Small Rugs and Bedside Rugs

Mat, bedside rug, little runner. Most people mean roughly the same size class with all three words. Where each size tends to go:

• The smallest sizes in front of a chest of drawers or by the front door
• A little larger on one side of the bed or in front of the wardrobe
• Mid-length pieces next to the bed or in front of an armchair
• The biggest of the small sizes at the foot of a double bed, or in a reading or play corner

Small bedside rugs

Across the foot of the bed, a bedside rug should be about as long as the bed is wide. At the sides, a smaller one is enough, depending on the gap to the wall. Want one size that works in both places? Every design for that sits on our 80x150 rugs page.

Two rugs left and right, or one across the foot? On a double bed, two matching ones look tidier. If it should reach under the bed, look at the larger formats among our bedroom rugs.

Small rugs for the bedroom tend to wander on parquet or tiles. A cut-to-size anti-slip underlay holds them in place and protects the floor at the same time.

Soft or flat

Pile feels nicer on bare feet. Soft polyester designs sit at the fluffier end, and handwoven wool has a fuller pile than any kilim. Wool feels warm.

Flat-woven cotton kilims stay very flat, which makes them the better pick in front of a door that has to swing over them. The plain ones often end up as a small rag rug by the bed. More low designs are gathered among the flat weave rugs.

Jute is rougher. The jute designs here mix 80 % jute with 20 % cotton. For a small living room rug in front of an armchair, a viscose blend with its silky sheen is another option.

Stains depend on the fibre. Wool and cotton cope with a damp cloth, dabbing from the outside in. Treat jute and viscose dry, as neither likes water.

By the sink a kitchen rug catches splashes, while along the worktop a kitchen runner fits better. Under a dining table these sizes are too tight. That is a job for a proper dining room rug.