Deciding whether you need a dining table rug or not? Confused about what size or style to choose and how it will all work in the scheme of things?
With many opinions, adding to the confusion, let us help you decide whether a dining room rug is the right choice for you.
The first and most obvious question is, do you need a dining table rug? What purpose is it going to make including one and what are the reasons you are considering one?
We aren’t here to talk you out of the idea, as the right dining table rug can definitely make the room. But you also don’t necessarily need one, just because.
Dining Rugs are included in our home designs to add a focal point and help zone a room, especially in the ever-popular open-plan living areas. They add softness underfoot, can help dampen sound in overly noisy areas with lots of hard surfaces as well as add a crucial layer of texture, colour, and pattern. They can also protect flooring especially if the dining space involves many chairs and you enjoy entertaining!
Times we would opt to go without a dining table rug would be how close the proximity is to the living room rug, as you need breathing space and a balance of materiality. If the space was tight and just did not allow enough room for a suitable size (remember you need to leave about 50cm on either side of the rug so chair legs remain on the rug when being pulled out.)
When deciding on your dining rug, selecting the right material and colour is crucial. We tend to choose a tighter weave or short pile rug with a darker colour or forgiving pattern running through. The rug is essentially going to bear the brunt of entertaining with unavoidable spills so keeping this in mind is a good idea. There is also a fantastic range of washable rugs on the market, or indoor outdoor rugs that can be washed, and this is something we do for busy families with younger children and pets. We avoid larger loop pile rugs or overly shaggy style rugs as chair legs drag across damaging the texture, and crumbs can get stuck easily.
We tend to follow the same shape and proportions as your dining table, so if you have a rectangular dining table, we select a rectangular rug. If you have a round dining table, we tend to choose a round dining table rug. There are of course exceptions, but this rule is pretty tried and tested.
The size is crucial, as mentioned before you need to allow an extra 100cm for the rug underneath, providing 50cm on each side so that chair legs don’t get stuck and are sitting nicely on the rug. Having a too-small dining table rug looks awkward and annoyingly creates trip hazards, and damages the rug as chair legs get stuck on them. And same goes for having the rug too large in proportion to your table. It’s all about scale and proportion!
I hope these 3 tips have helped you with choosing the right dining table rug for your space.
Remember Function, Materials and Shape/Size.
