What is the best rug for under your dining room table?

Decorating your home is a long, careful process. You want to curate an aesthetic in your home that speaks to who you are and what you care about. Everything, from your color choices to your use of accent rugs, makes a statement to the people who come into your home. 

For many families, the dining room table acts as the heart of the home. For this reason, it’s especially important to ensure the dining space looks just right. Adding a rug under the dining table can infuse the space with warmth. 

Here’s what you need to know about finding the best area rug for beneath your dining room table. 

Is a dining room rug necessary? 

Putting a rug in your dining room is a personal choice. However, there are a number of practical reasons to choose to put a rug in your dining room. 

One reason to choose a rug is that it can protect your flooring. If you have high-quality wood or tile floors, keeping them in peak condition can improve the resale value of your home. Rugs prevent your chairs from scraping the floor as they slide in and out. 

Rugs also provide texture and warmth in your dining room, making it feel warm, cozy, and inviting. And because they help muffle sounds, you don’t have to worry about your room echoing during conversations. Instead, the voices will stay where they belong: within the conversation, and not bouncing around your home. 

What material is best for a dining room rug? 

There are two major factors to consider when it comes to your dining room rug: durability and ease of cleaning. 

Next to stair rugs, dining room rugs receive some of the hardest traffic in your home. With chairs constantly scraping over the rug and kids scuffing their feet beneath the table, you need a rug prepared to stand up to the rigors of your family’s lifestyle.

To choose the best rug you will need to consider the material used to create it, there are many strong, durable and stain resistant fibers that can adjust with ease to your dining room. However, wool is the most durable material for a dining room rug.

Wool rugs can be used on any hard surface such as hardwood, tile or linoleum floors, and it has a natural oil called lanolin, which repels stains and resists dirt. Wool is a natural choice if you are concerned with finding a practical solution for the dining room rug.

You also want to consider how hard the rug will be to clean. Spilled food and beverages are a given in the dining room. So skip the expensive silk rugs or thick, fluffy rugs in favor of low-pile rugs that will be easy to vacuum or scrub in a pinch.

Wool, jute, or polypropylene rugs are durable and easy to clean—perfect for the rigors of your dining room. 

How do I choose the rug size for under my dining table? 

When you’re selecting a rug size for your dining room, there’s only one rule to keep in mind: bigger is better. 

If your rug is too small, chairs will trip over it as they are pushed out and in. By going with an oversized rug, you can fully encompass your chairs and table, allowing the rug to accentuate your room without ever becoming cumbersome. 

A good general rule is to choose a dining room rug that is four feet wider and longer than your table. When you’re measuring your table, remember to include the size of your table with the leaves in so that the rug works when your table is extended as well. The four-foot rule gives you a wide enough margin on each side of the table for chairs to move comfortably. 

Ideally, your dining room rug will also be at least six inches away from any sideboards. But if you have to choose between a rug that is slightly too large for your table or slightly too small, go with too large. As long as the rug fits in your room and your table and chairs can be centered on it, there are no consequences to going too big. But if you go too small, you run the risk of your rug rolling up every time a guest pushes a chair in the wrong way. 

You also want to consider the shape of your rug. Usually, a rectangular rug beneath a rectangular table works well. But if you have a square or round table, you can be more creative with rug shapes. Although pairing similar shapes together, such as a round rug with a round table, is a safe choice, you can sometimes get away with creative pairings, such as a square rug with a round table. The key is to still ensure the rug is large enough for the space while also leaning into your personal preferences. 

How do I choose the best color or pattern for under my dining room table? 

While it’s important to choose a dining room rug that accentuates the tones already present in your room, remember the location of your rug when choosing its color and pattern. Food will likely fall on the rug repeatedly. Covering up these spills and stains should be a major factor when choosing the right rug color for your room. 

If you want a solid-colored rug, choose a dark tone like chocolate brown or smoky grey. These darker colors will do a better job hiding fallen food than light colors. 

But to really make the most of your dining room rug, consider choosing a pattern. Patterned rugs can bring some accent colors into your room, while their busier appearance can better disguise spills and stains than solid rugs alone. 

Take a picture of your dining room and upload it to our rug color finder and find the perfect match to create the most outstanding spaces

Enjoy high-quality dining room rugs today

At Rugs Done Right, we believe that you don’t have to have a fortune to create a beautiful home. We offer a variety of affordable rugs in different colors, patterns, and styles to meet your needs. Shop online for the best rug for your home, and feel free to contact us at any time for answers to your product or pricing questions.