Orientals. Don't show crap and you can wash smallish ones yourself easily.

Also look nice.

No way. Slip and fall hazard. Also a target for spills. I'll stick with hardwood or tile, thanks.

Anonymous wrote:I bought my gel mat for about $15 at TJ Maxx. I've seen them there a few times afterwards too. Mine's in front of our sink. Love it.

I have something like a gel matt (from BBB) in front of the sink. It's supposed to help your back. It's wonderful. I would never do a rug in the kitchen. They get dirty fast and the more you wash them the nastier they look. If you do a rug, plan to replace every 3 months.

Gel mats. Or TJ Maxx has similar mats with foam, but still very nice, for $16.00. You just wipe off with soap and water Love mine!

Another one here with hardwood floors and loves it. I have a runner in the stove/sink area but no gel mat. Mostly because I am not standing in any one place long enough to matter (with active 2.5 y.o).
What I haven't figured out is what rug for under the table. It looks empty without one. We used to have sisal, but it is impossible to clean (and with all the frequent food droppings that is a major factor). Right now, it's much easier to have nothing and we just mop/wipe everything up.

We put a home depot runner on our h/w kitchen. Protects the wood from water drops and dings from falling pots, etc. I think we will put one in front of the fridge too so the wood does not wear faster than elsewhere.

I bought my gel mat for about $15 at TJ Maxx. I've seen them there a few times afterwards too. Mine's in front of our sink. Love it.

I have hardwood in my kitchen and love it. After 10 years or so (earlier if you have pets or especially rambunctious kids) it starts to show it's wear with silver type streaks that can only be removed through refinishing. And with our open concept living these days that means refinishing the whole all adjacent living space too. Do pay for the best heavy duty polyurethane you can get though. And do use small area rugs in high traffic areas. I use indoor-outdoor rugs from Ballard. They can be hosed off and don't look too grannyish.

I think a rug in the kitchen is a good idea. Definitely buy one that's not expensive b/c with all the wear and tear, you will probably need to replace it pretty quickly.

A few months back I finally broke down and bought a gel mat for my kitchen. My heels and back were killing me, standing at the sink or stove. Best 100+dollars I've ever spent. And you don't need rubber backing.

Unless washed frequently, rugs get nasty. Ugh.
I clean my floors as needed with a Rubbermaid Reveal Mop:

http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Reveal-Spray-Mop-FG1M1600GRYRD/dp/B003UA7F46/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1362318853&sr=1-1&keywords=rubbermaid+reveal+spray+mop+kit

I second the indoor-outdoor rug idea. We had sisal kitchen rugs in our old place. They looked great. Miserable to keep clean. If you can wait until fall to buy you'll probably be able to get a great deal too. Patio stuff always goes on sale in the fall.

As for the padded rugs, I have a padded runner in front of the sink/prep area and it's been a huge relief for my back. It also helps to cook in running shoes. That's what I do for really big meals.

My kitchen includes the back door, which gets a lot of use from dog and family tracking in and out many times per day. So, our kitchen has an indoor-outdoor rug that doesn't collect dirt and is easy to clean.

Hardwood floors are rough on your back if you're on your feet cooking for a while. I know when I bake during the holidays, it's a long day, at least if I'm barefoot. I recommend rubber backed rugs. Anything without rubber backing will be slippery and the rubber provides a bit of shock absorption while standing at the sink/counter. I have a couple small ones, in front of the door to the deck and in front of the stove. I have 2 long runners in front of the sink/dishwasher area and in front of my island. My floors are in desperate need of refinishing so every drop of water has the potential to leave a mark, which is another reason I have so many in my kitchen.

I am horrible at home decorating. Horrible.

We have lived in our home about 6 years, and have really not changed much from what the previous owners did--luckily we *mostly* have the same taste in colors/style, etc. One thing they had, which we are finally changing, is the kitchen floor. They had linoleum down, and we are in the process of putting down hardwood.

What type of rugs/mats are good to have with hardwood? For example, I've sometimes seen people put a small area rug in front of the fridge. Why? Is it to help soak up any liquids that might spill out of the fridge? Or just decoration?

Will having a rug under my kitchen table help protect the wood better? What about those mats people put near the stove and in front of the sink so your legs don't get too tired when cooking/washing dishes? Do you have those?