AIBU to use a carpeted room as the dining room?

Booktote · 2026-08-07T13:09:39+00:00

Would it be unreasonable to have a dining room with wall to wall carpet? We are renting and we have a really awkward room which we haven’t found a reasonable use for since living here for seven years. It’s currently a sitting room which no one uses as it only fits one sofa which makes it look like a doctor’s waiting room. When we viewed the property the agent called this room ‘the dining room’ which is what I think would work best as we only have an eat in kitchen with a smallish table at the moment. Husband thinks it’s entirely unreasonable to have a dining table on top of a carpet. Rug yes but not wall to wall carpet. What do you think? dining room with carpet, unreasonable or not?

Bananacrepewithnuts · Yesterday 00:15

Put a rug over the carpet?

Winederlust · Yesterday 00:01

It's a pretty modern phenomena to not carpet every room (maybe last 20-30 years) so no, it's not the least bit weird.

Laurmolonlabe · 07/08/2026 23:52

Plenty of people do.

TheBirdintheCave · 07/08/2026 21:11

Ours does! I won’t be having one in the next house though as my son cannot eat neatly 🙄😆

Sartre · 07/08/2026 21:06

If you have children you will obviously need to put a rug under the table to protect it. God my DS is almost 8 and still drops half the meal on the table/floor.

OneNewEagle · 07/08/2026 21:05

LibertyLily · 07/08/2026 17:27

We purchased our current house in 2024 and it had fitted carpet in the bathroom. The previous owner had lived there since 1970 😉

Actually the last-but-one house we bought (2014) also had the bathroom fully carpeted - the vendor (a wealthy but weird single guy) had kept the house as a shrine to his ex g/f whose parents had owned it when he was dating the daughter 😳

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I’ve got carpets in bathrooms too which is fine for an old 70s house and expected. But mines only 20years old!

ThankYouNigel · 07/08/2026 21:05

YANBU- you don’t have kids.
YABU- you have kids.
That’s it! 😅

OneNewEagle · 07/08/2026 21:03

Theyreeatingthedogs · 07/08/2026 18:42

Now, THAT'S weird!!!!

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I know, awful isn’t it! Will chance once I have some spare money.

simplesighmon · 07/08/2026 21:02

BacksToTheFuture · 07/08/2026 20:42

That can't be true, carpet isn't regionally specific and what kind of weirdo goes round finding out what floor coverings the local population have.

Having a job as a hard wood floor installer aside I don't believe anyone knows that kind of fact about their neighbourhood

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It’s unusual where we are as well.
Wooden/laminate or tiled floor is the norm.
Just take a look on Rightmove.

Rinceyourrice · 07/08/2026 20:46

We rent and have a pale carpeted dining room. We have a massive rug under the table. We don't particularly like the rug but it protects the landlord's carpet. It's not ideal, but neither is renting.

BacksToTheFuture · 07/08/2026 20:42

Booktote · 07/08/2026 15:06

It’s definitely unusual where we are.

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That can't be true, carpet isn't regionally specific and what kind of weirdo goes round finding out what floor coverings the local population have.

Having a job as a hard wood floor installer aside I don't believe anyone knows that kind of fact about their neighbourhood

Vaxtable · 07/08/2026 20:20

I have carpet, all my friends have carpet in dining rooms. All my family have carpets all have kids. Just put something under the high chair or get a rug

your dh is nuts

Dobeebeedah · 07/08/2026 20:17

We always had carpet (up to now) even with babies/children. We would always choose a wool with a small percentage of nylon. We never had a problem with cleaning them and we are famous for spilling red wine and chocolate sauce, only occasionally custard or gravy!

godmum56 · 07/08/2026 20:11

simplesighmon · 07/08/2026 20:08

There are plenty of Brits in their late 40s and early 50s planning on moving to bungalows (see bungalow thread) because they foresee not being able to climb stairs 30 years in the future. I’ll bet these same people would be interested in carpeted bathrooms because carpet will better protect against future falls. I don’t think that it’s just a 70s thing.

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Speaking as an oldie myself and a retired NHS specialist in elderly care and independence, having carpet will neither protect against future falls or mitigate if the happen. I'd hope that 40 and 50 year olds would have more sense.

simplesighmon · 07/08/2026 20:08

godmum56 · 07/08/2026 17:22

nah that went out in the 70's...and I get if you have got small children but how much food and drink do sober adult human's drop?

Edited

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There are plenty of Brits in their late 40s and early 50s planning on moving to bungalows (see bungalow thread) because they foresee not being able to climb stairs 30 years in the future. I’ll bet these same people would be interested in carpeted bathrooms because carpet will better protect against future falls. I don’t think that it’s just a 70s thing.

GentleSheep · 07/08/2026 19:12

Longtimelurker1980 · 07/08/2026 14:27

gosh I wouldn’t have carpet in a dining area, food definitely gets dropped in our house even by the adults and anyone with preschoolers/primary age children would need a wipe clean surface while they learn the skill of eating like a normal human. Also wine bottles or water jugs/drink spills are a regular event in our house as people lean over animatedly or lean across other people or just fail to be able to hold a glass without accidentally slamming it into their dinner plate. Maybe we are unusually clumsy but somehow doubt it? We can be super relaxed as wood floor is wipe clean, otherwise imagine it would be pretty stressful when weaning a baby or having people round for dinner.

When I read your post it made me smile, sounds like a lovely family life, spills and all!

Theyreeatingthedogs · 07/08/2026 18:42

OneNewEagle · 07/08/2026 15:51

The house I bought is carpet everywhere…including the bathrooms 😱

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Now, THAT'S weird!!!!

Canonlythinkofthisone · 07/08/2026 18:27

Longtimelurker1980 · 07/08/2026 14:27

gosh I wouldn’t have carpet in a dining area, food definitely gets dropped in our house even by the adults and anyone with preschoolers/primary age children would need a wipe clean surface while they learn the skill of eating like a normal human. Also wine bottles or water jugs/drink spills are a regular event in our house as people lean over animatedly or lean across other people or just fail to be able to hold a glass without accidentally slamming it into their dinner plate. Maybe we are unusually clumsy but somehow doubt it? We can be super relaxed as wood floor is wipe clean, otherwise imagine it would be pretty stressful when weaning a baby or having people round for dinner.

Maybe your family would be less clumsy if it was carpet as they wouldn't act like animals in a zoo?

Newbie8918 · 07/08/2026 18:24

Are you planning to have food fights in there? If not…..should be ok

misstwaoyu · 07/08/2026 18:23

I know what you mean OP, we have a dining room that is used as a snug currently and is carpeted, I want to start using it as a dining room but am waiting until we get new flooring down, just feels wrong having carpet in a dining room, I don’t know why, it was usual growing up!

BlueMum16 · 07/08/2026 17:57

My house has wood floor except for the room that should be a dining room. I use as an office but don't see the problem of carpet in a dining room.

It's quieter so chairs are not banging on floor.

How messy are you dropping food /drinks?

muddyford · 07/08/2026 17:52

GentleSheep · 07/08/2026 17:31

Have lived with carpeted dining rooms for my entire life with no particular problems.

Same here.

GentleSheep · 07/08/2026 17:31

Have lived with carpeted dining rooms for my entire life with no particular problems.

godmum56 · 07/08/2026 17:30

LibertyLily · 07/08/2026 17:27

We purchased our current house in 2024 and it had fitted carpet in the bathroom. The previous owner had lived there since 1970 😉

Actually the last-but-one house we bought (2014) also had the bathroom fully carpeted - the vendor (a wealthy but weird single guy) had kept the house as a shrine to his ex g/f whose parents had owned it when he was dating the daughter 😳

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yup we moved into our first house in 77 and it had carpetted loo and bathroom. Out it came!!

LibertyLily · 07/08/2026 17:27

godmum56 · 07/08/2026 17:22

nah that went out in the 70's...and I get if you have got small children but how much food and drink do sober adult human's drop?

Edited

Show quote history

We purchased our current house in 2024 and it had fitted carpet in the bathroom. The previous owner had lived there since 1970 😉

Actually the last-but-one house we bought (2014) also had the bathroom fully carpeted - the vendor (a wealthy but weird single guy) had kept the house as a shrine to his ex g/f whose parents had owned it when he was dating the daughter 😳