Bedroom Layout Guide: Bed Sizes, Clearances and Placement
The bed is the largest thing in the room, and once it's placed, almost every other decision follows. Get the bed size and position right and the bedroom mostly plans itself.
Standard bed sizes
Mattress sizes vary by country, and the bed frame is usually 50–150 mm larger than the mattress, more for upholstered or sleigh frames. Always use the frame dimensions when planning.
| Size | Australia | UK | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single / Twin | 92 × 188 cm | 90 × 190 cm | 38 × 75 in (97 × 191 cm) |
| King single / Twin XL | 107 × 203 cm | — | 38 × 80 in (97 × 203 cm) |
| Double / Full | 138 × 188 cm | 135 × 190 cm | 54 × 75 in (137 × 191 cm) |
| Queen | 153 × 203 cm | — | 60 × 80 in (152 × 203 cm) |
| King | 183 × 203 cm | 150 × 200 cm | 76 × 80 in (193 × 203 cm) |
| Super king / Cal king | — | 180 × 200 cm | 72 × 84 in (183 × 213 cm) |
Retailers vary slightly; check the product specification before you buy.
How big does the room need to be?
Add your clearances to the bed size: about 600–750 mm on each side you get in from, and 900 mm at the foot. Then add the depth of any wardrobe or drawers along a wall. As a rough guide:
- Single bed: from about 2.4 × 2.7 m, with the bed against a wall.
- Double: from about 3.0 × 3.0 m.
- Queen: from about 3.0 × 3.3 m. 3.4 × 3.6 m feels comfortable.
- King: from about 3.6 × 3.6 m.
If the numbers are tight, a queen with 750 mm on each side usually feels better than a king with 450 mm.
Where to put the bed
- On the wall facing the door, but not directly in line with it if you can avoid it. You can see the door from bed (which most people find calming), but the bed isn't in the path of the corridor light.
- On a solid wall. A headboard under a window works, but it's draughtier, and blinds and curtains become awkward.
- Centred on its wall with a bedside table each side, if the room is wide enough. Otherwise push one side to the wall and keep the clear side toward the door.
- Away from the door swing. Check the door can open fully without hitting the bed corner.
Wardrobes and drawers
A standard wardrobe is about 600 mm deep. Hinged doors need roughly their own width in front of them to open, and you need somewhere to stand, so allow 750–900 mm. Sliding doors save that swing space but only ever open half the wardrobe at a time. Chests of drawers are typically 450–500 mm deep. Leave 750 mm in front so you can pull a drawer out and kneel.
Bedside tables and lighting
Bedside tables should sit roughly level with the mattress top, within about 50 mm, typically 550–650 mm high. Widths of 400–500 mm suit most rooms. Plan reading lights and power points at the same time. Wall-mounted lights free up the tabletop in a narrow room.
Adding a desk or reading chair
A desk needs about 1,200 × 600 mm plus 750–900 mm behind it for the chair. A window wall is ideal for daylight, but face side-on to the window rather than with your back to it, or a screen will glare. A reading chair fits best in a corner with a floor lamp, at least 600 mm clear of the bed's walkway.
Plan it in 3D
Open the Bedroom sample in the planner and set your room's width, depth and ceiling height in the Room tab. Swap the bed for the size you're considering and use Floor Plan view to check the clearances. Then switch back to 3D to see how the room feels from the doorway.
Try this in 3D: Open the Bedroom sample