Short answer: Start with the wall, not the bed. A Full Ara bed with a Round or Square headboard is 66.8 inches (169.6 cm) wide, so a wall of about 91 inches (231 cm) leaves 24 inches (61 cm) beside it. Our Polaris and Talus nightstands are about 17 inches (43 cm) square, which keeps a bedside surface within reach in a small room. Leave 24 to 36 inches (61 to 91 cm) beside the bed, and at least 30 inches (76 cm) to walk past the foot of the bed, with 36 inches (91 cm) more comfortable.
Tight bedrooms rarely fail because the bed is too big. They fail because the bed, a nightstand and a door swing each take a little more than expected. The sections below turn that into numbers you can check against your own walls.
On This Page
- How much clearance does a bed need?
- How much room does each Ara bed take?
- Which nightstands are slim?
- Three example layouts, with the sums
- Where can you buy bedroom furniture that fits in tight spaces?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our bedroom range
How much clearance does a bed need?
Plan the walking space first and fit the furniture inside it. These are the spaces to protect, and they are general advice, not product specifications.
- Beside the bed: leave 24 to 36 inches (61 to 91 cm) on the side you get in and out, and nearer 36 inches if the room allows. Our bedroom furniture buying guide covers the order to buy things in.
- At the foot and along any main path: 30 inches (76 cm) is the minimum and 36 inches (91 cm) is more comfortable, which lets you pass and make the bed without turning sideways.
- Doors and closets: let the door swing fully without touching the bed or a nightstand. If it cannot, move the bed before changing anything else.
- Windows and radiators: leave room to open the window and do not push the headboard or a nightstand against a heat source.
- Drawers: if you choose the storage frame, the drawers open to the side, so the space beside the bed has to hold an open drawer as well as you. Our Ara storage guide shows how much room they need.
How much room does each Ara bed take?
Two measurements matter in a tight room: the width of the headboard, which is the widest part of the bed, and the front-to-back depth of the whole bed. The frame alone is narrower than the headboard, so plan around the headboard.
How much room does each Ara bed take?
| Size | Frame, W x D | Round or Square headboard width | Total depth, Round or Square | Wall width for 24 in (61 cm) beside the bed | Wall width for 36 in (91 cm) beside the bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 62.4 x 80.1 inches (158.5 x 203.5 cm) | 66.8 inches (169.6 cm) | 83 inches (210.8 cm) | 90.8 inches (230.6 cm) | 102.8 inches (261.1 cm) |
| Queen | 68.3 x 85.2 inches (173.5 x 216.5 cm) | 73.1 inches (185.6 cm) | 88 inches (223.5 cm) | 97.1 inches (246.6 cm) | 109.1 inches (277.1 cm) |
| King | 82.9 x 85.2 inches (210.5 x 216.5 cm) | 86.9 inches (220.6 cm) | 88 inches (223.5 cm) | 110.9 inches (281.6 cm) | 122.9 inches (312.2 cm) |
The wall widths are our arithmetic: headboard width plus the space beside the bed (for example, Full: 66.8 + 24 = 90.8 inches). Add the width of a nightstand if one sits on the open side. The frame sizes are for the non-storage frame; the storage frame is slightly wider (63.9 inches for a Full, 70.0 for a Queen and 84.2 for a King).
The headboard changes the numbers. The Pillow headboard is narrower than Round or Square (63.2 inches for a Full, 69.5 for a Queen), but the whole bed is 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) deeper. The Extended headboard is far wider, 109.6 inches (278.3 cm) for a Full, so it suits a wide wall rather than a tight one. Our Ara customization guide lists all the headboard and frame measurements. Ara Wood frames are a little narrower than the upholstered ones, for example 168.2 cm (66.2 inches) for a Queen raised-leg frame, but the Queen Round Wood headboard is 187.6 cm (73.9 inches) wide, so plan around the headboard there too.
Which nightstands are slim?
Both of our nightstands are square, so the width you give up beside the bed is the same as the depth you give up toward the room.
Which nightstands are slim?
| Nightstand | Size, W x D x H | Finishes | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris | 16.7 x 16.7 x 20.5 inches (42.5 x 42.5 x 52 cm) | Oak, Walnut | A spacious top drawer, a diagonal display panel, a built-in charging station with 3 outlets plus USB and USB-C ports, a remote-controlled LED light bar and a hidden cord pass-through |
| Talus | 17.1 x 17.1 x 21.7 inches (43.5 x 43.5 x 55 cm) | Oak, Walnut | A reversible drawer you can place on top or at the bottom, a cord pass-through and extended side panels that help keep things from slipping off the top |
Both are ash wood veneer over MDF. Polaris suits a bedside where you charge a phone and want a light without a separate lamp. Talus is the simpler choice, and its drawer can sit either way up to suit how you reach for it. If a nightstand does not fit beside the bed, our nightstand guide covers height, width and other ways to keep a surface within reach. You can see both on our nightstands page.
Three example layouts, with the sums
These rooms are examples, not products. The arithmetic uses the sizes in the table above and a 17.1-inch (43.5 cm) nightstand, the wider of ours.
- A 10 x 10 foot room (3.05 x 3.05 m) with a Full bed. Put the headboard against one wall and a Talus beside it. The wall is 120 inches: 120 minus 66.8 for the headboard minus 17.1 for the nightstand leaves 36.1 inches (91.7 cm) beside the bed. The bed is 83 inches deep, which leaves 37 inches (94.0 cm) at the foot.
- An 8 x 13 foot room (2.44 x 3.96 m) with a Full bed. The wall is 96 inches. A Round or Square headboard leaves 29.2 inches (74.2 cm) beside the bed, which is inside the 24 to 36 inch range. The Pillow headboard is narrower and leaves 32.8 inches (83.2 cm), so it gives the most room. There is no room for a nightstand beside the bed here (29.2 minus 17.1 leaves only 12.1 inches); use a wall-mounted shelf at bed height instead, as a general idea. The deeper Pillow bed still leaves about 68.5 inches (174 cm) at the foot.
- An 11 x 12 foot room (3.35 x 3.66 m) with a Queen bed. Put the headboard on the 11-foot wall (132 inches). With a Round headboard and one nightstand the space beside the bed is 41.8 inches (106.2 cm), and 56 inches (142 cm) remain at the foot. A second nightstand would cut the space to 24.7 inches (62.7 cm), which just meets the 24 inch minimum but leaves no spare room, so keep one and use the other side for walking.
For a floor plan of your own room, you can book a free design consultation.
Where can you buy bedroom furniture that fits in tight spaces?
We sell the bed and the nightstands, and we list their sizes so you can do the sums above before you order. Our bedroom collection has the Ara bed, our mattresses and the nightstands. For storage that does not need floor space, our small bedroom storage guide covers under-bed options and where to put a dresser.
Our recommendation
- A 10 x 10 foot room: a Full Ara with a Round headboard and one nightstand. A Queen also fits, leaving 29.8 inches (75.7 cm) beside the bed (120 minus 73.1 minus 17.1), but an 11 foot wall gives more room.
- An 11 foot wall or wider: a Queen Ara with a Round headboard and one nightstand.
- A narrow room, about 8 feet wide: a Full Ara with the Pillow headboard, which leaves the most room beside the bed, no nightstand beside the bed and a shelf on the wall.
- Not enough wall for a Queen: choose a Full, because the headboard is 6.3 inches (16 cm) narrower.
- You need the drawers: choose the storage frame only if the open side keeps room for a drawer and your path.
Explore our bedroom range
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.