A Guide to Choosing the Perfect Dining Room Rug
Dining room rugs are a foundational element to a successful dining room. Rugs create a visual zone that frames your dining table and chairs. Dining room rugs protect your floors from wear and tear, add a soft textural layer underfoot, and complement your existing decor and color palette.
But not all rugs are created equal. Different materials are better suited for heavy use, spills, and everyday life. The size of your dining room rug can make your room feel larger or more cramped. Some rugs are easy to clean, while others require professional attention.
We’re going to dive into my top dining room rug pro tips so you can confidently pick the best dining room rug for your home. I’ve included my curated list of my favorite rugs that have all the right features for a long lasting, durable, beautiful rug you’ll love for years.
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Size Matters: Dining Room Rugs That Make Your Space
The first step in choosing the perfect dining room rug is determining the correct size and shape for your space. There are three main measurements that will tell you the largest size rug your room can fit, and the smallest size that will comfortably accommodate your dining table and chairs.
Interior designers use a basic rule to find the correct dining room rug size based off of the dimensions of your room. Measure the length and width of your dining room, then subtract 18” – 24” from each side. If your dining room is on the smaller side, subtract 12” – 16” from each side. This measurement will tell you the largest size rug your room can correctly fit.
The second measurement is based off your dining room table. Measure the length and width of your dining table and then add 24”. The new measurement will tell you the smallest size rug you can fit under your dining table and chairs.
Guests need a minimum of 24” to comfortably pull their chair in and out from the table. Measure the length and width of your dining table and add 24” to each side. This means you are adding 4ft. to the length side, and 4ft. to the width side, so that each side has 2 additional feet.
Anything less than 24” and the chair will get caught on the edge of the rug, causing wear and tear along your rug’s edge and on your floors. Plus, this can also cause older guests to trip if they are caught off guard.
The third measurement allows room for support pieces like buffets and cabinets to sit flat on the floor and not touch the rug. If you have room, leave 18” – 24” of space between the wall and rug. This lets all four feet of your furniture sit fully on the ground, and prevents your buffet or console from being unstable and having decor pieces tip over if they’re accidentally bumped.
For an easy step by step guide to quickly figure out the best size rug for your space, check out our post, “How To Choose The Best Dining Room Rug Size.”
Shape Up: Dining Room Rug Shapes Decoded
Rectangular dining room rugs are the most popular shape and come in a variety of sizes. But a rectangular rug might not be the best shape if you have a small or uniquely shaped room
Round dining room rugs are a great option for smaller dining rooms and improve the flow of traffic and accessibility of space in the room. Round rugs give an airy, spacious feel to the room by providing a gentle curve to the space.
Square dining room rugs look great in open floor plans. Their symmetrical shape adds a sense of balance to open areas, and “float” nicely within the room. You can pair a round or square dining table with a square rug and create an interesting geometric design.
For rectangular, round and square rugs, you will apply the same measuring rule to find the minimum size you can fit under your dining room chairs. Add 2 ft. on each side of the rug, or the diameter of the rug for round rugs, so that your guests have plenty of space to get up from the table without catching their chairs on the rug’s edge.
Dining Room Rug Materials
Material Matters: The Best Dining Room Rug Materials
To each their own, but may the best rug win! Every home has different needs when it comes to picking the right dining room rug materials. If you have kids or pets, you’re going to want to lean towards synthetic fiber rugs that can stand up to heavy use and spills. If you don’t entertain often, look for more natural fiber rugs that have a beautiful feel underfoot, but are still wonderfully durable options for long term use.
Wool rugs are the number one gold standard for a soft, textural feel with incredible longevity, natural stain resistance, and endless design options. Wool has a bouncy, resilient fiber that won’t crush under your dining table and chairs. Because wool has a natural oil built into the fibers, it is more resistant to water based stains and can be easily spot cleaned or vacuumed.
Wool is susceptible to stains from excess moisture, greasy or oily spills, and can shed fibers in high traffic areas. Not to be gross, but moths and carpet beetles love wool. They naturally feed on wool fibers so if you do choose a wool rug, make sure you vacuum it regularly.
Cotton fiber rugs are an affordable alternative to wool rugs. Cotton is easily cleaned and most often seen in flat weave rugs, which we’ll discuss a little later. Cotton rugs are typically more causal and the choices for a more formal dining room might be limited.
Silk rugs are absolutely gorgeous, but I would not recommend a silk rug in a dining room. Silk feels so soft underfoot, but they don’t handle spills well, need to be professionally cleaned, and don’t stand up to heavy traffic or wear from furniture.
Viscose is often the go-to replacement for silk rugs because this fiber mimics the wonderfully luxurious feeling of silk. But buyers beware, any stain, even water, will permanently mark a viscose rug. These rugs are best kept in bedrooms that have minimal exposure to food and liquids.
Polypropylene is a synthetic material that is normally found in outdoor rugs, but has become extremely popular for indoor use due to the wonderful versatility and durability of this fiber. Polypropylene is stain resistant, easy to clean, and can stand up to heavy use. This is a great material choice if you have young children or pets. Polypropylene is highly flammable, so make sure any romantic candles are kept safely away from the rug.
Polyester rugs are not recommended for dining room areas. Although polyester can withstand heavy foot traffic, and has a soft texture, it cannot handle oil-based stains. Best to keep a polyester rug in non-food areas or outdoors.
Nylon rugs are best for high traffic areas, are easy to clean, affordable and have a nice, soft texture. Unfortunately, nylon can absorb stains and cannot be machine washed.
Don’t Trip: Best Dining Room Rug Pile Height
What is pile height and how does it affect your dining room rug? Pile height is the height of the rug fibers from the “face” of the rug. Pile heights are generally regarded as low, medium and high.
Low pile heights have a fiber height of a ¼ inch or less. Lower pile height rugs are easy to walk on and have a sharper pattern design, but are not great for high traffic areas. Low pile rugs work best entry ways and laundry rooms that have door clearances.
Medium pile rugs have a pile height between ¼ inch to ½ inch. Medium pile dining room rugs have a soft, cozy texture underfoot, are easy to clean and maintain, and stand up to heavier traffic than low pile rugs. Dining room rugs work best with a medium pile height so you have a luxurious texture under your table, but you don’t have to struggle to pull your chair out from the table because your rug is too plush.
High pile rugs have a pile height above ½ inch. These rugs are normally found in living rooms and bedrooms because they have a comfy, full support feel underfoot. High pile rugs can be harder to clean because of the longer rug fiber, and are best in areas that don’t have a lot of exposure to food or liquids.
Take Care: Easy Dining Room Rug Maintenance
All rugs require some basic care regardless of their materials. Vacuum your rugs often to keep them looking fresh. When you vacuum, make sure the brush on the vacuum is turned off. Vacuum brushes are great for picking up crumbs on tile and regular carpet, but the brush feature on vacuums can cause area rugs to shed, force stains deeper into the fibers, and even cause bald spots on your rug.
Switch your rug around once or twice a year to increase its longevity. If one side of your rug faces a window, the side exposed to natural sunlight will slightly fade the colors in your rug. When you turn your rug this will keep an overall even look to the color saturation in the rug, even if it is slightly fading over time. When you turn your rug, you’re also giving the areas where your table and chairs sit a chance to fluff up again.
Sit, Stay: Best Dining Room Colors and Patterns
Designers will often select the dining room rug first, before anything else in the room. They do this because it is much easier to match paint, fabrics, and wallpaper to the colors in a rug, than try to find a rug that has all the colors in your other decor pieces. If you are starting from scratch, select your dining room rug first,and build your color palette from the accent colors in the rug.
Check out our post, “12 Designer Tested Tips For A Stunning Dining Room” for an awesome detailed guide that walks you from start to finish on everything you need to create a designer-level dining room without the megawatt budget.
If you already have your dining room pieces in place, select a rug that compliments your existing decor. I like to keep dining room rugs fairly neutral but have soft, hidden accent colors that enhance my color palette.
Personally, I prefer dining room rugs that have a subtle pattern in them. I like a soft, barely-there background for my table and chairs to sit on, and let the other features in the room be the star of the show. I like rugs that provide a beautiful soft color to the room without dominating the design or drawing too much attention to it. You will rarely see me select a bold patterned and colorful dining room rug unless it is in a predominantly neutral room with no other patterns to compete with it.
Make sure to pair your rug with a beautiful light fixture to complete the look. Check out our posts, “15 Beautiful Modern Dining Room Light Fixture Ideas” or if you have a more classic style, “Beautiful Traditional Dining Room Chandeliers” will have something for everyone.
MANOA TUFTED LATTICE WOOL RUG
A painterly lattice pattern in silvery gray lays over a stormy sky blue gray for a gorgeous dimensional effect. This rug expertly combines an organic look with a geometric design for a modern, transitional style.
CIARA RUG
Effortlessly classic, this vintage inspired Oushak rug packs a lot of color without taking over the room. Variations of blue and rust reds are balanced by wispy creams and linens for a timeless design. The Ciara Rug has a medium pile of .41” so it is easy to clean, durable, and perfect for a transitional dining room.
FEIZY LORRAIN PATTERNED WOOL RUG
I am a sucker for a beautiful blush pink. And hey, blush can be a neutral too. The muted pinks in this rug have been hand dyed to have a watery, subtle variation in the saturation of the color that adds visual interest with a dimensional effect. Paired with a light cream base, this wool and cotton blend rug is easy to clean with a modern geometric design.
VIBE ATERIAN HANDMADE MEDALLION RUG
Turkish motifs are embellished with intricate medallions all tied together in a creamy and taupe palette. This rug expertly showcases a beautiful pattern without taking over the room. Hand tufted in 100% wool with a cotton backing for extra durability and easy maintenance.
FEIZY HOME BERKELEY RUG
Okay, I’ll admit it. I am OBSESSED with windowpane design. I love the stylish structure it brings without being too fussy. This look is always classic. What makes this rug stand out from the rest is the textural dimension it quietly adds to the space. The interior of the squares are in a small dot pattern, while the grid design is in a chunky braid that follows the horizontal and vertical directions of the grid. This beautiful hand-woven 100% wool rug is soft and cushy underfoot, and packs a pattern forward punch with a gentle neutral palette.
WENDOVER TRANSITIONAL ORIENTAL RUG
Classic Oushak design is made modern with soft, watery blues and a mix of bold and delicate creamy neutrals. Made from eco-friendly PET yarn. This rug is ideal for those who have small children or pets while still having a soft, luxurious feel.
PIERRE RUG
Inspired by the Tullu region in Morocco, this hand-knotted rug has a beautiful dimensional quality with tonal stripes of creams and subtle black overlaid by a modern, artistic trellis design and stylish fringe. This rug works well in contemporary or transitional dining rooms and adds an interesting visual graphic element to your space.
ADDAE HAND KNOTTED GEOMETRIC RUG
Contemporary and classic, this hand-knotted 100% wool rug has a sage green pattern inspired by Moroccan tile design embedded in the warm cream background. This rug has at least 75 knots per square inch for a plush, luxurious feel and extra durability.
ELI RUG
Barely there tonal grays with a hint of linen neutrals and browns are folded into traditional motifs packed with subtle transitions. Crafted from 100% hand-knotted wool, this gorgeous rug will pull any dining room together for an elegant and refined style.
ANTON STRIPED RUG
Timeless yet modern, this Moroccan inspired windowpane design has a dimension, high-low detail with shed-free construction. Made from polypropylene and polyester fibers for an ultra-durable rug that can withstand heavy foot traffic while looking luxurious. in the warm cream background. This rug has at least 75 knots per square inch for a plush, luxurious feel and extra durability.
Conclusion
Every beautiful space deserves a strong foundation, and your dining room is no exception. Knowing how to measure your space properly, what shape works best for your table and room, which materials will work best for your needs, and what pile height to look for are the foundational elements in selecting the perfect dining room rug.
Your dining room rug can elevate your room from bland to exceptional with the right pattern, color, and materials that will withstand spills, foot traffic, and wear and tear from entertaining. If you need help selecting the perfect dining room rug, I absolutely love helping to find that perfect piece that will transform your room.
About The Author
Nicole Cullum is an interior designer and fine artist. Her passion for color, pattern, and balance are expressed through her hand-painted line of wallpapers and textiles available at ColorCaravan.com.
Contact Nicole at hello@ColorCaravan.com for help with your next design project, e-design services, or a custom wallpaper or textile design.
