How To Pick A Kitchen Rug That's Stylish And Easy To Clean

Carpeted kitchens are a nightmare waiting to happen, but a stylish area rug is the easiest way to give a boring kitchen a burst of new life. Whether you have old, boring flooring in need of an upgrade or just want something stylish to keep your toes warm while you sip your morning cup of joe, an area rug brings color, texture, and a touch of coziness to a space where many of us spend a lot of our down time relaxing alone or with loved ones.

When choosing a kitchen rug that's both stylish and practical, it's best to prioritize the practical first to winnow down your choices. You might love the colors and softness of a shaggy, fluffy rug, but having a high pile in an area where you prepare food is asking for trouble. Long fibers are perfect for catching crumbs and soaking up sticky messes, which are recipes for mold growth and attracting pests. Instead, go for a super-low, tight pile or woven options that are easy to spot clean and shake free of messy crumbs.

Something else to think about is the material. Indoor/outdoor rugs are a good choice since they're made of durable materials that can sometimes be hosed down or scrubbed. Rayon and other plastic fibers are also a durable choice; they're easy to brush or wipe clean and evoke the feeling of having a natural-fiber rug without the drawbacks of jute and sisal, which quickly become dingy, frayed, and prickly.

Once you narrow down your choices to a tight-woven cotton rug, or one of those trendy machine-washable types with a non-slip kitchen rug pad that makes your space safer, you can focus on colors and patterns. You might decide to snag a geometric design in a muted color that goes with your wallpaper, or have several rugs on seasonal rotation to honor the holidays or freshen things up in time for summer. Think botanical designs in warm colors for autumn, pine tree motifs for the winter holidays, florals for spring, and saturated tones for summer.

Of course, it's also important to blend your rug with the rest of your kitchen decor. If you have a mid-century modern space with lots of chrome and shiny teal appliances, a rug with a checkerboard design or curvy geometric patterns would be perfect. For a cottagecore-style kitchen, however, it's best to stick to botanical prints or rustic woven patterns in sage green, mineral blue, taupe, and other soft colors. 

It's easy to get swept up in the abundance of options available, but having a color palette or style to focus on helps you narrow things down. One final aspect to consider is how foot traffic in your kitchen can help dictate your rug's main colors. Kitchens are messy places, so it's probably best to stick to darker colors, such as navy, or neutrals, such as taupe and gray, since lighter colors become dingy much faster.