The Minimum Room Size For A King-Size Bed

A king-size bed is the same size as two twin beds pushed together, which means it gives two adults the same amount of space they would have if sleeping alone. It's important to note, however, that a big bed requires a big bedroom. You still need room to walk around the bed and add additional furniture. A 13-by-13-foot room is the smallest room you should consider to house a king-size bed.

King-size beds aren't the only beds that come with recommended room sizes. No matter what size the bed or where you place it, home designers recommend leaving 30 inches of space around its perimeter to allow adequate walking room, except, of course, where the headboard meets the wall. And, too, you will add other furniture to the room, such as nightstands and a dresser or chest of drawers. Therefore, every bed has a minimum room-size recommendation. They are, as follows:

• California king: 14' by 12'
• King: 13' by 13'
• California queen: 12' by 14'
• Queen: 10' by 14'
• Full: 10' by 12'
• Twin XL: 7' by 10'
• Twin: 7' by 10'

Some rooms have odd shapes and may not conform neatly to the recommended room size for your bed. Fortunately, it is easy to determine if your bed will fit. To do so, you need to know the size of the bed and remember the rule about leaving 30 inches around it for easy walking. With this information, you can easily calculate the total footprint of any bed and the free space around it. A king bed, for example, measures 76 inches wide by 80 inches long. To determine its footprint in the room, simply add the size of the bed and the free space around it. When you do, you will see that you need an area 136 inches (11' 4") by 110 inches (9' 2") to place the bed (76 + 30 + 30 = 136 and 80 + 30 = 110). Here is a list of standard bed sizes to help with your measurements:

• California king: 72" by 84"
• King: 76" by 80"
• California queen: 60" by 84"
• Queen: 60" by 80"
• Full: 54" by 75"
• Twin XL: 39" by 80"
• Twin: 39" by 75"

Bedroom furniture can vary greatly in size, so it's always a good idea to measure your space before making a new purchase. The standard size for bedside tables, however, is around 18 inches wide and deep. A standard chest of drawers is 30 inches wide by 18 inches deep. Remember to leave enough room to open the drawers on your furniture when planning your room arrangement. Doors that open inward may impact the amount of floor space you have available, as will radiators. Space heaters and floor-standing air conditioners also impact the amount of room available for beds and furniture.