with all those warm and cozy feelings you love stepping your feet onto in the morning. Make sure you choose a size rug that's large enough for all furniture to fit on and then some.

There should be several inches of rug left on both sides of the nightstands and in front of your bed.

Space Between Walls and Nightstands

Another option you have is to leave a small amount of space between the bedroom walls and the rug and the nightstands and the rug. With this option, you'll want the rug to be big enough to fit under about 3/4 of the bed but not touching the nightstands or the walls.

Infographic showing the rug pulled away from the wall and under only the bed.

Leave 10 inches between the rug and nightstands and the rug and walls on either side of the bed
The rug will cover almost all the area under the bed but not fully

Leaving the 10 inches between the rug and the nightstands is ideal. This shows that the space was intentional and separates the nightstands from the front portion of the bedroom. You want to leave at least 10 inches between the rug and each wall on the sides of the bed as well.

If it's more than 10 inches, then that's perfectly fine also.

Under Front Portion of the Bed

Placing a rug only under the front portion of the bed where the footrest sits is one of the more common bedroom rug placement options.

Infographic showing a rug placement under the foot of the bed only.

Works well in small rooms
Great for those not wanting to cover the flooring
Common rug sizes that work well for this option are 8x10, 6x9, and 5x8

The rug will lay horizontally under the front legs of your bed. You'll want to leave a decent amount of space between the rug and your nightstands when choosing this option, but the rug should also stretch past both sides of the bed.

On Either Side of the Bed

Have you thought of placing two rugs on either side of the bed? For this option, you'll use runner rugs. The rugs will lay under each nightstand and run down either side of the bed.

Rugs sized 2x8 are ideal for this type of rug placement
You might need a different size depending on the size of your bed

It gives the look and fee of a large rug without the cost of one. It also adds balance to the bedroom.

On One Side of the Bed

Although you have the option to place two rugs on either side of the bed, you also have the option to place one rug on one side of the bed. This isn't something you want to do if there's open space on both sides of the bed. Instead, only choose this option for bedrooms where one side of the bed is up against a wall.

A great option for rooms with a bed up against a wall
Works well in smaller rooms

If your bed is already placed against a wall, then you might be trying to save space in a small bedroom. A small or medium rug will look great and won't take up too much space on the open side of the bed. Another wonderful idea is to think outside the box and go with a circular rug!

This will help tie everything together and make the room feel homey and complete without overwhelming the space.

Only at the Foot of the Bed

One of the last options to consider is placing the rug only at the foot of the bed. With this rug placement, you want to place only a few niches of the rug under the front legs. Leave about 12-24 inches of the rug on either side of the bed.

Medium and oversized rugs work best
You'll have a large amount of rug space in front of the bed

In children's bedrooms, this gives them a place to sit comfortably and play with their toys, watch television, or play video games. In an adult's bedroom, it creates a warm area in front of the bed where you can then place a bench or something similar on top of it.

The Right Bedroom Rug Placement Is Essential for a Well-Designed Space

When you're planning a well-designed bedroom space, you need to have proper bedroom rug placement. Be sure to use the examples listed above to get you started. Don't hesitate to test out a few different methods before finding the right one for you.

As always, never stop your creativity wheels from spinning. Have fun and get creative! It's your bedroom and what matters most is that you love it.

Have more questions concerning interior design? Contact me today to see how I can help you!