PublishedFeb 7, 2026 1:15 AM EST
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When you’re seeking design counsel, leaning on the wisdom of Martha Stewart is a safe bet—even when her take runs hot. During a recent episode of In Bed with Paige DeSorbo, the influencer and podcaster’s Amazon Live show, Stewart offered a remark that landed as controversial. While paging through photographs of assorted bedroom designs, Stewart paused and declared, “I like the floors without rugs, it’s nice.” The comment gave even DeSorbo pause. “Floors without rugs? In bedrooms?” the host clarified. “Ok, I’ll remember that.”
Because we tend to treat an area rug as essential to a bedroom as, say, a headboard or a nightstand, Stewart’s suggestion caught us off guard. Yet as it happens, a rug is not always a necessity.
“I agree with Martha,” says Calgary-based designer Cathryn Royer. “A bedroom without a rug can absolutely work, but only when the rest of the space feels complete.” An area rug supplies texture and softness, so Royer notes that other elements must fill that gap—billowy window treatments, layered bedding, detailed moldings, or walls clad in limewash or plaster. It also helps if the floors are hardwood rather than carpet.
Beyond aesthetics, you may wish to forgo a rug beneath the bed for upkeep reasons as well. “Rugs are ideally rotated every so often to maintain consistent wear, and for some, completely removing the rug and rotating it 90 degrees just isn’t in the cards,” says Hannah Go, founder of Studio Hanego. If you’re inclined to go against the grain—or simply wish to follow Stewart’s lead—read on for how to make a rug-free bedroom succeed.
Artist and creative director Maps Rasmussen’s bare bedroom floors reinforce the industrial character of their L.A. home. And with all the lush greenery visible through the large window above the bed, the surface never reads as cold.
With striped bathroom tiles and orange-print wallpaper elsewhere in this Rhode Island cottage, it makes sense that designer Maggie Getz wanted the primary bedroom to feel more serene. A coat of white paint on the floors accomplishes exactly that, supplying enough visual warmth underfoot that an area rug becomes unnecessary.
It’s no surprise that designer Christian Siriano’s Tribeca apartment features a bed that’s fully dressed. A colorful, geometric blanket sits beneath a canopy layered with a single draping fabric, delivering drama and playfulness in one stroke. Adding an area rug would likely register as one textile too many.
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