What's under your dining table is just as important as what's on top. Dining room flooring can be tricky — it needs to be practical, but in a room that usually has fewer accessories and spots for personality, the flooring is one of the few major elements that can define the look.

Bare hardwood floors, plush Oriental rugs, natural fibers and tile combinations are all well suited for traditional dining rooms. Check out these designs to see which type of flooring might suit your own traditional dining room.

by Marlene Wangenheim AKBD, CAPS, Allied Member ASID »

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Oriental rugs are a classic choice for a traditional dining room. This rug is hand knotted with wool and cotton fibers, making it a one-of-a kind addition to this home. Be careful to choose the right size: Your rug should be large enough that when you push every chair back from the table, all the legs stay on the rug.

by Jamison Howard »

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Oriental rugs are often associated with bright, bold colors and prints, but that doesn't have to be the case. For a neutral palette, lighter-tone or bleached rugs are a great classic option.

See how to pair patterns with an Oriental rug

by Highland Homes, Inc. »

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A bold-colored patterned rug can help define a space, give it pizzazz and create a vivid color scheme. When putting a rug with brighter colors near a light source, rotate the rug every six months or so. Persian and Oriental rugs only look better as they become timeworn and faded, but rotating them keeps the colors even.

by Buchanan Photography »

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Natural-fiber rugs are a wonderful choice for a traditional dining room, and they work well in both more casual and more formal rooms. Not only do natural fibers offer a subtle contrast to the color of the floor, but their texture adds depth to the room. Because texture is one of the last things the eye notices, having it on the floor makes a neutral palette seem complex and sophisticated. Bonus: Textured materials are great for hiding stains.

by Dewson Construction Company »

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The combination of tile and hardwood in this space creates a geometric and eye-catching rug-like pattern without actually having a rug in the space. Keeping bare floors under a dining table — especially in a home with children — is a practical choice that makes clean-up easier. Tile is an especially durable and functional choice, and the mixture of materials makes for a room that is unique.

by Christy Dillard Kratzer »

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For a layered flooring look, try mixing materials throughout the adjoining spaces. The cool, crisp stone in the foyer of this home is a stark and appealing contrast to the warm, rich hardwoods. The rug blends the two materials and colors, making the room pleasing to the eye and creating cohesiveness throughout the living areas.

by Veranda Homes »

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When you're in doubt, bare and beautiful hardwood floors are always a great choice for a dining room. Apart from bare floors being an easy-to-clean solution for an oft-used, crumb-collecting space, their color adds warmth and a welcoming touch.

by Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech »

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Painted floors are an ideal choice for the warmth and color of a rug combined with the ease and charm of hardwood floors. Using similar tones to those of the walls and furniture gives a uniformity and flow to the room, while opposing colors on the floor adds interest. Rolling your hardwood floors with a bold color can be an inexpensive and dramatic choice for refinishing damaged hardwood floors.

Browse more traditional home design photos »

Comments

adelya I have a question. How do you bleach a rug or a carpet? Thanks to your idea book I had an inspiration, looked on Internet, everybody talk about cleaning... I want to color it, I mean to bleach it, to make color lighter.

9 months ago · Like

jayewo They are bleached at the manufacturers to make them appear vintage. Perhaps an oriental rug cleaning place could do that for you. Good luck!

9 months ago · Like

Beth Woodson and Kristy Harvey Hi Adelya, Yes they come bleached from the manufacturer, but perhaps you could check with rug cleaners about the process. We love the look and think they soften any hardwood floor.

9 months ago · Like

rebkot I love the rug in the third picture - anyone know where to get it?

9 months ago · Like

mrsben Definitely some eye-candy and inspiration here! QUESTION: Not necessarily for a dining room as am thinking more for a kitchen space; is it possible to use 'Engineered-hardwood' flooring combined with a porcelain or ceramic tile or even a natural stone? ie: Similar to the fifth photo. As my space is a semi-open concept leading to other indoor spaces, entry/exit access, an outdoor inground pool and due to our distinct four-seasons and traffic flow of people and pets am toying with the idea of intregating the two elements for practicality. (More tile than E-h.) Any info., tips or suggestions would be sincerely appreciated. Thank you!
Footnote: The remaining spaces would be done in the same E-h.

9 months ago · Like

ragsangle I've never understood the concept of a rug under the dinningroom table, it looks out of place, these people must not have real lives with children and grandchildren ! LOL...I do not like the way it makes the dinning room look cheap with a rug under the table or how the room looks off balanced with a rug under the table... other than that the rooms are nice! Love the hardwood look.

9 months ago · Like ·

Beth Woodson and Kristy Harvey Hi rebkot, I have contacted the company that designed the room and when I hear back from them, I will let you know where to purchase. We love it too!!

9 months ago · Like

Beth Woodson and Kristy Harvey Hi mrsben, yes you can definitely combine the two and having predominantly tile would certainly save on the wear and tear of hardwoods in high traffic areas, though I must admit, we love well worn and loved hardwoods!

9 months ago · Like ·

mrsben @Beth and Kristy: Shall definitely run the idea by my contractor. With sincere appreciaton of your reply. -mrsben-

9 months ago · Like

ragsangle I keep looking at the carpets under the tables and I still don't understand the concept...to me it makes the room look unbalanced and takes away from the beauty so could someone please explain this concept so I can learn why you would use a carpet this way...then maybe I can go back and look at the rooms again and will have learned something! If I could understand the concept maybe I could understand the rooms better?

9 months ago · Like

Cali Bamboo Because the area around a dining room table is typically a high traffic area (not to mention a favorite place for dogs to hang out) if you're going with hardwood it's good to check a floor's Janka hardness. Don't rule out non-traditional woods like bamboo. Quality strand (or fossilized) bamboo floors have scored above 5000 lbs on the Janka scale and glows just as much as wood. ...In my unbiased opinion. :)

9 months ago · Like

Christy Dillard Kratzer Thanks for including me in this ideabook!

9 months ago · Like

Beth Woodson and Kristy Harvey We LOVED your dining room, Christy!

9 months ago · Like ·

Christy Dillard Kratzer Thank you so much! It was a wonderful project I was able to be a part of for some time!!

9 months ago · Like

Jim Lamb Rather than "bleach" an expensive rug, why not turn in over and use the under side. If you do bleach it, what will you do when "jewel tones" are back in fashion? I would rather use a darker rug that to ruin it for later use. They are beautiful and expensive! Go for "style" not fashion or a fad.

7 months ago · Like ·