I can confirm that sunlight can change the colour of timber floors, as we've got a rectangular faded area in between the sliding doors and dining table. Originally, we thought the size of the area was due to how the light streamed into the room. However, just today we noticed there are rounded corners to the areas, which indicates the previous owners had an area rug under their table. They removed the rug for the open for inspections. We noticed the faded patch of floor then, but didn't make a connection with a missing area rug under the table. Obviously, too much to take in during an open for inspection.

We've got the same difference of opinion in our household as "to rug" or "not to rug". Looking forward to others opinions, too.

I am always torn on the dining area rug. The pic above it looks great but..... the mess.... Hmmm I feel like even a table that only seats adults surely the odd scrape will end up on the floor an possibly ruin the rug. My luck it would be beetroot. Thanks for the info on the timber floors, Im looking into spotted gum for our kitchen living area, but cant find any pictures of an aged floor. Hmm

Thanks, knoxy. Mess on the rug--my thoughts exactly! And, I'd be the one cleaning it up :-(

Will also depend on how often you use your dining area... if you have most of your every day meals at the kitchen island/breakfast bar and only use the dining table when you're hosting then food in the rug won't be that much of an issue, particularly if you choose a dark rug like in the above photo... however if the family eats at the dining table on a daily basis, then I wouldn't invest too much in a rug, or at all...

Would a rug under the table help with scratching from the chairs? We have just put down bamboo and are wondering if we should put a rug there for this purpose - or are felt pads enough/

Felt pads should be enough, but you can have a rug too if you want, depends on the look you're after

So glad I came across this poll.

I didn't realise that sun can fade the floorboards... def something to consider.

Great styling with the rug though.

I'm not a bit torn. This is a perfect place to be more minimal, and enjoy the gorgeous wood.

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Agreed with studio and Jacinta. My OH is leaning towards the area rug, because we've got some scratches on the floorboards from the floor-protector discs (felt with plastic backing) on our chair legs, which were ok at our old house. We've since sourced some adhesive strips of heavier felt, which we've cut and stuck onto the chair legs. The question is whether they are a good long-term solution.

Now, I need to figure out what to use on the scratches on the floorboards to cover them up.

We have a Persian rung under the dining table and it does a fantastic job of hiding all manner of mess. Any rug with a detailed pattern would function in the same way.

Eventually carpet will come back into fashion. Probably when all the jobs are gone OS or to robots. Then people will have time to vacuum again.

Personal choice really, though timber changes depending on exposure to sunlight & this could be an issue when moving on & leaving a patch where the rug was.

we have a cheap "persian" rug under the table and the gorgeous pattern is a highlight of the room and helps to hide the odd spill and soften and warm the floor under foot, especially in cold weather and luckily we made sure that the rug is big enough so that chairs don't scrape on the hard floor when pulled out

Had one once, never ever again!

I had a rug under my dining table in the last house, but not in the new one we've just moved into. I prefer the non-rug situation (much easier to keep clean). I protect the floor by hot gluing pieces of old carpet to the bottom of table and chair legs. So far, it's worked a treat.

But, if you get a rug, make sure it's big enough so that you can move the chair in and out without the legs hitting the wooden floor.

A rug under the dining table will help define the space, especially in an open plan home. If mess on the rug is an issue, maybe go for an indoor/outdoor rug that can withstand plenty of wear and tear- they can usually be wiped clean very easily. A flat-woven rug or layered frazadas is another great option as it can be dry cleaned or spot cleaned when necessary. If you do decide on a rug for under the dining table- bigger is always better!