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decoenthusiaste You have only one choice in this room; hang it on the wall, and be sure to use specialty hangers. It might work over the buffet, but should be only 75% of the width of it to look balanced. It won't work under the table. A rug under a table must be 4 feet wider and longer than the table for chair sit and scoot space. This seems to be a very small space and the angled curio is eating a larger footprint than it needs to. Would the curio and the rug work in the nearby foyer? One other option that might add interest to the room is to align the table with the angle that the floor and carpet make. Recently I've been seeing tables angled a lot, and your flooring might make it work really well. Can't see a chady, but you might try these few ideas. It really is a tight space. Hope you find the right place for your rug.

Cancork Floor Inc. Mount it on the wall. It is too small for the table and chairs (to work it would have to be bigger than the table/chair combination.

The wall above the side table would look beautiful with this hanging above it. There are ways to properly mount and hang carpets so that the mounting takes the stress and not the carpet. Make sure you speak with specialists when mounting this carpet.

sylviajoan I am replacing the carpet with hardwood flooring, forgot to mention. Can I just put the table on the rug and have the chairs on the hardwood? Do the colours work int his room?

janishill The colors work, but if the table is all that sits on the rug it will look very awkard. You would be better off using it in another area.

Perhaps it would work in an office, a large bathroom, a sitting room...? Or another space.

I'm sorry. :-(

nking43 Front hall?

candybuzz I think the rug looks great - you will just have to position it in such a way that it fits the furniture arrangement.

decoenthusiaste But not under the table...

elwillems You could try holding it up on the wall to see if it looks okay. I know many people who get rugs and put them on the wall and as long as it is the right size I think it will look good!!

anitajoyce Yes the colors work in the room with the wall color you have now! Since it is very special to you, go for it and place it under the table! It does look nice in the room.

zealart I don't think the colors work. I think there is too much red between the walls, the carpet and the table wood.
I agree with others that you should hang it on the wall, even when you have wood flooring. First I would paint the red walls a blue that is present in the carpet and then hang it.
You can try putting it under the table, but I think it will look disproportionate and little of this beautiful carpet will be seen.

aebj I agree ... Hang it on the wall. The colors work. It's a family piece that you want to keep and use. That's a great way to do it.

mapeggy I think hanging or using the rug elsewhere are the best solutions. However, when you change to hardwood try placing the rug under the table, but on the diagonal. Not squared as most do. Diagonal would mean one corner (top right) of the rug would be under your buffet, near the right side buffet leg. Then the opposite corner (bottom left) is closest to the dining room's right side of the entranceway. Move it around a little at a time to find the right balance and pleasing look. This shows you really had no intention of having all the table or chairs on a rug. This should be used only for spaces which do not get daily heavy traffic. Looking at your formal and lovely furniture, I would guess you are more interested in having this room look 'beautiful' rather than function being the main objective.

I have used this technique when heirloom and hand made rugs of high value want to be used.. Not hidden, cut, or altered. Try drawing the pieces to scale. Or make cut outs.. Say 1/4" = 1 foot of each piece of furniture, the rug and the room. Don't forget to mark on the entrance doorway and windows. Now move the rug around and place the tables and chairs on the scale model until you are pleased. Then move the actual furniture. Good luck

maggiemae0552 If u have a large kitchen i love a rug like this by the sink or under the breakfast table. Unless you have a really large wall I don't think you would be happy with it on the wall.

sylviajoan thanks. I would prefer it on the floor. I am not a fan of rugs on the wall.

Jeffrey Brooks Interior Design Sylviajoan,
The rug is beautiful and looks to me like it works just fine color-wise. Unfortunately it looks to be just a little too small for the Dining Table and chairs. I agree that hanging it is a bit of a disappointment too, so you have a genuine "design dilemma"!. If it's possible to use in the Foyer, you might find a companion carpet just in a larger size to use in your DR. The other thing to consider is to replace the table with a round or oval. Finally, you certainly should try the rug on an angle, but this may be impractical especially when moving chairs in and out during a dinner.
One last thing, If you can repaint the walls below the chair rail try a richer shade of the color in your Foyer, or, a Camel color from the rug. Re cover the DR chair seats in a great stripe with all of the colors from your rug.

oneofeleven Does your table have a leaf in it, it looks like it might. Perhaps removing it would help. I have a similar size table and have an Turkish style rug underneath which is just big enough for the chairs when they are pushed in. I don't think (personally) that you have to follow the rulesabout having 4 feet all around. Give it a try and if you're happy that's all that matters. I have also put away a couple of chairs and I think this helps my rug fit in visually. If you do try it and don't like it, you can always change your table and get something that will work with your rug. Best of luck.

Dee Gould Ok this may sound way out there...depending on the weight (thickness) of the rug, if it is a lightweight rug how about a really good cleaning and put on table..saw this in UK manor home..it was beautiful...priceless, 14th century... I know dont shoot the messanger

Ironwood Builders I like the front hall idea... As and alternative, small rugs were common at the turn of the century...One thing I've seen in my historic research is a layered look. That is, three or more carpets overlapping and laid at angles to get the coverage necessary. This was a common thing in the Middle East as well...lots of rugs to cover the bottom of the tent. Just a thought from a less regimented point of view.

sylviajoan Great idea, but it is a bit too heavy. Very fine weave, but too heavy.

bubblyjock Dee Gould is right - historically rugs were often put ON the table, particularly in Holland - just google Dutch old masters for examples!

You might want to hide a lightweight material or underlay between the rug and the table so the rough underside of the rug doesn't chafe the table, and I don't think you'd want to use it during a dinner party, etc, but I do think they can look stunning, and apparently surprising in N America (I'm guessing you're in N America, lol)!

bubblyjock Found one!

http://www.dejonckheere-gallery.com/en/Collier_Edwaert-5.html?m=1&id=175

If someone more capable than me can show this image so it's not just a link, that'd be great.

cohoek You might want to try moving the buffet somewhere else, move the table more to the far wall so there is more room in front of the table for your carpet. Its very beautiful. A table that could be made smaller when there is no company is also a very good option. you could line the extra chairs against the wall when not in use.

eldrisjana Put the rug in the foyer

maggiemae0552 sylviajoan, what did u end up doing with the rug?

sylviajoan Thanks for asking, but right now I haven't done anything. I do not want to put it on the wall and hear it is too small for the floor. It still remains a true design dilemma. Any new ideas?

mcbride2304 Obviously this rug is a special family treasure. Break the "rules" and put wherever it makes you happy.

decoenthusiaste I was just going to suggest trying it on the table - at an angle. Then I read the posts and saw that Dee Gould had the same idea. It would be beautiful on a grand piano too. I notice you have a landing on the stairs. Is it too large to drape over the railing at that spot or on the railing upstairs. I know you don't want it on a wall, but think how it would look on the wall in the foyer, upstairs landing, living room. Take it around and just try it. You might be surprised at the spot where it actually commands the attention you want to give it.

Jayme Hobbs I personally would not place a treasured piece on the floor in a foyer if I wanted to keep it preserved. If I preferred it on the floor, I would designate a spot for it in a room, like a small seating area in a bedroom.

maggiemae0552 under a coffee table? or at the foot of a bed?

kelseycoffrin Yes! Try it under your dining table. If its not too small, it will look amazing!

orengiac Maybe you can try the layered rug look that is gaining popularity? Putting an appropriately sized solid rug underneath may give it a border effect and achieve the size you need to place it under the table. You would just have to worry about the thickness so sliding the chairs over it wouldn't become a problem or result in crooked chairs.

sylviajoan Thanks. I really don't want to put it in a foyer to be walked all over or hanging on a wall.

abbshel Have you tried placing it the other direction under the table? In other words so the table and 4 mid chairs are on it and the two end chairs are off. It's not ideal, but just a thought since you said you want it to work.
It is not the kind of rug to hang on a wall. Some are, this one isn't.

Susanna OK... This is what I have done...

You are lucky that the rug has borders because it will not look odd to have another border. Find two runners the same length in the same type and color if you want to stay traditional. It does not have to be exact pattern but color is important and thickness is crucial.
If you want a more contemporary or eclectic look you could extend with something entirely different. ( Play with photographs or printouts from online-cut and tape- until you find a look you like)

Turn the rug upside down with a runner upside down on each side. Stitch or duct tape the seams. No one will see the stitches or the tape. Try to butt them together tightly, of course. (You could have a rug repair shop do this).

It looks like your rug is a 5x8 (?) so two 2x8 runners would give you a 9x8 rug. It can actually be quite beautiful if, for example, you choose two blue/red to edge your red/blue...same colors and both traditional, just a swap of dominant color.

Professionals may disagree, but this worked for me.

Susanna P.S. In my personal opinion, a rug on the wall always looks like a rug on the wall. You also have to drive nails through it which damages the rug. With my suggestion of three pieces unified, there is no damage to your heirloom. Hope this helps!