How to Choose the Right Size Rug for a Queen Bed

Choosing the right size rug for your bedroom is important.  It has to be the right size and proportion for the room or it’s just going to look wrong.  Your rug should anchor your bed and bedside tables to create a focal point in the room.

This schematic drawing from Burlap and Lace, clearly shows how important it is to choose the right size rug for under your bed.  The rugs at the bottom are too small and make the bed look small.  The rugs at the top are big enough to properly anchor the bed setting.  So what actual size rug do you need?

This guide to rugs for a queen bed was developed by Canadian interior designer, Lisa Ferguson.  There are four suggested rug layouts that will work for a queen size bed.  An Australian queen bed is almost identical in size, so we can use these measurements as a guide.

Image – Desa blue rug from Pottery Barn

Calculating the Size

So there are 3 size options:

• A 9’x9′ square rug (approx 275 x 275cm) that extends equally on the sides and at the end of the bed.
• A 8’x9′ rectangle rug (approx 244cm x 305cm) that is big enough to extend underneath the bedside tables or further out from the end of the bed.
• A 9’x12′ rectangle rug (approx 305cm x 365cm) that extends both beyond the bedside tables and at the end of the bed.

The exact size you need will depend upon the size of your bed and bedside tables, and how far out the rug can extend before it hits walkways or other furniture.  For example, in my master bedroom I need a rug that is approx 300 cm wide so it extends 70cm either side of the bed, and it can be anywhere from 240-350cm deep depending on whether I want it to go under the bedside tables and how far it extends at the bottom of the bed.

Finding the Right Rug

Now you know what size rug you need finding it can be a problem.  In Australia, many rug retailers base their rug sizes on living room arrangements for 2 and 3 seater sofas.  These rugs are too small to use under beds.  Your best bet is to look for retailers who sell larger size rugs such as Pottery Barn, West Elm, Wayfair and Temple & Webster, or to find custom sized rugs such as Armadillo or Bespoke Rugs.  Check out our Flooring & Rugs section on the Directory for a complete listing of retailers.

I'm Kylie, and I love to share practical home decorating and styling tips. I'm a qualified interior designer and self taught crafter and DIY'er. I'm addicted to decorating, and can't walk past a homewares shop without going in for a look. I live in a 1930's Queenslander in Brisbane's inner suburbs which I'm turning into a home one project at a time.