I don't have pics, 'cause I do have a rug, but I think no rug is a great idea.

FW

we don't have a rug in our DR, mainly because to center it on the table would make it a bit off center in the room - the room is also a major thoroughfare to the kitchen and I realized people would be walking half on a rug and half off (not ideal!)

Here is a picture of our room - (sorry, I have posted this pic a million times). I did go with plush chairs and long linen panels to help bring some more softness to the room, but it is probably still too spare for many. (There are white panels on the window but cant see them in this pic bc of the sunlight) anyway HTH!

LL...I always so admire your DR. Sparse... nope...tastefully decorated ...yes ! I love the wall art arrangement .I have nothing printed to make one like it but every time I see yours I think about getting the prints made from my photos that I have taken and endeavor to matte/place them as well as you have done. c

I love your room, laurainlincoln...thanks for posting! I think the fabric chairs definitely help soften the space. Also love the pairing with the rustic table.

My chairs and table are both wood, though. Could do chair pads, I suppose. But the set also closely matches my floor color...what to do, what to do!

Here are some dining rooms without a rug. I don't have a rug in my dining room. My furniture is a little lighter than my floors. You can add color with curtains, paint, pictures and other accents that draw your eyes up.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg0313041821757.html?12

I don't have a picture of my dinning room but I DO NOT have a rug under my table. I can't think of any reason to have a rug under the table. It makes the chairs harder to push in & it collects food droppings. My table is in my small dinning area in my house. A rug could become a potential trip hazard in my house, as one walks by to go to the kitchen. I like seeing my pretty hardwood floors under my table.

Here�s ours. No rug at present time.

k9arlene...thanks for the link to the previous GW discussion...i thought i searched, but must have missed it.

enduring...the one I had there was an indoor/outdoor rug, so no trip hazard. But it was a pain to always have to vacuum up crumbs (2 little kids)...I'd rather sweep.

nanny2a...your room looks beautiful! I like your chair seats...I should probably look around for seat cushions for mine.

Here is mine...I can't decide if I want one or not...I kind of like seeing the wood floor! It may come across as unfinished looking, though. I have the question on my list for the next time I can rustle up some funds to have another consult with my ID!

I think it will help when I install my sconces on either side of ds's portrait. I want to get all of the art up AND then decide if it needs to be completed by a rug.

I think it's personal preference. Awhile back I removed the rug from under our dining table. I liked the clean look of open floor, but hubby & adult son did not. Ultimately I put the rug back. It softens the room and the sound, especially when the table's stretched out to the max and a lot of people are moving chairs.

One thing to consider is how much sunlight you get. If you have wood floor and if it is prone to fading, after awhile the outline of a rug may appear on the wood.

Love the looks of the room pics posted. Each conveys personality in their own way.

No pic but I also do not have a rug under mine. Granted my DR isn't near completed - ratty ole' table and chairs still need refinished but even in my minds eye of a completed DR I don't foresee a rug in it's future.

I think that it would drive me nuts pushing the chiars in and back not to mention th ecrums as noted by PP's. I do plan on end chairs that are fully slipcovered and side chairs that have a small ruffle seat cover so I think that helps soften the harder look of no rug.

Pretty DR's that were posted here!

I think having no rug might make the table look unanchored, as if it were just temporarily set into place. You might consider delineating a "rug" area with paint or a stencil. I'll look to see if I can find pictures.

Our dining room has no rug for the warmer months -- but for the cooler ones I do use an antique rug that works so well ...

Natt Burkus said, on his TV show, he doesn't care for rugs under dining room tables, if he's opinion matters.

ML

I would have liked a rug, but have too many pets ....
Not (likely ever) finished but here's a pic:
Dawn

{{!gwi}}

Thanks so much for the posts! nini804 and dawnt...thanks for your pics. I love both of your rooms and don't think they need rugs. If's funny, it's almost like I feel they'd be too busy with rugs.

I'm definitely leaning away from a rug...I think we're going to leave the dining room as is and take out the rug we moved under the kitchen table and see how it feels.

We do have cold winters here, so warmth is an issue. And the floors are very old...sun fading is the least of the issues. And anyway, the floors have already faded from the previous owner's area rug...nice outline. :)

Thanks again for the responses and pics! I'll post pics when we've painted the DR and have draperies.

Maddielee, I saw that episode and was going to mention it here, but you beat me to it. It did inspire me to remove the rug from my dining room and I like it much better that way.