Every Nancy Meyers interior has one. No, not a slipcovered sofa (well, yes…), but a kitchen runner rug. Because, especially during these less hospitable months, the floors are even chillier. And what could possibly be chicer than a “living room-only” design occupying this firmly off-limits zone? Joanna Gaines seems to agree.
Joanna’s washable Sinclair Rug, a collaboration between Magnolia Home and rug maker extraordinaire Loloi, arrives in a 2' x 5' runner perfectly sized to cushion the dishwashing area underfoot, currently on sale for just $41. A patinated mix of earthy clay and smoky tobacco tones lends a serenely sophisticated, storied feel to this neglected real estate.
Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines x Loloi
Sinclair Machine Washable Rug, 2' x 5'
The charmingly distressed Sinclair, with its intricate antique-inspired motifs, comes in four runner sizes, up to a staircase-covering 11’6”. And since the pattern could just as easily anchor a larger space, there are five area rug sizes, too. Nearly 1,500 reviewers give it an average of 4.5 stars.
This kitchen-friendly, power-loomed design can handle the occasional olive oil spill, but it’s equally game for other splash zones, like the laundry room, or decidedly less glamorous, high-traffic spots like the boot room and entryway. An “anywhere” accessory, if you like.
Still, the point remains: it’s an unseasonably elegant design for square footage you never thought to decorate. Like wearing your best fur coat over a workout set to a 7 a.m. class, there's something about putting the precious alongside the decidedly not that makes any vignette so much chicer.
So this fall, I’m asking: what would Nancy or Joanna do? Certainly not suffer through the chilly tile. I’m making my kitchen living-room-level cozy, with the looks to prove it.
They add underfoot comfort during meal prep, take the chill off icy-cold floors, and turn an unsuspecting spot into an opportunity for charm. Here are a few more kitchen runner rugs I’m loving this fall.
Diamonds, not checkers, I like to say. I’ve sung the praises of Rugs USA’s Adelaide Rug time and time again for its all-weather, indoor-outdoor durability and classic, Italian-villa-inspired harlequin pattern. And having interviewed designers on the matter, I can confirm that the latter is a quick way to make just about any room look more expensive.
This enveloping mix of taupe and sage green, bordered with little pops of dark and light blue, takes the kitchen rug idea somewhere richer. It’s a little more of a splurge, but with its characterfully layered composition of intricate foliage motifs, drawing inspiration from hand-knotted rugs and block-printed textiles, it certainly shows.
No one does minimalist charm quite like the Scandinavians. And this bordered, barely-there crisscross design in calming baby blue does so much with so little in the way of pattern. Just the right splash of color to make those dark-before-dinner evenings a little more bearable.
Rugs belong in kitchens, too. But that’s hardly the only way to warm up a cook space this season. Our recent Cozy Kitchen Issue is dedicated to the small, seasonal switch-ups that make the heart of the home that much more inviting.
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