Choosing the Best Rug for Your Dining Space

The dining room. The place where conversations linger over a home-cooked meal with friends and the family gathers for special occasions. Or in the case of my family, a place to catch up weekly on the happenings of each family member. I love the gathering each week in my home and I want our dining room to be a special space that is functional yet comfortable.

A rug in a dining room can be the one thing that makes a room feel cozier and inviting. A rug tends to add warmth in a room that is typically filled with basic wood furniture, clean lines and very little soft features. A rug has the ability to pull together colors, styles and shapes. It is very important to choose the correct size of a rug for your dining space. 

Follow these easy steps to ensure that the right size rug is purchased and placed correctly in the room.

1. Measure the size of the dining table. Remember to add the size of the leaves if you have those.
2. Add at least 30” to length and width of your table measurements to allow for chairs to be on the rug. This also allows room for chairs to stay on rug when pulled out from under table.
3. The rug needs to be centered in the room.
4. Place the rug directly under the table with equal space showing on each side of table.
5. To create symmetry, it is best to purchase a rug that is the same shape as your dining table.
6. For best results, we recommend a round rug for a round table and a rectangle rug for a rectangle table.
7. Don’t skimp on your rug size. If your room can handle these sizes, by all means, purchase at least these sizes. For a dining table that seats 6, purchase an 8 x 10 rug. For a dining table that seats 8 or more, purchase a 9 x 12 rug. The exceptions could be if your table fits on the suggestions discussed in point #2.

 There are a few other things to consider when purchasing a rug for your dining room. Choose “easy to clean” options such as a low pile rug or even an outdoor-safe rug. And to prevent movement or wrinkling of your rug, add a rug pad underneath.

For more tips and inspiration for your dining room, visit one of our favorite vendors, Surya and be sure and watch this short video on rug placement in your home.