The popularity of king-sized beds is increasing as people become more aware of the health benefits of a good night’s sleep. In addition to the ample elbow room for couples, a king bed has space for parents to co-sleep comfortably with children and pets. But can a king bed fit in a 12 feet x 12 feet room?
A standard king-size mattress is roughly 6 feet 4 inches wide and 6 feet 7 inches long (76 inches x 79.5 inches), so it will fit into a 12 feet x 12 feet bedroom. If the mattress is set in a bed foundation that does not have a headboard, footboard, or side panels, and it is centered against one wall, there will be about 2 feet 10 inches clearance on either side and 5 feet 5 inches from the end of the bed to the opposite wall.
The next most popular king-sized mattress is the California king. It measures 6 feet x 6 feet, 11.5 inches (72 inches x 83.5 inches). Assuming its foundation is minimal, the California king leaves a 3 feet clearance on either side. There will be almost 5 feet between the foot of the bed and the opposite wall.
The standard king and California king beds will easily fit into a 12 feet x 12 feet room, but other, less popular king beds will not fit as comfortably.
Can a King Bed Fit in a 10 x 12 room?
The smallest room size that can comfortably accommodate either a standard king or California king bed is 10 feet x 12 feet. Depending on the closet and entry door positions, the bed can be centered against the short or long walls. Alternatively, you may want to center the long side of the bed against the wall allowing access to the short sides.
In either case, a bed’s sides (without sideboards) will be 22 to 24 inches from the wall. Without a headboard or footboard, there are 5 feet to 5 feet 8 inches between the foot of the bed and the wall. Builders recommend a minimum clearance of 22 inches to 30 inches around a bed and 36 inches to allow doors to open into a room.
It might be a little tight, but the standard king and California king bed will fit into a 10 feet x 12 feet room.
What the Professionals Say
House Plans Helper has precise recommendations on room size for king and California king bed.
- They recommend that the smallest room for a king-sized mattress is 136 inches x 110 inches. That would be 11 feet, 4 inches x 9 feet, 2 inches. For “luxurious” clearance, they suggest a bedroom that is 148 inches x 116 inches. In other words, a space that is 12 feet 4 inches x 9 feet 8 inches.
- House Plans Helper advocates a bedroom of at least 132 inches x 114 inches for a California king mattress. That would be a room that is 11 feet x 9 feet 6 inches. A better fit would be a 144 inches x 120 inches (12 feet x 11 feet) bedroom.
Your Bed Just Got Bigger
Does your bed have more than the minimal foundation? There is usually an extra five inches added to the length and width of a mattress when you add a bed frame that includes a headboard, footboard, and sideboards. So adding the frame will increase a standard-sized king bed’s footprint to 6 feet 9 inches x 7 feet 1 inch.
For a 12 feet x 12 feet room, your bed will now be 2 feet 9 inches from the walls. There will be about 5 feet between the footboard and wall.
Your 10 feet x 12 feet room is getting cozy with a side clearance of only 19.5 inches to 21.5 inches, depending on how your bed is situated. The footboard will be 4 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 3 inches from the wall.
Standard king and California king beds with frames will still fit into either room. However, the space on the sides of the bed will be limited.
What the Professionals Say
The room designers at Hunker recommend a minimum room size of 13 feet x 13 feet for a king-sized bed with a frame and a 14 feet x 12 feet room for a framed California king.
King Bed Sizes
King-sized beds were introduced in America in the 1940s but didn’t become popular until the 1960s. Mattress and bedding manufacturers took advantage of the post-war economic booms with effective marketing campaigns to popularize the bed. Additionally, people were becoming larger, which made larger beds more popular as well.
Surprisingly, there are no worldwide standards for mattress sizes or names for the differing mattress dimensions. In the United States alone, there are multiple-sized mattresses that are considered king-sized.
Using the International Sleep Products Association’s standards, here is a list of the seven most common names and sizes for king mattresses in the U.S. and Canada. Mattress sizes are usually specified in inches or centimeters, but measurements can vary by a half-inch larger or smaller depending on the manufacturer.
Standard King-Size Mattresses
The two most common sizes of oversized mattresses are the standard or Eastern King and the California king.
Standard or Eastern King
The standard king mattress is 76 inches × 80 inches or 6 feet 4 inches wide and 6 feet 6 inches long. It has a total of 6,080 square inches. It is considered a good size for a couple who wants to stretch out or two adults and a young child or pet.
Of all the king-size beds, it is easiest to find frames and bedding for the standard king.
Recommended room size for a king mattress is 13 feet x 13 feet.
California King
Originally from Los Angeles, California, the California King mattresses are 72 inches wide and 84 inches long. In feet, that makes them 6 feet x 7 feet. The bed is 4 inches narrower but also 4 inches longer than a standard king-size mattress. It has a slightly lower total square area at 6,048 square inches.
It is considered a good choice for taller people and is still wide enough for two adults and a small child or pet.
While a range of frames, mattresses and bedding are available for the California king, they are more expensive than those of a standard king.
Recommended room size for a California king mattress is 14 feet x 12 feet.
Oversized King Mattresses or Family Beds
As a result of their large size, oversized king mattresses are popular for several reasons.
- They accommodate a variety of physical builds.
- The beds allow couples with different sleep patterns to sleep together, as one person can enter or exit without disturbing the other.
- Families with three or four children or couples with pets have plenty of room to sleep and not have to worry about falling out of bed.
The large size of these mattresses has several disadvantages, however.
- The mattresses, foundations, frames, and bedding are not readily available. You will have to find companies that are willing to make custom sizes or have them specially made.
- The mattresses are cumbersome and heavy. Getting them into your house, let alone your bedroom is a challenge.
- Oversized rooms are needed for these beds. It may be difficult to have other furniture such as a chest of drawers or armoire closet in the same room.
Wyoming King
The perfectly square Wyoming king mattresses are 84 inches x 84 inches. That is 7 feet x 7 feet or 7,056 square inches. They are as long as the California king but broader than both the standard and California mattresses.
This is the smallest of the oversized mattresses and is perfect for larger adults that need more room or couples that feel crowded when sharing the bed with a child or pet.
Super King, Grand King, Athletic King, or Texas King
Most commonly known as the Texas king, the mattress is usually 80 inches wide and 98 inches long with 7,840 square inches. Due to its width of 6 feet 8 inches and length of 8 feet 2 inches, this bed will accommodate taller people as well as an extra sleeper.
It should be pointed out that the names and sizes of the super king, grand king, athletic king and Texas king are not standard throughout the industry, so you may find a variation of sizes if shopping for one of them.
Alaskan King
If you want the most oversized mattress available, pick the Alaskan king. It is 108 square inches – 9 feet wide and 9 feet long. This is an excellent bed for large families, but moving them requires a big room with large doorways.
How to Calculate How Much Room Your King Bed Needs
If you have a larger-sized mattress, how do you know what size room it will fit in? You can quickly figure out the correctly sized room for the king or any other size mattress.
First, you will need to know the size of your bed.
- Measure the dimensions of your bed or use the manufacturer’s measurement.
- If you plan to use a frame that includes a headboard, footboard, and sideboards, add five inches to each measurement.
- Alternately, suppose your bed is already set up. In that case, you can get a more accurate measurement by measuring from the outside edges of the frame.
Next, calculate the space your bed needs while still allowing for a functional room.
- You need at least 22 inches on either side of the bed, so add 44 inches to the width that you measured in the first step.
- It is more comfortable to have 30 inches on the sides, so consider adding 60 inches to the width instead.
- It is recommended to add 30 inches to the bed’s length if there is no door to the room that opens across from the bed.
- Sometimes a door opens into the room across from the bed. In that case, measure how far it extends into the room, then add that to the length. It could be up to 36 inches.
You have now figured the size of the footprint of the bed which is also the size of the room it will fit in.
For example
- A standard king bed is 76 inches × 80 inches.
- Add five inches for the extra length and width for the headboard, footboard and sideboards. Our measurement is now 81 inches x 85 inches.
- Add the minimal spaces needed on the sides and end. We are now at 125 inches x 129 inches.
- Divide the measurement into feet: 125/12 = 10.42 or 10 feet 5inches; 129/12 = 10.75 or 10 feet 9 inches.
- (Don’t like to do math? Here’s a converter.)
- Round up, and you know that your bedroom needs to be at least 11 feet x 11 feet.
King Bed Placement
Traditionally, king beds are placed with the width side against the middle of the longest wall. This arrangement provides access to both sides of the bed and provides entry to closets or doors on the shorter sides.
Alternatively, the king bed can be placed with the length side against the middle of the shortest wall. The bed can still be accessed from both sides while still leaving some extra space for chests or dressers between the foot of the bed and the wall.
The king bed can be placed in a corner, with the mattress touching the two adjoining walls to maximize floor space. You’ll open up the floor but lose access to one side of the bed.
Functionality Challenge
When choosing a bed for a room, the use of the room must also be taken into account. Beyond the bed fitting into the room, consideration needs to be given to having enough space to open doors, place other furniture and walk around.
Fortunately, there are ways to have your bed and a functional room.
Bedroom Furniture
In a 12 feet x 12 feet or 10 feet x 12 feet room, it may be challenging to fit in nightstands, a dresser, a chest of drawers, or an armoire closet. If the room has a large closet, you may be able to fit a dresser into it, and an armoire may be unnecessary.
Another option is to use a platform bed frame – also called a captain’s bed. It has drawers underneath and can replace your chest of drawers. Check out several styles of platform bed frames before choosing one. Depending on how the drawers are configured, your bedroom’s functionality may improve or be diminished.
A possibility that some people may not find aesthetically pleasing is to mount shelves high on the walls. Just make sure you don’t put them where someone could run into them.
No matter its size, your closet can be optimized to free up more area in your room. Professional closet organizers suggest customizing shelving, multiple height rods and plastic bins to help efficiently arrange your closet.
Bedside tables only take up a minimal amount of room, but those few inches may make the difference between feeling crowded or comfortable. Use the smallest tables available that can hold needed items.
You can also attach your nightstand to the same wall as the head of your bed. Remove the tables’ legs to free up some space underneath to place a storage box or shelf.
Entry and Closet Doors
Doors that swing into a room need up to 36 inches of clearance. Here are a few ideas to reclaim that valuable floor space.
- Change the door to open into the hallway or closet instead of into the room.
- Bi-fold doors only need half or even a quarter of the space.
- If there is room between the walls, install a pocket door. The door is entirely invisible when opened.
- A sliding door or barn door moves horizontally instead of into the room.
- Fabric or bead curtain doors can be an attractive alternative to a traditional door.
Bonus: Room Decorating Tips
Creating as much visible floor space as possible is an excellent first step to creating an attractive room for your king bed. Several other tricks can be used to create the impression that a room is larger than it is.
- Choose a monochromatic color scheme for the wall paint, carpet and window coverings.
- Using the same color on the walls and ceiling will further soften the edges of the room.
- Keep visual clutter to a minimum. Store as much as possible in drawers or closets.
- Use simple curtains or blinds to decrease the visual clutter.
- Large mirrors, especially across from a window, reflect the light and make the room appear larger.
The Bottom Line
A standard king, California king or even a larger king-sized bed can fit in a 12 feet x 12 feet or 10 feet x 12 feet’ bedroom. However, there will be limited space for other furniture and traffic flow can be impeded. The bed will need to be carefully positioned so it doesn’t obstruct access to doors and closets. Furthermore, a bedroom will appear out of proportion to those who appreciate aesthetics.
How important are all these considerations when you’re stretched out in the comfort of your king-size bed and enjoying a peaceful night’s sleep?