I saw an almost identical rug to your picture at Ikea last week, don't know how much though sorry. They also have a chunkier weave which is very nice - 2m x 3m for $150. You could buy 2 and lay them together for a very reasonable cost. I was wafting through Ikea in Brisbane but I am sure their stores all have the same/similar stock. Hope this helps.

Declaration - I am a rug business owner. The pros for having a rug - subfloor protection, noise suppression and atmosphere outweigh the cons - scratched floors (we all have a friend who comes for dinner and tips on their chair) noise (my kids constantly scrape the chairs) and cold bare atmosphere. Rugs complete rooms. Maybe the issue with young kids who are messy eaters could be the only reason you hold back. The issue relating to timber fading is another matter - timber floors darken with UV exposure, so your rug should always be moved around to make sure the fade lines are not obvious. Even if it just 10cm here and there to mix up the exposed area.

What is the best way to clean an area rug?

Agree with bigreader, if you do go with a rug get a low cut pile so footprints won’t show, it will be a bit of a challenge for you, an outdoor rug could look beautiful, there are some fabulous designs available and they would wear well with foot traffic.