Charlotte and I are both in the midst of our kitchen makeovers and we’re looking forward to sharing the results with you soon. It may be rather ambitious but I only earmarked £500 for the whole project and so it’s definitely been a case of working with what I have. As the kitchen units had been installed on top of the original floor (with underfloor heating underneath), this has meant the dark slate floor has to stay.
In terms of what we’ve done so far, my Dad and James painted all the cupboards (I’ll go into this in much more detail in a later post to take you through the whole process and the products we’ve used), we’ve changed the lighting, added new trim to the top of one cupboard and will do the others imminently, we’ve replaced some of the handles and painted the walls. I’m hoping we can start retiling the splashback in the next week or so to add some pattern into the scheme.
These changes have made a dramatic difference to the kitchen. It feels lighter, brighter and more airy but the large dark floor still dominates and saps in the light bringing me on the subject of today’s post, kitchen rugs. Admittedly I’m still to add my kitchenalia so I know this is why the room feels a bit bare and I need to sort out if there’ll be any form of window treatment, however I still feel the space needs a bit of texture by means of a rug.
I’m a messy cook leaving the floor littered with crumbs so I’m not thinking of a rug to fill the entire space. From a safety aspect I’m not keen on the idea of tripping up on the corner while I’m armed with a sharp knife. Therefore I’m imagining I’ll avoid the perimeter of the worktops and instead find a non-slip floor covering to fill the area in front of the french doors and back of the peninsular unit.
For the style, I adore the look of an antique style Persian rug though they’re probably not quite right for our space. They are great for hiding stains though but blimey they can be pricey. However the lovely Lisa Dawson recently revamped her kitchen and bagged herself a stunner of a vintage rug from an eBay seller for just £120. There are some great Kurdish, Turkish and Persan replicas about
In our old garden I had an outdoor rug made from polypropylene which I used to hose down when it needed a good clean which could be a much more practical option especially if we’re coming and going from the garden. Wayfair have a big selection of indoor/outdoor rugs and I do like a simple grey one and the more ethnic ‘world’ rug made from recycled straws!
Though entirely impractical for a kitchen area my search has brought up a couple of beauties for other rooms such as the Urban Outfitter Tomkins Rug and the Maisons Du Monde Villandry Rug.
What’s your opinion on kitchen rugs? A bacteria breeding ground or a stylish statement? Please do let me know if you have any solutions to lighten up my floor.
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I love the look of a rug in the kitchen but not sure how practical it is. I’m constantly sweeping bits of food up from the kitchen floor which is easy to do when tiled – I think a rug would just get covered in muck!
However looking at your kitchen I think where you have suggested having one would work well as a bit more out of the way. Well done your kitchen is looking fab!
Thanks Carly – yes I suppose it would be more of a glorified door mat!
Those rugs undoubtedly look lovely but pretty much my next thought is ewww. Everything in my kitchen was to be scrubbable or machine washable.
Yep, definitely a scrubbable version. There are lots of machine washable rugs about but worried they’d be a bit flimsy
My first thought was also eeww! Those persian rugs definitely look lovely but I can just imagine what would get stuck in them – also in nearly all of the images they are on a wooden floor and for me that is in part why they work, building layers of textures which might look a bit jarring on your darker tile floor (just my opinion!)
On the other hand I can definitely see the indoor/outdoor rugs being a more practical option! I had no idea that was a thing!
Yeah indoor/outdoor ones are great. I’d like to get another one for the garden at this house.
I think rugs look soooo beautiful when you see them all styled in a fancy-pants interiors shot on Pinterest but in the real world, hmm… The amount of tut that ends up on my floor despite efforts to keep things relatively tidy when I’m cooking! And don’t even get me started on rugs under dining tables! : )
So true. Pinterest can be my nemesis sometimes!
All these images are gorgeous but yeah… no way would that work in our house! Im always horrified at the amount of crap we sweep up daily and was even before we had a little person adding to the mess.
yep I’m the same. So much round sweeping goes on near the units!
We have a small galley kitchen and have a small rug in the middle of it. When I say rug it is almost a cross between a light doormat and rug – it is quite thin but sturdy and has a nonslip backing. We have never had any problems with staining, mess or tripping on it. Handily it can go in the washing machine and dries quite quickly. It is just a black and grey striped number from B&Q but I have had a positive experience with a ‘rug’ in the kitchen.
Yay Claire. Glad to hear it!
Personally I love your kitchen floor as it is. I think the dark grey looks good. Your kitchen generally looks amazing. I wish mine looked like that!
On the subject of rugs in kitchens, in my book it’s a huge no no. Not only do I agree with the above comments about the dirt but the danger of tripping up is too great. I don’t know about you but my kitchen is about a third of the size of yours and I’m still having to sweep and wash the floor every few days. Imagine trying to do all that with a rug in the way. And imagine the food that could get stuck in it!
Thanks Kate. Really pleased with how it’s coming together with or without the rug!
I have one of the large Ikea jute rugs under my dining table to bring a bit of warmth to the area as the kitchen/diner is all wooden floor. I do get the ‘ewwwww’ factor however I have two sausage dogs that are literally like having my very own personal floor hoovers out constantly!! Maybe that’s your answer Lauren, get a dog?! 😉
I am on the look out for another kitchen type rug for what will be our new kitchen/diner/family room. We are in the process of packing up our entire house to move out this weekend into my parents, we are having an extension and the whole house gutted and refurbished. Our baby is due end of June, who said you can’t do everything at once?! My Dad is the builder so he better pull his socks up (or should that be boots up?!) x
Can I ask with your IKEA jute, we’ve just got one for under our table but when we got it home and unravelled it it smelt really musty and damp? Did you find that and it was wears off once it’s aired or do I take it back? We’ve had it two days and I would say it’s settling a bit but not sure if it’s right or not? X
I don’t remember ours smelling musty or damp? Knowing what I’m like I would have complained if it had!! It may have been were it was stored?
Ahh Jenna what an exciting and busy time for you. Best of luck with everything.
I have that Ikea jute rug in the snug and really like it x
Thank you Lauren! 🙂 x
Ok, I’m just going to say it – since the bra year there’s only been 2 non DIY posts and I’m really really missing the variety. I thought this week would be different since last week was DIY week…
Sorry to hear that Mel. Hopefully next week’s schedule will be more up your street x
Lauren your kitchen is lovely and I can’t wait to hear about how you painted your doors as we’re debating painting ours or buying new doors. They’re IKEA door and a laminate type wood effect but I hate them! We’re hoping our house gets more or less finished this year but the cupboards may not.
Anyway rugs, we have just bought a large Ikea jute for under the table as or kitchen is open plan however the rug is slightly bigger than I though and as our table doesn’t sit in the middle of the rug I’m wondering whether it works or not! We have an open galley kitchen and currently have two washable rugs from dunelm in the middle of the units so they’re not up close to where crumbs and bits spill. I was going to get a long jute for there too but maybe that’s too much Jute? IKEA had another rug that was a hard wearing one which I debated and not sure whether I made the right choice now! Do you think they would take the big jute back within a week if it’s been unravelled? I’m always nervous! Just to swap it? I do love rugs! Iv just ordered the la redoute rug of Instagram while it was in the sale lol! There’s a rug everywhere even the bathroom haha!! X
I am a serial-returner so I’d always say it’s worth a try. I think I’ve only ever been declined a return once x
If the item wasn’t fit for purpose then you are entitled to an exchange or your money back.
Google ‘reverse burden of proof’ – too complicated to explain here but basically anything that goes wrong with an item within 6 months can’t be blamed on the customer (unless of course it was bought knowing there was a fault). I worked for trading standards a long while back and it’s amazing how many shop staff don’t know the sale of goods act so always worth knowing your rights!
If the item wasn’t fit for purpose then you are entitled to an exchange or your money back.
Google ‘reverse burden of proof’ – too complicated to explain here but basically anything that goes wrong with an item within 6 months can’t be blamed on the customer (unless of course it was bought knowing there was a fault). I worked for trading standards a long while back and it’s amazing how many shop staff don’t know the sale of goods act so always worth knowing your rights!
I love seeing kitchens styled with a rug, but in reality I think it would be a hygiene nightmare. That said, Beija Flor sell some vinyl mats that are wipe clean and adhere to a tiled floor (so no tripping). The patterns are beautiful too. http://www.beijaflorworld.com/?v=88588bacf0da
Thanks Tracy, the ‘Mountain’ one may really work with the tiles I’m planning x
I think the pictures look lovely but I don’t think a rug would be for me just due to the impracticality and also I don’t think my kitchen would be able to pull it off. Although that being said we are considering a rug under our dining table, lots of people have carpeted dining rooms so hopefully wont be an issue. Personally, I think the flooring in your kitchen is gorgeou, such a nice contrast with the walls and units. Your kitchen is a really good size with the big back door and island area so I think you could pull it off. Loving all the house inspo this week too ladies, spurring me on to get cracking, we are approaching our year house anniversary and desperate to finish a bit more before then. Good to know it can be done on a budget too! x
So pleased to hear you’re liking the house inspiration. Good luck with your pad x
Hey Lauren! The great thing about rugs is that they are nice and easy to move! ? get one in – if you hate it, get it out. Sometimes you have to have a go Eh!
Very good point Jo!
It’s looking great! Also just to say I am really enjoying the DIY posts! I’d be really interested to hear your take on the Howden kitchen i.e. how the doors were to paint, how sturdy the units are etc etc – we are in the process of choosing which company to use for our new kitchen. Obviously the dream is Devol but the reality of our budget and the fact we won’t be in our house forever means we are looking considerably less bespoke! xx
Thanks India, I’ll definitely cover more in the post, but I’m really impressed with the sturdiness of the units. Did you see my Insta the other day? My friend has an English Furniture Company kitchen which is an absolute dream! x
Has anyone tried painting over tiles, we are looking into this as an option to lighten our kitchen floor, but not sure what the finish will be like?
Hi Liz, I haven’t painted tiles before just wooden floors. I’d be a bit worried the constant washing, brushing and hoovering would lift off the paint?
The kitchen is looking great! Looking forward to the post on painting the cupboards as I would love to do this one day in our kitchen. I’m with the other comments that love the look but not sure on practicality. I have two small children and my dyson comes out at least three times a day. My son is still only crawling and it’s embarrassing how he can get grubby from the floor even when I am the most anal about cleaning it. I just don’t think it would ever be clean no matter how easy it is to look after. And I personally love the dark floor. It’s a really nice contrast to the bright cupboards. Looking forward to an update! We re-tiled our splashback and were so happy with how much difference a small change can make.
Thanks Lauren (excellent name by the way). I’m thinking we’ll tile the splashback, possibly with Fired Earth Waverley tiles and then make the call on the rug then. As like you say the tiling can make a big difference x
They look lovely in those pics, but in real life – definitely no. Especially if you have pets/kids/are a messy cook! It could look good under a dining table in a kitchen to mark out that area…but again probably only if you don’t have little people (or husbands?!) dropping more than they consume. I need a second house that can be Pintrest worthy just to visit every so often but not actually live in. Pale sofas without grubby finger marks – one can dream!
Ha ha, maybe we need to do an ‘in real life – no’ post! x
Hi Lauren, your kitchen is looking great. Have you thought about a vinyl tile rug-Graham &a Green do some. They would add some colour but are also wipe clean so good for messy cooking! Here’s the link:http://www.grahamandgreen.co.uk/vinyl
I spotted them a while ago and am just trying to work out if I can get one in my bathroom…. xx
Oooh lovely. Yes, would be fab for a bathroom too because you can give it a good scrub! x
Hi Lauren, we ahve a very similar mat to the beija one in our hall; i currently use it to park the buggy on to protect the grey wood flooring from the filth that the buggy drags in. I’m really predantic about hoovering- it doesn’t help that I have a black pug and pale floors so baby mess and fur is a constant mightmare. Mine was from cox and cox a couple of years ago. I love it to bits and like you adore Lisa Dawson’s kitchen rug, but the rug from my hall would probably drive me nuts in the kitchen. It’s not too slippy but all the little bits of grot and dirt end up being under your feet, so I basically end up getting the dyson out maybe 4 times a day to get the muck off it. Sad, I know. Good luck with it though. I love the DIY posts, so keep it up. I know everyone has their own fave but I much prefer all the home styling to beauty posts! xx
Hello – bit late to the party, but have you thought about a Dash and Albert rug? They are polypropolene, but don’t feel plasticy at all, quite soft and flexible. They come in lots of different colours and patterns and are completely hose-able and scrub-able so perfect for spills in the kitchen. I’m sure there are many retailers, but I know that you can get them from Design Vintage and Lottie Mutton (both online, but with physical stores too if you happen to live near to either). I think it’s wise to steer clear of the main walkways in the kitchen – i’d be worried about the trip hazard too.
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