The Right Rug for Your Rental Kitchen

If your rental apartment kitchen floors are anything like mine (slightly iridescent and marble-inspired), they’re not going to win any design awards. And while it’s easy enough to cover up them up — and rugs are a great way to add color and cushion underfoot — many of us are opting for the wrong kind of rug. Here’s how to choose the right rug for your space.

With regards to kitchen rugs, Homepolish designer Megan Hopp says people have a tendency to go too far in one direction — they go too plush or too spare, too big or too small. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when choosing a rug for your rental apartment kitchen.

• A rug with too much texture will get dirty really quickly and it also looks out of place in your kitchen. “It doesn’t feel fresh and streamlined.”
• On the other hand, a super-functional kitchen mat is “very uninspiring” from a design perspective.
• Just as important as texture is sizing. “Cover up 80 percent, but not the whole thing,” advises Hopp. Otherwise, “all of a sudden, it’s like, what’s going on underneath?”
• Finally, don’t design your kitchen around those ugly brown (or faux marble) floors. Just because you’re not hiding them completely doesn’t mean you have to make them a center point.

So, what’s the right kind of rug? “Indoor/outdoor area rugs are perfect,” says Hopp. “Durable and low-maintenance, they lay really flat and look super chic.” Another plus? They tend to be fairly inexpensive.

Hopp likes All Modern and Wayfair, both of which have huge selections in a number of sizes. Personally, I’m eyeing this gray geometric runner for my kitchen, but here are a couple other ideas.

• 10 Rad Rugs for Less Than $100
• The Perfect Kitchen Throw Rug

Do you have a rug in your kitchen? Share with us in the comments!