Choosing a dining room rug
A dining rug defines the eating area, quietens a room with hard floors and protects the floor from chair legs. It also has to cope with crumbs, spills and chairs being pulled in and out every day, so size and material matter more here than anywhere else.
Size: chairs must stay on the rug
Allow about 60 to 70cm beyond each edge of the table. That way the back legs stay on the rug when someone pulls out a chair to sit down. If the rug is too small, chairs catch on the edge and it wears unevenly.
- Table for 4 to 6: 290x200 to 300x200cm
- Table for 6 to 8: 330x240cm and up
- Round table: a round rug 120cm wider than the table, for example a 240cm round under a 120cm table
Measure your table and add the clearance before you shop. The size guide has more detail, and our round rugs suit circular tables.
Pick a practical material and pile
- Best: low or short-pile polypropylene, or a flatweave. Chairs slide easily, crumbs vacuum out and spills spot clean
- Good: short-pile wool. It's warmer, spot cleans with mild soap and hides marks well, especially in a pattern
- Avoid: shag, which catches chair legs and hides crumbs, plus viscose and jute, which mark with water
Pattern helps
A mid-tone or patterned rug hides the small marks a dining room collects far better than plain cream or white.
Care
Blot spills straight away, working from the outside in, and spot clean if the fibre allows. Vacuum after meals with crumbs, and rotate the rug every six months. See care by material.
Keep it in place
A rug pad stops the rug shifting as chairs move and protects the floor underneath.
Still not sure?
Send us your room measurements, or a photo of the space, and we'll suggest sizes or style the rug into your room for free. Get in touch.
