An area rug beneath your dining room table can offer style and function in a room that often has hardwood flooring. If you like the idea of an area rug in this part of your home, visit a home furnishings store to begin shopping for a rug that will suit the space. While you'll obviously want to choose an area rug that has a color that complements your dining area, there are some other characteristics that you'll need to think about to ensure that you choose the right rug. Here are some other details to keep in mind while you shop.

Large Enough

Don't make the mistake of measuring the size of your dining room table and choosing an area rug that is slightly larger than these measurements. Ideally, your area rug should be big enough in size that the dining room chairs also sit on it. If the rug is too small, the front feet of the chairs might be on the rug and the back feet might be on the floor — resulting in a slightly awkward chair angle for anyone seated at the dining room table. Make sure that your area rug is large enough that the dining room table and all four feet of each chair will sit on it.

Dark Color

There are reasons that you might want a light-colored area rug for your dining room. For example, if the floor is dark and the room has a number of dark accents, you may feel that a light area rug brightens the space. Generally, though, you'll want to choose an area rug with a dark color. This is especially true if you have children or you frequently have children dining at your house. A dark area rug will hide spilled food marks more easily than a light rug, making less — and easier — work for you when you're tidying up after a family dinner.

Table Shape

Dining room tables are often rectangular, and so are area rugs. This is ideal because you want to ensure that your area rug has roughly the same shape as your table. Visually, the room may look awkward if this isn't the case — for example if you have a circular dining room table with a large, rectangular area rug. If your dining room table isn't rectangular, speak to your salesperson to get help finding an area rug that will complement the table's shape. Visit a local shop like Carpet Discount Warehouse to see what area rugs are available.