The right rug for your dining room can add warmth and style to your dining room and make the dining table more prominent than ever. Before you go on and buy handmade rugs for your dining room, there are some things you be careful about. Let’s how to select a dining room rug correctly.
Rug Size
You should start with the size so the search for the right rug is easier. You don’t want to select a pattern only to find out that the rug is not available in your desired size.
The rug should cover the dining table and the chairs pulled out. If the rug is shorter and only covers the dining table, it will appear bad. Moreover, if the rug only covers the chairs pulled in, when you’ll pull out the chairs, the first two legs of the chair will be on the rug while the other two won’t be. It can become a tripping hazard.
So, measure the size of the table and add 24-30 inches to it so the rug extends enough that chairs stay on it even when they are pulled out. You can even increase the length to a few more inches if your dining space is big enough and there will still be some space between the rug and the walls and nearby furniture if you use a larger rug.
The Material
You should focus on rug materials that are easy to clean. That’s because you’re buying a rug for the dining room so it would be impossible to avoid spills and messes on the rug.
Another reason for the importance of the material is that the rug may require replacement more frequently than other rugs in your house like the bedroom because of the same reason of spills and frequent cleaning. So, the material should be durable but should not be too costly. You don’t want to spend your whole month’s savings on the rug.
Avoid silk and faux fur rugs because they are the hardest to clean. Choose these materials for your dining room area rug.
- Wool: Wool rugs are durable and resistant to stains. However, they can shed heavily, especially in their first six months. If you prefer wool but want to save money, look for machine-made wool rugs instead of handmade wool rugs.
- Cotton: Cotton is inexpensive yet durable. It’s not resistant to stains but cotton rugs are a breeze when it comes to cleaning and can be perfect for your dining room.
- Seagrass: Seagrass rugs have a coarse texture but are easy to clean. Moreover, seagrass is a natural material and highly durable.
- Synthetic: Rugs made of nylon, polypropylene, or viscose are called synthetic rugs. They are water and stain-resistant. Synthetic rugs are low-cost and easy to clean because you can put them in a washer for cleaning.
So, if you’re after durability and don’t mind maintaining the rug, choose wool rugs. However, if you need a rug that’s easy to clean and inexpensive then focus on cotton, nylon, and polypropylene rugs. You can also find rugs that are made with both natural and synthetic materials. They are also durable and affordable.
Pile Height
Apart from the material, the pile height of a rug impacts its maintenance as well. Pile means the height of the material from the foundation to the top of the rug. However, some also refer to the pile height as the density of the rug material.
Rugs with a higher pile height are more comfortable and appear fuller. On the other hand, low pile rugs appear flat and are also called flat weave rugs.
When choosing a rug for your dining room, you should select a medium to low pile height because they are easier to clean than long pile rugs. Spills and food particles will be trapped more easily in long pile rugs and make the cleaning and vacuuming process difficult. Moreover, you should never get a shag rug for your dining room because the cleaning will become a headache.
So, choose rugs that have a height lower than ¼ inches if you want a low pile rug, and a height of ¼ to ½ inches for a medium pile rug. Never go for the pile height of ½ to ¾ inches for dining room rugs.
Other than the benefit of cleaning, low pile and flat weave rugs last longer than longer pile rugs.
The Shape Of The Rug
Many people consider it a rule that they must select a rug of the same shape as their dining table. It means if you have a round table, you should choose a round rug, and for a rectangular table, a rectangular rug. This creates harmony in the décor and appear beautiful.
However, you should always not limit yourself to this rule. You can select a square or rectangular rug for a round or square-shaped table. The shape is also influenced by the size of the dining room. You can choose a larger round rug for a square-shaped table to create a bold impact in a larger space.
Colors And Patterns
The color and pattern of the rug is the most prominent part of a rug because the color is noticed instantly compared to the pile height and material of a rug. To create the best effect, you should consider the color scheme of the furniture, dining room walls, and the color of the table and chairs and choose a color that complements them or choose anything contrasting and bolder.
If you want to choose a practical rug color, go for darker colors and patterns because spills and spots won’t be noticeable on a dark-colored patterned rug. Light colors are excellent because they settle well with various kinds of colors but they are required to be cleaned more often due to the high visibility of spills on them.
Moreover, when choosing a patterned rug, select a repetitive pattern because they don’t have a central point in them so you can place the table and chairs on them without making the space appear disproportioned. However, if you choose a pattern that features a medallion, the table should be always under it precisely otherwise, the décor will appear disproportioned.
Cost Of The Rug
The material and how the rug is made impact the cost of a rug. A handmade wool rug will cost more than a machine-made wool rug. Moreover, a machine-made wool rug will be higher in price compared to a machine-made nylon rug of the same size.
Moreover, the region where the rug was made has an impact on the price as well. A wool rug made in Iran (Persia) will cost more than a rug made here in the US because the shipping costs will be added to the total as well as increasing its cost. Moreover, Persian rugs are popular so their cost is on the higher end.
Conclusion
Your dining room rug should be easy to clean so you should choose a low-maintenance material and go for a low pile height rug. Plus, select dark colors that will hide the spills more easily. To save costs, you should choose synthetic rugs, but if you can spend some money, don’t shy away from traditional rugs VA.
