Ruggable maybe? Can't speak from experience but they look pretty thin and seem to have non-slip characteristics.

I used a rug (I believe that it was wool) in my kitchen to protect the wood floor from the dog. I didn't have small children who spilled or splattered which reduced the dirt factor. I did vacuum it more frequently than I might other rugs in the house; a couple of times a year when the weather was favorable I took it outside, draped it over a couple of chairs, soaped it up and then rinsed it with a strong sprayer attachment on the hose - dried in the sun by the next day.

It covered nearly all the floor and laid very flat, so tripping wasn't a risk, but I also didn't have an unsteady elderly person in the house. If I did, I would look at means to fasten the edges down smoothly to the floor - might work to prevent trips?

Does your elderly person have some difficulty negotiating changing floor surfaces already?

I have a rug in the kitchen by the garage door, not in the cooking/food prep area, and it gets pretty darn dirty. Fortunately it's washable. Vintage rugs in kitchens look terrific in pictures but IMO are totally impractical unless you don't actually use the kitchen for cooking and eating. Or you have a big budget for rug cleaning, which is very expensive. I'd look for a rug you can throw in the washer and dryer, or flooring that you don't need to cover up. Have you looked at marmoleum?

Yes, they get dirty and matted, and cleaning it will be one more thing to add to your list of things to do. But way way WAY more important than that is your mention of your 78-year-old mom. It will be a risk for her as you fear.

Personal taste, but I would never put a rug in an active kitchen. If you spill something, then what happens? What about spattering oil from sautéing that sometimes gets on the floor or the occasional dropped strawberry or blueberry that accidentally gets stepped on? I am a SUPER clean and tidy cook, but I still dribble and drop things and at least I can wipe them right up….not so with a rug. For me it would simply be a nuisance.

Can the cork be stained two colors and installed in a checkerboard pattern to make it more to your taste?

What about a cotton flat weave washable rug and a great rug pad underneath, like the rug pads from RugPadCorner?

If you don’t like the look of cork floors, don’t install them. There are other flooring options that are easy on your back. Also consider anti-fatigue mats placed in your work areas.

Tripping hazard. So no. Rugs are ok right in front of the sink/work areas, but a runner crossing the kitchen like that can be dangerous. I can imagine someone in that inspo photo Imaging turning around with a pot of boiling water off the stove, taking a tumble on the runner and ending up with major burns....

I put a Berber style rug in our kitchen since we had tiles that were slippery when wet. I had three young kids and a dog at the time. I ended up tossing the rug and buying a new one every 12-18 months as kids or dog ended up spilling something or the other on it. Fortunately I was able to buy these rugs cheaply as they were carpet remnants that had been banded. If you choose to go with carpet I would not buy anything expensive for the space. Checking consignment shops might be ideal. As far as the rug being a trip hazard if they sometimes drag their foot or rush to the phone etc then I don’t recommend it at all...you are the best judge as to their abilities and tendencies.

I wouldn't want a rug in a kitchen - for sanitary reasons and as well as tripping hazards.

I am of an age when my foot hurt if not padded properly. You can install wood which is more forgiving. My wood floor is actually installed over a sublayer or cork and plywood - the cork is for soundproofing but I am sure it also softens it.

But why not just wear comfortable supportive shoes? I have the kind that slip on and off easily and they are more comfortable than being barefoot - they are worn for comfort and not for style. I wouldn't work in a kitchen without footwear anyway since it is somewhat hazardous.

And there are also mats that are intended to act as cushions. They are generally in front of the sink/prep area since that is where most people spend the most time when cooking. As has been pointed out in many threads, most people don't spend a huge amount of time actually in front of the stove versus prepping the foods to go into the oven or on the stove.

Thank you all for your incredibly useful and candid comments. So very helpful. A few replies:

My mom does not live with me, just visits a few times a year so I could roll up the rug when she comes but enough of your dirt comments have steered me away anyhow. We are moving to a 12th floor apartment in NYC so no taking it outside to hose down wont be an option.

I‘d LOVE to do a classic diamond pattern but the only cork floors I have found in squares are glue down floors, not floating floors. Many installers and vendors have steered me away from glue down. I also have incredbly irritating allergies to adhesive VOC’s so glue down isnt great for me in that regard either. If anyone sees floating squares, let me know!

I wear Hokas every waking moment, and find anti fatigue mats as equally unattractive as cork.

Problem with cork is I can really only go off online images since so few stores have samples in store. I can order 6” square samples but that isnt really big enough to tell the whole patterning on an enourmous rectangular plank. I think if they look ugly in photos they will be even uglier in person but Im about to find out...

There is a cork flooring specialist on the forum, if memory serves. JC McCarthy? A name along those lines. They shared a lot of links and practical info about this type of flooring fairly recently in the forum. Worth a search and a reach out.

As others mentioned, Marmoleum might be an option as well. Forbo is the NA distributor.

With your allergies, I guess a patterned vinyl mat is out of the question? European ones might have low VOCs?

Beaumont from France:

• Phthalate free & 100% recyclable
• Anti-UV finishing
• Textured non-slip backing
• Wash with soap & water

I wear supportive shoes in the house now as well. (Tile flooring in the kitchen...ugh!).

Have a Ruggable entry rug but it does curl up. (Easy to vacuum and launder though.) Two-sided carpet tape have been suggested in other threads to keep area rugs in place. Can't vouch for their efficacy. Actual rugs in kitchens and dining rooms don't make the most sense to me for the reasons expressed by others in this thread.

Is the current flooring in the kitchen tile?

No, I think a textile rug is a mistake in the kitchen -- too dirty and really impossible to keep clean. I'm going with a vinyl runner (either Beaumont as mentioned, or Hidraulik).

We love our kitchen Ruggable. I'd never put a non-washable rug in a kitchen but this one is very handy and its size makes it easy to toss in the wash. There are two pad options, original (flat, which we have) and more padded. Like any rug it does ruck up from time to time but we could use rug tape to hold the pad down.

I am 75 yrs old and IMO rugs in kitchens are always a tipping hazard I guess I just think about a bit more now. I think they are just that and one more thing that needs cleaning. BTW why cork for flooring, what is your sub floor and how will the cork be layed. I would do a nice LVT or LVP if you do not like cork that will be just as easy on your back.

Thanks for the marmoleum suggestion. I just looked up their floating tiles and they have a cork in them. Not as much cork as a cork tile, but still, they seem worth checking out. I'm going to try to find a show room with a display today.

I have heard that cork is much more shock absorbing than LVT. My parents live in a coop with parquet on concrete subfloors, just like where we are moving to. It kills my back. Their kitchen is floating cork and is glorious to stand on compared to the rest of their place.

I checked out the vinyl mats and they aren't really doing it for me. I think I'm a sucker for the real deal rug and just need to find some way to find a floor that I like more and ditch the rug/covering notion. Ultimately, I could get a cork floor that looks ugly and have a happy back and chalk it up to health comes first, as I do with much the rest of my life! I certainly sacrifice fashion daily with Hokas!

Definitely no vinyl if you have chemical sensitivities. I do, and I can smell the stuff off gassing from vinyl. Toxic stuff, toxic to make, toxic to have around, and impossible to recycle. Wood, cork, or true linoleum (Marmoleum, or I think Tarkett makes a true linoleum).

SJ McCarthy is the cork flooring expert. Here is one discussion where they shared links. I recall another post with more even more info but the thread didn't come up in the top ones. Still, this one might be helpful.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5929930/flooring-choice-color-issue-within-budget#n=61

I don't have ruggable but have read in a couple places that edges can curl up. Glad it works for you, Rebekah.

For my narrow galley kitchen, I just purchase inexpensive rugs which have the rubber backing, one in front of the sink and one in the entry door from outside. They do lay very flat, no curling edges. People could trip I suppose.

I have Marmoleum and it is so soft. I love it. Mine is glue-down, but the floating tiles should work for you. And it's pretty!

Love my kitchen rug, but understand it’s not the right choice for everyone.

My kitchen is a sort of galley style, not large. I got one big rug for the middle of the floor, over tile. Love the softness underfoot. I spot clean in case of a spill (rarely), vacuum with the big dinosaur vac once a week, and spot vac if needed with my handheld (grass tracked in, any crumbs, etc).

I have knotty alder cabinets, so found this one. Very happy with it. I don’t find it any harder to keep clean than flooring (and I’m known around these parts as a neat-freak) —

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/nuLoom-Traditional-Vintage-Floral-Rings-Medallion-Border-Rust-Rug-8-x-10-8-x-10/17373409/product.html

Talked to a marmoleum dealer today, who used to sell cork but no longer does. He said cork is definately better for my back than marmoleum. And if purchasing marmoleum squares to make a diamond pattern, the squares only come in glue down not floating.

I think I may have found a way for my walls, cabinets, and counters to match, which even if I don't love the cork color or pattern, makes me less afraid of it truely clashing in the space and looking horrid. Hopefully some nice solid brass knobs and a gorgeous lighting fixture will be the jewelry that distracts from the floor.

Cliff and Joan - walking around barefoot on an oriental rug sounds like a heavenly way to experience a kitchen.