Add Warmth and Personality to Your Kitchen With a Runner
See why these rugs are an excellent choice for the kitchen and get the lowdown on which types to look for
Throwing down an area rug is a great way to bring warmth, colour and personality to any room in the home, especially those with hard floors that can benefit from a little softening. For this reason, a runner rug can make a great addition to your kitchen – yes, your kitchen – as long as you approach it the right way, and you’re committed to staying on top of any spills and splatters.
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Besides adding visual warmth and softness, a rug also adds literal softness, giving you something cushy to stand on while cooking or preparing meals.
A little bit of extra cushioning under the feet can make a big difference if you spend a lot of time standing in one spot chopping, stirring or even just chatting.
Of course, you’ll want to be prepared to react quickly to any drips, crumbs and splatters, so make sure you know how to deal with various food stains. There are other methods of handling spills as well, such as going with a flat-weave versus a shag rug and sticking to darker colour palettes like red.
A little bit of extra cushioning under the feet can make a big difference if you spend a lot of time standing in one spot chopping, stirring or even just chatting.
Of course, you’ll want to be prepared to react quickly to any drips, crumbs and splatters, so make sure you know how to deal with various food stains. There are other methods of handling spills as well, such as going with a flat-weave versus a shag rug and sticking to darker colour palettes like red.
Rugs add colour
If you’re looking to add a splash of colour to your kitchen, sometimes the options can be quite limited. Painting the cabinets a bold colour can feel risky (especially for those highly concerned with resale value).
And if you’re renting? Say goodbye to your bond if you paint those white or wood cabinets fuchsia.
Instead, look to a slim runner rug as a design-savvy way to add a dose of vibrant colour in whatever daring hue you choose.
Redecorating your interiors? Find a designer near you for expert help finding the perfect palette and pieces
If you’re looking to add a splash of colour to your kitchen, sometimes the options can be quite limited. Painting the cabinets a bold colour can feel risky (especially for those highly concerned with resale value).
And if you’re renting? Say goodbye to your bond if you paint those white or wood cabinets fuchsia.
Instead, look to a slim runner rug as a design-savvy way to add a dose of vibrant colour in whatever daring hue you choose.
Redecorating your interiors? Find a designer near you for expert help finding the perfect palette and pieces
If you want a more subtle infusion of color, look to multi-tonal rugs, such as classic Persian styles in appetising ruddy reds and oranges. The more colours in the rug, the less any single hue will stand out, so the effect will be simultaneously more colourful and more neutral.
The best part? You can always roll the rug up and tuck it away if you want to change your kitchen’s look for the season or occasion, creating summer and winter looks that feel dramatically different.
The best part? You can always roll the rug up and tuck it away if you want to change your kitchen’s look for the season or occasion, creating summer and winter looks that feel dramatically different.
Take this space as a perfect example of how a rug can ‘colour’ a room. This kitchen appears to have a strong presence of blue, but on close inspection the only blue items are the rug and the bowls on the island.
Look for a few accessories that pull from the primary colour in your rug and – voila! – you’ve got a colorful kitchen.
Look for a few accessories that pull from the primary colour in your rug and – voila! – you’ve got a colorful kitchen.
Rugs add pattern and personality
Designers know that an important element to consider in any decor is pattern. Whether dramatic or subtle, a dose of pattern adds important energy and personality to a room, even without introducing any colour.
In a transitional cooking space or country-inspired kitchen, look to rugs with a geometric pattern in a tone-on-tone palette to add some life while preserving a serene atmosphere.
Designers know that an important element to consider in any decor is pattern. Whether dramatic or subtle, a dose of pattern adds important energy and personality to a room, even without introducing any colour.
In a transitional cooking space or country-inspired kitchen, look to rugs with a geometric pattern in a tone-on-tone palette to add some life while preserving a serene atmosphere.
For a contemporary and dramatic approach, a simple black-and-white stripe always feels stylish.
For more traditional or eclectic appeal, look to complex ornamental patterns in time-tested palettes to add a sense of sophistication and maturity. Here, the owners of this kitchen have doubled up their runners, and to great effect.
For more traditional or eclectic appeal, look to complex ornamental patterns in time-tested palettes to add a sense of sophistication and maturity. Here, the owners of this kitchen have doubled up their runners, and to great effect.
How to Choose a Kitchen Rug
Look for a flat, dense weave
While a luxurious shag rug can be beautiful, it’s the kind of rug that’s hard enough to keep clean in a living room, let alone a kitchen. In a space where spills, crumbs and a lot of wear and tear are inevitable, your best bet is a tight, flat weave.
Look for a carpet that has short, dense fibres, which will essentially lock out soil and hold up to use.
Look for a flat, dense weave
While a luxurious shag rug can be beautiful, it’s the kind of rug that’s hard enough to keep clean in a living room, let alone a kitchen. In a space where spills, crumbs and a lot of wear and tear are inevitable, your best bet is a tight, flat weave.
Look for a carpet that has short, dense fibres, which will essentially lock out soil and hold up to use.
When you run your hand over a tight-weave rug, you shouldn’t be able to feel many individual fibres or yarns, but rather a solid surface of tight material.
One way to examine the density of a rug is to pick it up and bend it on the diagonal. If the rows of fibres are loosely spaced, the channels in between them will be revealed when bent, and these channels are where dirt can take up residence.
One way to examine the density of a rug is to pick it up and bend it on the diagonal. If the rows of fibres are loosely spaced, the channels in between them will be revealed when bent, and these channels are where dirt can take up residence.
Synthetic fibres
Polyester, nylon and other synthetic fibers have some advantages and some disadvantages.
Polyester, nylon and other synthetic fibers have some advantages and some disadvantages.
- Polyester: Polyester resists water well, making it a great choice for a short rug near the sink. However, polyester absorbs oils, meaning you’ll want to keep a polyester runner a good distance from a bubbling pot of spaghetti sauce.
- Nylon: Nylon doesn’t have as much trouble with oil as polyester does, but it has a bit of a tendency to fade in the sun. A nylon runner can work well tucked behind an island, where direct sunlight won’t hit it. Or you can embrace the fact that the colour will change over time (more on that in a bit).
- Olefin: This material is great for creating a look similar to wool and is popular for outdoor rugs because it’s able to weather the elements. However, it doesn’t necessarily hold up well to heavy traffic, so if you spend a lot of time working in the kitchen, it might not last.
Keep in mind that a rug that resists water won’t save the floor below from major spills or cause dirt to vanish, so you’ll still want to react quickly to messes and give the rug regular gentle cleanings.
Spotted! Rugs Take the Floor in Kitchens
Natural fibres
There are many natural fibres that can be used for a rug, but some are more common than others.
There are many natural fibres that can be used for a rug, but some are more common than others.
- Wool: Wool is perhaps the best overall material for a rug, being naturally hardy, comfortable and good at repelling soil. It also dyes well, allowing for rich hues. However, these properties come with a higher price tag than most synthetics.
- Jute and sisal: These rugs are less plush and inviting than wool, but their rugged, durable textures can be appealing in their own right. The stiff, grassy fibres have a strong beach-inspired vibe and, while not soft on toes, they can be especially good for those who tend to wear footwear inside the home.
While it’s important to carefully consider the material of the rug, there are a few other strategic ways to extend the life of a rug in the kitchen.
Complex patterns
Besides beautifying your home, bringing some colour and pattern into your runner also helps disguise wear and tear, as well as the occasional small discolouration. This is especially true of rugs with a complex pattern that includes a variety of shapes on a smaller scale, as they can camouflage stains to some degree, no matter the colour.
Besides beautifying your home, bringing some colour and pattern into your runner also helps disguise wear and tear, as well as the occasional small discolouration. This is especially true of rugs with a complex pattern that includes a variety of shapes on a smaller scale, as they can camouflage stains to some degree, no matter the colour.
Hot hues
You know what they say: if you can’t beat, ’em, join ’em. Two of the biggest culprits in kitchen stains are tomato sauce and red wine. If you have a bad spill (especially one that isn’t immediately detected), you may find a permanent red spot that can be cleaned but never fully erased.
A rug that already focuses on shades of red is much less likely than a more subdued hue to show these vivid stains, so if you like these rich foods, consider brick reds or another dark colour.
Your Guide to a Sparkling Clean Kitchen
You know what they say: if you can’t beat, ’em, join ’em. Two of the biggest culprits in kitchen stains are tomato sauce and red wine. If you have a bad spill (especially one that isn’t immediately detected), you may find a permanent red spot that can be cleaned but never fully erased.
A rug that already focuses on shades of red is much less likely than a more subdued hue to show these vivid stains, so if you like these rich foods, consider brick reds or another dark colour.
Your Guide to a Sparkling Clean Kitchen
Pre-worn styles
Runners that are either true vintage pieces or recreate the look with pre-faded or pre-worn areas take the preciousness and fussiness out of the equation, starting you off with a look that’s already perfectly imperfect, meaning a little wear and tear won’t ruin anything.
Runners that are either true vintage pieces or recreate the look with pre-faded or pre-worn areas take the preciousness and fussiness out of the equation, starting you off with a look that’s already perfectly imperfect, meaning a little wear and tear won’t ruin anything.
Sizing and placement
Lastly, let’s talk about how to choose a rug’s size and placement. Luckily, it’s a lot harder to go wrong in a kitchen than in some other spaces, especially if you choose a runner that’s significantly longer than it is wide.
Lastly, let’s talk about how to choose a rug’s size and placement. Luckily, it’s a lot harder to go wrong in a kitchen than in some other spaces, especially if you choose a runner that’s significantly longer than it is wide.
In a living room or dining room, the rug needs to suit the proportion of numerous other furnishings, but in a kitchen it can float between your cabinets or be pushed up against one wall, run the length of the cabinets or simply fill a small area like a mat.
For more contemporary spaces or a very formal home, having the rug crisply line up with elements will give a tailored look, but in a more transitional or casual space there are really no rules on length providing the dimensions are functional and it doesn’t extend beyond the kitchen itself.
For more contemporary spaces or a very formal home, having the rug crisply line up with elements will give a tailored look, but in a more transitional or casual space there are really no rules on length providing the dimensions are functional and it doesn’t extend beyond the kitchen itself.
Another good option is to aim to have the floor area around the sides and ends of the rug about the same sizes for a symmetrical and balanced look.
Having a runner sit a little away from the cabinetry units will keep many drips and crumbs from actually reaching the rug – assuming they fall off your benchtop and aren’t flung.
Having a runner sit a little away from the cabinetry units will keep many drips and crumbs from actually reaching the rug – assuming they fall off your benchtop and aren’t flung.
Tucking a rug up against one particular area where more work happens gives you a cosy spot to stand, especially around the sink or a chopping station (which tends to be less of a site for oil drips than near the stove).
As you can see here, this rug looks natural in scale, even though it’s far from being as wide as the island. If a runner seems a bit small once you get it home, consider tucking it up to one area as a visual fix.
As you can see here, this rug looks natural in scale, even though it’s far from being as wide as the island. If a runner seems a bit small once you get it home, consider tucking it up to one area as a visual fix.
Want to cover a large area? Don’t be afraid to combine several runners in the same room or adjacent spaces. Choosing two rugs that pick up on similar palettes and shapes will help them connect, but they don’t necessarily have to be exactly the same to be beautiful together.
In fact, if you like an eclectic or casually chic look, you can go ahead and use two rugs that are completely different. Try pulling in rugs from other spaces, or making use of a company’s return policy to test out the look of a rug (or two) in your kitchen to see if the look is right for you. You might be surprised at just how different, and more welcoming, your kitchen will look.
In fact, if you like an eclectic or casually chic look, you can go ahead and use two rugs that are completely different. Try pulling in rugs from other spaces, or making use of a company’s return policy to test out the look of a rug (or two) in your kitchen to see if the look is right for you. You might be surprised at just how different, and more welcoming, your kitchen will look.
Your turn
Have you placed a runner in your kitchen to great effect? Tell us your tips for choosing the perfect size, style and colour in the Comments below. And while you’re at it, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Join the conversation.
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Have you placed a runner in your kitchen to great effect? Tell us your tips for choosing the perfect size, style and colour in the Comments below. And while you’re at it, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Join the conversation.
More
Tackling some home improvements? Don’t miss 5 Pesky Problems Around the House and How to Fix Them
Kitchens tend to have a lot of hard surfaces (cabinetry, benchtops, appliances and hardware), and they can benefit from the softness of rugs.
If your kitchen seems a little too much like a workspace, a soft, tactile runner can help it feel more like a welcoming part of the home, especially if you have rugs or carpeting in adjacent rooms.