For function, I prefer not to have a rug the the kitchen. It is a PITA to have to vacuum and wash it vs. just sweeping and washing the floor. That said, we also have hardwood floors throughout our main floor (including kitchen), and they have not held up well at all to all the traffic and heavy use in the kitchen. Our builder insisted that the water-based sealer they used on our floors was as good as the old oil-based sealers, but it definitely isn't. We are vigilant about cleaning up spills/splashes as soon as they happen, but in spite of that the floors have taken a beating in the kitchen. We finally broke down and added a runner (we went with a Ruggable based on recommendations here) about 6 months ago to help protect the floor until we get around to having it refinished. It's okay. It's annoying to have to drag the vacuum out instead of just doing a quick sweep when crumbs accumulate (which is often with lots of cooking + 2 tweens in the house). I don't wash it often because we don't have a spare cover, but it hasn't shrunk (I air dry it). On the plus side, messes have been easy to clean off of it, so spot washing is usually enough to keep it looking clean. There is one corner that sometimes curls up slightly and drives my husband crazy. It doesn't bother me at all. If your floors are pretty bullet proof or you don't cook a lot, I'd do without a runner for function, but if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen and think the floor will need the protection, or if you just like the look of a runner, Ruggable is a decent solution. It's not all that soft underfoot, but it does the job.

Transparent rug? Is that like those clear plastic protectors that go under office desk chairs? I'm off to paint some flower on mine and will send in my patent in on Monday! 😄 Jinx, I have a rug from Claremont! We spent a few hours at both their showrooms, in the San Francisco area, a few years ago. The photos don't do the rugs justice and the owner and employees were very knowledgeable and friendly.

@kroftygal, From a design point of view, your floors are quite red, you have red brick outside the window, I’d go for an oriental rug that features that beautiful deep red - but I’m (infamously) not a fan of rugs in the kitchen. Now if you’re talking about a Gelpro mat, I’m with you. They make standing at the sink more comfortable, and they make washable rugs that fit over their mats as well. Check them out. My valence recommendation is, don’t get a valance. They block a lot of light, and you don’t need one with such extensive trim. For your counter stools, I’d prefer something lower in profile that doesn’t feature brown wood, but perhaps speaks to the metal accents instead.

Thank you @everdebz! I’m new to the site so haven’t added any idea boards yet. I am actually going for a brighter look. Mix of contemporary/French/farmhouse. We will be renovating that living room you see from the foyer and it will have hardwood floors. We are not renovating the foyer but would like to tie in these styles. Kitchen and mud room on the side of the house will have these color schemes: