I think I am going to have to because I opted for hardwood floors with this remodel.

Does anybody have any recommendations?

I have a rug by my sink. It's a cotton rag style rug from Pier 1. Goes with my color scheme. Machine washable. Takes about a day and a half to line dry.

I usually give it a good shake out when sweeping up but only wash it if something gets spilled on it. I like it because when I am in my bare feet it's nicer than standing on the wood floor.

I do and like juliekcmo I make sure they are washable. I have 3 sets that I rotate.

I have them for a couple of reasons, I have hardwood and just wanted to protect them a bit from the ravages of my cooking (especially stir-frying) but the main reason is because when I finished my kitchen I realized that there was no colour in it. I have an off-white kitchen with mid-tone maple floors, off-white back-splash (a copper one behind the stove) and a brownish granite. No colour. So between the mats and the window treatments I now have colours which I pulled out from the copper backsplash.

This post was edited by blfenton on Sun, Dec 8, 13 at 14:35

Ditto juliekcmo and blfenton. I spend $10-ish on cotton rugs (Penney's, Cost Plus, etc.) for just in front of the sink. I have about 3 in rotation, wash, eventually they get ratty looking and end up in a less prominent place.

Here is my rug that is by both my cooktop and sink. It is not washable. It is 100% wool. I have had it for 2 years. I vacuum it regularily and have used a carpet cleaner on it once. I have had to occasionally use a carpet spray cleaner for small spots here or there.

Yes, but this has become a touchy subject with me. Ha, ha. All of the "throw" rugs out today are either a. bathroom rugs or b. wool - which is expensive to clean c. cotton with no backing or d. a loop weave.

Now the loop weave is really cheap for companies to make but it snags every little bit of dirt and lint and catches on dog/cat claws. When one snag catches it turns into a "run" and then the rug looks awful. Trying to find a latex or rubber backed plush/cut throw rug for the kitchen that is washable is like looking for a needle in a haystack anymore. So if anyone has found a good source, please share.

IMHO throw rugs are very helpful near the sink where food/water frequently gets spilled if you have hard floors. But if they have no backing to keep them from slipping, they are also a hazard because they slide around.

In that regard, a non-slip rug is a "safety tool" so someone doesn't slip and fall. I keep one by the back door for the same reason. Water happens. And gosh, cotton throw rugs look cute but they aren't safe unless you attach some double sided tape and that creates another mess to clean up later.

I'm still looking for some new throw rugs that don't slide around and won't catch on the dog's nails.. in the meantime the old ones are staying where they are.

Not at the point of decorating the kitchen yet but spend a lot of time surfing this forum have gotten boo gobs of info. I've been looking at the vinyl mats the ones that look like the expensive gel mats but are memory foam. They are smooth enough to wipe clean and they don't attract the cats attention. Found them at Ross and Old Tyme Pottery.

Well,
This is the only picture I can find of the runner that runs in front of my cleanup sink, dishwasher, and range on the left and the island with the prep sink and microwave on the right.

The picture was taken to show a folding worktable I built, but you can see the microwave and prep sink on the right. The dog is not a permanent fixture. Nor is the folding worktable and the stool, both of which are stored elsewhere.

I love the rug. It is an old oriental we bought very cheap because someone had cut it in two. I stitched it back together. It us about 30" wide and 10 feet long.

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Sun, Dec 8, 13 at 20:38

Yes, I have a Wellness mat in front of my sink (nice and cushiony on my feet) and one of those indoor/outdoor rugs in front of the stove (it's a 5x8 so it covers quite a bit of the kitchen floor).

No, I don't care for rugs in the kitchen. When stuff spills on my bamboo floor, I like to know it's there so I can wipe it up. Rugs tend to disguise the blots (unless it's flour!) and there's always the issue of a wet rug sitting for an extended period on the wood. Mark me down in the no rugs, no matter how cute, in the kitchen column.

I have a 6' GelPro mat centered on my cooktopi that I move around, depending on where I'm working. We have tile floors and while they weren't a problem when we installed them, I have found as I've gotten older that the tile is becoming a problem when I'm standing on it for an extended length of time - like baking pies or cookies (mostly back issues - feet and knees seem OK with the tile floor). We don't have anything in front of the cleanup sink - mostly b/c my DH does most of the cleanup and he wears sneakers most of the time - unlike me who likes to be barefoot as much as possible!

Wool rugs are pretty easy to clean up and I have the rug professionally cleaned once a year.

Every so often, Costco gets a bunch of 2' x 6' washable, non-skid backed rugs in various colors and patterns (geometric or fairly plain, not fancy designs). I have four in my kitchen: in front of the fridge (drips), the double sink (splashing water), the cooktop (grease--especially when cooking sausages), and the single peninsula sink/DW (no matter how careful I am, there's always a little water that splashes when I load the DW). My husband is in the kitchen several times a day, and is messy, so we need these!

When we have company, I temporarily replace the one by the peninsula (which is visible from the entry hall) with one with a more colorful and intricate oriental look that I got from a catalog. It goes well with the low key design and monochromatic look of the the other three rugs.

BTW, we don't have any animals.

Anne

I'm sorry, jimandanne_mi, but you are allowed to post on this forum about flooring if you don't have an animal, one that preferably matches your new flooring. Maybe if you have one that matches your countertops, although tuxedo cats that complement your countertops would also be acceptable. ;-)

I may not have rugs in the kitchen, but I do have matching accessories for my LR rug and flooring;

It's feline mind control. I used to have an orange cat and he made me get red oak floors. Now I have two black and white cats and they totally influenced my kitchen redo. I'm powerless.

I would love to add rugs in my kitchen with hardwood fllors but am concerned about the backing. I have searched on line repeatedly but always come away confused. Some flooring companies say the underlayment should be grid or mesh. Others say to never use the rubber grid kind as it will leave a permanant mark in the finish. From what I can find out the only underlayment that is ok the the kind of padding used for wall to wall carpet. So you wound have to buy the rug and then buy the underlayment, cut to fit and make sure the rug stays on it.

Are there any definate answers on this?

I used to have an in expensive oriental style runner in my old kitchen. It was made of synthetic material to it was easy to clean and inexpensive. I liked the way it looked and felt on my feet, as well as the way it hid dirt and protected the floor.

Re: rug pads, when we put in new hardwoods upstairs I bought pads from here for our rugs and threw out all my old rubber grid ones from BB&B. So far so good!
http://www.rugpadcorner.com/

From my old house:

I have two Wellness mats, one in front of the main sink and a long one in front of the stove. Love them! I'm going to order another for in front of the prep sink area. imo with all tile I really need something softer to stand on. My knee thanks me :)

Pic with one of my accessories - meet Oliver. He blends nicely with the cardboard covering my floors.