How much space do you need around a bed?

Short answer: leave at least 60 cm of clear walkway on every side of the bed you need to reach, and at the foot of the bed. 70–75 cm feels comfortable, and in front of a wardrobe with hinged doors you need about 90 cm so you can open the door and still stand in front of it.

Common bed sizes

A standard double is 140 × 200 cm, a queen 160 × 200 cm and a king 180 × 200 cm. Add 10–15 cm to the length for the headboard and frame.

So how big does the room need to be?

For a 160 cm bed with a 60 cm walkway on both sides you need a wall at least 280 cm wide. Add two 45 cm bedside tables and the bed wall becomes roughly 250 cm long, so a 3 × 3.5 m room works well. If the room is narrower, push one side of the bed against the wall in a guest or kids' room — never in a main bedroom used by two people.

Don't forget the doors

Check that the bedroom door, the wardrobe doors and any drawers can open fully without hitting the bed. Sliding wardrobe doors only need 60–70 cm in front of them, which often saves a small bedroom.

If you send us your room measurements, we can test different bed and wardrobe layouts in a plan before you buy anything.