Good Things to Know About Placing a Rug Under Bed Frames

Bedrooms are your place of rest and relaxation, a sanctuary where your personal style can really shine. Choosing the right area rug that reflects your bedroom space is a fun project to embark on. We've answered some common questions to help you get started.

Should I place a rug under a bed ?

Yes, absolutely! Particularly in bedrooms with hardwood floors.

Rather than having your feet hit the bare floor in the morning, place a luxurious warm and textured area rug in your bedroom for a soft landing when emerging from your slumber.

A rug under a bed, or anywhere in a bedroom, will anchor the room and add personality and style. In fact it's a wonderful home improvement option for any bedroom space.

When choosing an area rug for a bedroom, you're best to narrow the selection down to natural fibres, like wool and silk, and stay away from rougher materials, like sisal or jute. Wool and sheepskin products will feel softer under foot and will add instant warmth and invitation to rooms.

What are some general guidelines for rug placement?

Rug placement can be tricky to figure out. Do you put all the bedroom furniture on the rug? Should any furniture sit on the rug? What is the best rug size?

To help send you in the right direction, we've compiled some options so you can try out different configurations that work for your bedroom.

• Only the bed frame sits upon the rug.

• A large rug sits under the entire bed frame, a bench or ottoman at the footboard end of the bed, and the nightstands.

• The bottom two thirds of the bed and a bench at the foot of the bed sits atop an area rug, leaving the head of your bed on the bare floor, or carpet.

• You can also place a rug under the foot of the bed only, leaving most of the rug visible in the room. This works well if you plan to layer rugs over over carpet to add colour, interest and texture.

• Choose the right rug size for your space - more on this later, but it's usually tempting to go smaller. A floor rug can fill an entire floor area if you want it to.

Some beds can be heavy. Particularly a king bed in solid wood. So think carefully about how you'll get your rug under the bed. People have been known to use a car jack to lift a very heavy bed to place a rug underneath it!

Layering rugs with wall to wall carpeting:

It may not seem like a sensible interior design or decor decision - to place a rug on carpet. However, why not? It's a wonderful way to bring depth, texture, pattern and additional luxury to a room.

When choosing a rug for a carpeted space, consider the colour of the existing flooring. You'll want your new rug to complement what's there without getting lost. This is where natural sheepskin is perfect. It will offer an element of extra warmth, bring a level of sophistication to your bedroom and is easy to maintain. A small sheepskin on carpet in a child's room also creates a comfortable play space.

Putting a rug on a carpeted floor within a room is a good seasonal decor choice as well. During the cooler months, bring in your cosy rugs to pop beside the bed and place them elsewhere within the home during the hotter months.

What about a sheepskin area rug?

Well, this is our specialty at Wilson and Dorset and you truly can't go wrong with investing in a sheepskin rug of any size. It will last a lifetime, is perfect in a bedroom and can will only ever enhance a room. A sheepskin rug will blend in with all decor styles.

Soft underfoot and with a plethora of super hero qualities, a sheepskin rug will bring a plush warmth and a sense of style to your bedroom, living space and anywhere within the home.

When you're embarking on a shopping mission for your first sheepskin rug, you might not think they're the most budget friendly rugs on the market. However, buy once - cry once is a good school of thought here. The durability, softness and unique super-star qualities of sheepskin truly can't be beat.

Are sheepskin area rugs available in large sizes?

Sheepskin rugs come in many sizes including large options. The Double Sheepskin by Wilson and Dorset is a perfect runner alongside a bed. This is effectively two pelts expertly sewn together and it makes an ideal bedroom addition. Side-note: it's also perfect for a window seat.

Our Octo Sheepskin Rug is eight sheepskin pelts sewn together and creates a floor rug of almost 6 x 7 feet (180 x 214cm). This is great size area rug for halfway under a bed, at the foot of the bed, or with two bed legs on one end of the rug.

How do I care for a sheepskin rug?

Sheepskin rugs are surprisingly easy to care for. Wool has a unique structure and is a durable, natural and robust product. Your sheepskin rug will retain its good looks and last you a lifetime if you follow our five golden rules for care.

1. Shake it up. Give your rug a good shake on a regular basis to liven it up and shed dirt and dust.

2. Dry vacuum regularly with a plain suction unit. Avoid using a revolving or rotating head.

3. Avoid direct sunlight where possible. This prevents fading of darker rugs, if you're concerned about colour change.

4. Blot up spills and stains quickly and do not rub the wool pile on your rug.

5. Dyed sheepskin rugs should be dry-cleaned only.

How I do choose the right rug size?

Whether you have a small bedroom or an oversized room, the general rule of thumb is to go larger than you think. A smaller rug in a large room will just look a little lost.

Play around with different sizes and styles. A round rug that's placed half under a bed will add some interest and style to a bedroom. As will sheepskin styles since they come in varying sizes and also shapes.

Two twin size beds:

The right size rug for a double twin room depends on how close the beds are together. There are several options here as well. You could opt to have the foot end legs of the beds under an area rug, or choose a rug that almost fills the entire room.

The most versatile rug size is the 8 x 10 feet (243 x 304cm) size. This is a fairly standard size area rug that will work well with most situations. For two twin size beds, another option could be a rug placement that spans the middle section between the beds. The side legs and nightstand or dresser placed on the rug so both bedroom occupants will have a rug under foot when climbing out of bed.

Queen size bed:

A fairly standard rug size of 8 x 10 feet (243 x 304cm) will fit under a queen bed size nicely. This will ensure that all the bed legs sit on the rug. By all means go for a larger size rug if you want the rug to be more visible, or if you want more furniture, say, your nightstands to also sit upon the rug.

King size bed:

For a king bed, you'll be looking at a rug size of around 9 x 12 feet (274 x 365cm). The queen size rug (8 x 10 feet | 243 x 304cm) will fit in a pinch, but you won't want to go smaller than that. Finding the right balance for the room size, bed size and area rug is sometimes a fine line. Generally, go bigger if you can afford it.

Is a rug pad necessary for all rugs?

A rug pad is useful for area rugs placed in the centre of a room or in an area where furniture will not be sitting on the rug.

For bedroom spaces where you plan to put your bed on the rug, you generally won't need a pad or grip tape underneath since the bed will anchor it and keep it in place. This is certainly the case for something heavy like a king size bed that may take up the entire space of an area rug.

If your rug is free of furniture, say, a sheepskin runner rug alongside the bed, then a non-slip rug pad is a good idea. If you're placing an area rug or smaller bedside rug on carpet, you'll likely avoid movement and bunching.

Typically a rug pad is more helpful on hardwood or concrete floors. A padded non-slip version can add softness, extra cushion under foot, and create a sound barrier as well.