Dining Room Floor Finishes

Floor Finishes

• Hardwood Flooring
• Stone
• Carpet - I love to see an area rug underneath the table (and on top of the carpet) to keep it from staining. Actually all of the above floor finishes would benefit from the use of an area rug over them and under the table.

Area Rugs

If you have a wood or a stone floor in the Dining Room, an area rug is ideal to make the room warmer looking and cute down on noise. An area rug will also reinforce the fact that the table is the focal point of the room.

I think this is a beautiful Dining Room, but I think it would feel
much warmer if the owners had placed an area rug underneath the table and chairs.

When selecting a rug for under the table, keep the following pointers in mind:

• An area rug under a table that has a multicolored pattern will help hide spills from the table.
• It is generally better to get an all-over patterned rug or a rug with a pattern on the borders, rather than one that has a center medallion design, which will be hidden by the table.
• The chairs should remain on the rug, even when pulled back from the table. To determine the size rug you need - take the dimensions of the table and add 4' to each. Example: A 4' x 6' table would need at least a 8' x 10' rug in order for there to be at least 2' of rug around the table for the chairs.
• It will actually make a room seem larger to have a large area rug in it, rather than a smaller one.

Area Rug Fibers

Most rugs used to be made of wool, which is a great fiber, except for moths and the cost (very expensive!). Now there are several synthetic fibers available that have the look of wool. Natural fibers are also being used more often in the Dining Room.

• Nylon is probably the most popular fiber for carpets and area rugs. It really has the look of wool without the trouble.
• Acrylic is used often and is stain resistant and bounces back.
• Olefin is an inexpensive fiber alternative to nylon. Very stain resistant!
• Cotton is popular for more casual rugs, but typically does not have much pile height as the cotton fibers don't bounce back very well.
• Natural Fibers (jute, sisal, etc.) are very popular, but more casual and will stain.
• Wool is still used, particularly in area rugs. Wool will last a lifetime, if taken care of.