Dining room rugs

The dining room rug is one of the most underrated pieces in the house. Its job is essential: it marks out the eating area, muffles the clatter of cutlery and chairs, protects the floor and brings real coherence to an open-plan room where the seating area and the dining area sit side by side. Chosen well, it makes an everyday meal feel warmer, and lends a little grandeur to a space that can otherwise feel purely practical.

What size for a dining room?

The fundamental rule: every chair must stay on the rug, even when pulled out. That means allowing at least 60-70 cm of rug all the way round the table. In practice:

• A table for four (120-140 cm): 200×300 cm
• A table for six (160-180 cm): 250×350 cm
• A table for eight to ten (200 cm and over): 300×400 cm or an extra-large format
• A round table: a round rug with at least 60 cm of extra radius

Which styles work

The dining room lends itself to bold patterns that give the room a rhythm. Short-pile oriental rugs have always belonged around the dining table: they are tough and easy to look after. Modern geometric rugs add a graphic note to understated furniture. Contemporary designer pieces suit a pared-back interior. For a rustic-chic mood, short-pile Berber-style rugs work beautifully.

Materials: the traps to avoid

The dining room is a high-risk room: sauce stains, crumbs, chairs scraping back and forth. Absolutely avoid long pile and delicate materials. Go for:

• Short-pile polypropylene: tough and easy to clean
• Designs with a dense short pile in high-density polypropylene: perfect for chairs sliding in and out
• Our machine-washable rugs: ideal for families

Colours: understated or bold?

Two schools again. The understated school: a plain beige, grey or taupe rug that melts into the scheme and lets the furniture speak. The bold school: a deep blue, a burgundy red or a high-contrast pattern that turns the dining area into a focal point. Either way, avoid tones that are too pale (pure white), which show every single mark.