Rugs in the kitchen? Yes! Your kitchen helps nourish your body, so why not set it up to raise your sense of style? Adding a rug to your kitchen is a fun and unexpected way to extend your interior design style off the walls–and out of the living room.
But more than just looking good, an area rug in your kitchen can be a great way to add functionality and safety to one of the most important rooms of your home. Read on for tips on how to pick the best rug for your kitchen.
Durability
One of the primary motivators for putting a rug in your kitchen is to make it more comfortable. But nearly any rug material will add comfort to your kitchen floor, so it’s essential to ensure your rug is also durable.
When evaluating your kitchen rug’s durability, the first thing to consider is how well it stands up to getting wet. Most natural fiber rugs are resilient to occasional water splashes so that they will be suitable at home as kitchen rugs. But if your kitchen has poor ventilation and tends to become humid quickly, avoid natural fiber rugs and opt for an indoor/outdoor carpet instead.
The second consideration for rug durability relates to your kitchen rug’s tolerance for getting wet: How easy is cleaning? Sisal rugs, for example, are highly durable, but cleaning them can be a delicate procedure. And, while wool may be an excellent choice for comfort, wool rugs require a spot clean if something is spilled on them. If you plan on doing a lot of spilling or don’t have the patience to spot clean, polysilk rugs and polypropylene rugs are the easiest to clean.
Finally, consider how much foot traffic your rug will have to endure. A runner along the center of a galley kitchen will see a lot of foot traffic, so you can’t go wrong with a highly durable sisal rug or polypropylene rug for your kitchen. On the other hand, a carpet placed under a moveable island will probably be looked at more than it’s walked on, so a soft wool rug is a great option.
Non-slip
Kitchen floors are often the slickest floors in the house. Adding a rug to your kitchen can be a great way to keep a sure footing as you move around while making dinner–if done correctly.
In any room, one of the most significant rug hazards is slipping. This goes double for rugs in the kitchen. A carpet in your kitchen has the potential to act like a ski, effortlessly gliding over the smooth kitchen floor. Even when walking carefully with both feet on the rug, there is potential for slipping and sliding around on your kitchen rug.
To make sure your kitchen rug stays put, be sure to put a rug pad under it. A rug pad adds extra grip, which will help prevent slips. It is also helpful for making sure your kitchen rug stays precisely where you want it.
Get the correct size.
The rules for living room sizes don’t apply to kitchen rugs! While it’s a good idea to leave a few inches between the kitchen rug and the wall, less emphasis must be placed on making the kitchen feel larger. The primary aesthetic consideration for kitchen rug size is to have the rug’s border an equal distance from the wall along any side against a wall. If the carpet is more than 18″ from the wall or another rug on one side, this even spacing rule doesn’t come into play.
Another spacing concern has to do with safety. Even the most flame-resistant rugs are a potential fire hazard. Because of this, it’s always a good idea to leave plenty of space between your kitchen rug and your stove, refrigerator, and any other appliance that emits heat. While the risks are minimal, allowing 6″ of space will add more peace of mind.
The best rugs for any kitchen
Ensuring you have the right size rug for your kitchen is no concern. Our custom rugs can be ordered in any shape and size. Whether your kitchen is a rectangle, a square, an octagon, or something even more exotic, our custom rugs will fit right in.