Cozy Kitchen Rug Ideas

The kitchen is often the favorite and hardest working room in your home, but not the first place you may think of putting an area rug. A well-placed natural area rug, however, not only adds comfort and coziness to your kitchen, but also practicality and visual interest. 

Natural fiber area rugs are ideal for kitchens. Bamboo, wool and jute rugs are naturally fire resistant, and most cotton rugs are washable. 

Here are some cozy kitchen rug ideas to get you thinking. 

In front of your sink

Chances are you spend a lot of time standing in front of your kitchen sink, whether washing dishes or loading and unloading the dishwasher. Having a rug in front of the sink not only provides comfort and coziness underfoot, but also some protection for the floor beneath from water and other spills. Likewise, if you spend a lot of time in front of your oven, it's a great place for an area rug, too.

Tip: A rug in front of your kitchen sink (or oven) should be thick enough to add some cushion underfoot and should also be either washable or easy to clean. 

Beneath your dining table and chairs

Area rugs are perfect for defining zones, especially in open concept spaces, and work beautifully beneath your dining table and chairs. Used by itself or in addition to other kitchen rugs, an area rug beneath your dining area provides visual interest, as well as protection for the floor beneath the table and chairs.

Tip: A rug beneath the dining area of your kitchen should be large enough to go under the legs of all of the chairs when they're pulled out. And, like a rug in front of your sink, an area rug under your kitchen table and chairs should either be washable or easy to clean. 

In a galley kitchen

Galley style kitchens are by design long and narrow. A well-placed runner is a beautiful choice for adding coziness and the optical illusion of more width in what can appear to be a cramped space. A runner in a galley kitchen also adds visual interest and comfort underfoot.

Tip: To add the illusion of width to your galley kitchen, a runner should be wide enough so there's only a bit of floor exposed on either side and should not run the entire length of the kitchen. Using a runner that's too long and narrow can actually have the opposite affect, making your galley kitchen seem even longer and narrower. 

In front of the door 

If you can enter your home directly into the kitchen, an area rug in front of the door is a practical and visually enhancing addition. A rug in front of the kitchen door gives people a chance to either wipe their feet or remove their shoes before entering and adds a welcoming touch and some visual interest. 

Tip: A rug in front of a kitchen door should be as wide as the door - whether a single door or sliding door - and should be washable or easy to clean. In addition, choosing a rug with a rubber backing or adding a non-slip rug pad underneath is highly recommended. 

There are many ways to use area rugs in your cozy kltchen and these are just a few. Get creative! To make sure any natural rug you have your eye on for your kitchen is a practical choice, be sure to check out our blog post, All You Need to Know About Cleaning Your Natural Fiber Rug.