8 Tips to Pick the Perfect Dining Room Rug

The addition of a rug to a dining room lends an aura of comfortable luxury to the space. Unlike a kitchen table, a dining room table is often meant to accommodate guest for more formal gatherings, so a beautiful carpet can do wonders to add a sense of occasion to the space.

Of course, not all carpets are suited to use in a dining room. Size, material and shape are all factors that determine a rug’s ability to aesthetically and functionally serve this space. So how do you select the right rug?

Here are 8 tips to help you pick the perfect floor adornment for your room, and your taste.

1. Go Big

When selecting your dining room rug, it’s a good idea to go a little bigger than you think you need. Guests should be able to push their chairs back from the table without going over the edge of the rug. Most design experts recommend that there should be 60 cm of rug on all sides after the end of the dining room table, so to get the best size, measure your table, then add 60 cm.

2. Bare Minimum

Here’s another measurement consideration for you: there should be at least 30 cm of bare floor between the end of the rug and the wall. (30 – 45 is the most cited rule of thumb.) However, as long as there is some bare floor, it’s OK to break this rule.

3. Shape Shifting

Your rug shape options aren’t always confined to the shape of your table. While round tables look great on round rugs, they can also look amazing on square rugs, so don’t shy away from playing with shape. You can also have fun with oval tables, which look amazing on rectangular or oval rugs.

5. Choose Short or Flat

Because spills will happen with even the most dignified guests, it’s important to choose a rug that promotes easy cleaning. This is where short pile come in handy, since you don’t have to deal with long, thick, fluffy fibres. These more voluminous fibres also make it more difficult to push back chairs, so there’s double reason to avoid them in your dining room.

6. Darker is Better

While lighter colours are brilliant, they aren’t the most practical choice for dining rooms. Again, remember that spills are inevitable, and they will show up more readily on lighter rugs. Patterns are also great for concealing spills and stains. While that cream, silver and powder blue Persian rug may look breathtaking in your dining space, it also won’t retain its pristine appearance after years of happy gatherings.

7. Material Matters

It may seem obvious, but it bears repeating: choose a rug that’s easy to clean – because you will need to clean it. Wool holds up well to cleaning. Pure silk and synthetic rugs, on the other hand aren’t made to withstand moisture and frequent friction of feet, chairs and cleaning implements. Save their lush lustre for rooms that won’t see the same volume of traffic and accidents, like living rooms, guest rooms and luxury bedrooms.

8. Instant Inspiration

Your rug may be the first item you purchase for a dining room, and if you’re lucky enough to be in this situation, you can use it inspire decor for the rest of the room. You’ve got a clean slate, and can get as whimsical, bold or fearless as you desire. Let the colours and/or design of your rug feed into other elements in your room. Perhaps it’s florals that also appear on a vase, or a gold hue running throughout the rug that creeps into some wall art.

Follow these tips, and your rug is bound to compliment your space, and add an aura of holistic hospitality and comfort to your dining room.

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