Page 3 | 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?

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 07/08/2026 15:57

Booktote · 07/08/2026 15:02

He just says it’s unhygienic if food falls in the carpet but it’s obviously the same with a rug so I can’t say i understand. That’s why I’m asking here, I wanted to see if I’ve missed something!

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If that's the issue then get a rug and put it on top of the carpet. That's what we had in our house growing up in the dining room. I never really saw the point, but now wondering if my Mum had the same thoughts you husband has.

Seagulldancing · 07/08/2026 15:58

All dining rooms had carpet in the 80s and 90s. Its only relatively recently houses went back to hard floors indoors.

TonTonMacoute · 07/08/2026 15:59

simplesighmon · 07/08/2026 15:55

I’d change the carpet to wood or laminate flooring. Carpet will be hard to clean when food or drink drops on it. It’s gross.
Until recently, a lot of Brits had carpet in their bathrooms — I’d take their opinions with a grain of salt.

They are renting!

We had carpet in our dining room for years, then we took it up and discovered the original slate flooring, so we have that with a cheap, but very pretty, rug.

youalright · 07/08/2026 16:03

Do you have kids and how old are they if you are going to be their a while I would make it a hang out room for when your kids have friends and bf/gf over

Likeiloveyou · 07/08/2026 16:07

So food falling on carpet is unhygienic but if it falls on a rug, we’re all good?

Bizarre.

AngelsWithSilverWings · 07/08/2026 16:22

We've had carpeted dining rooms in most of the homes I've lived in over the years. Just put a washable rug down if you are worried about the carpet.

Pistachiocake · 07/08/2026 16:23

All dining rooms used to be carpet w2w, and most people now have a massive rug under the table. There's not a big difference (a few inches, maybe a foot or so round the edge, in many rooms?) and unless you send your rugs out for cleaning, I don't see the difference in using a carpet machine on a big rug in your home, or the whole room.
Some people say w2w carpet will come back as a trend soon, as people appreciate the comfort and sound protection. Might be true-it once seemed grey and kitchen islands would never go out, so who knows? Me, I've got rid of the carpet under our table, despite the racket, as got sick of it, so what do I know-I'd just say do what you want, not what the "right" thing for the current trend is.

Fiftyandme · 07/08/2026 16:26

Your husband is ridiculous.

BeaLola · 07/08/2026 16:43

simplesighmon · 07/08/2026 15:55

I’d change the carpet to wood or laminate flooring. Carpet will be hard to clean when food or drink drops on it. It’s gross.
Until recently, a lot of Brits had carpet in their bathrooms — I’d take their opinions with a grain of salt.

We have carpet throughout the downstairs including the dining room
(it’s cream too) - I dont think it’s “gross” - we have cleaned the odd mark or spill fine

Mh67 · 07/08/2026 17:08

Buy a huge rug then your not ruining the owners carpet with food

YoQuieroVino · 07/08/2026 17:16

simplesighmon · 07/08/2026 15:55

I’d change the carpet to wood or laminate flooring. Carpet will be hard to clean when food or drink drops on it. It’s gross.
Until recently, a lot of Brits had carpet in their bathrooms — I’d take their opinions with a grain of salt.

It’s a rented house. You can’t generally just change the flooring of a house you don’t own.

Curleywoo · 07/08/2026 17:18

Buy a large inexpensive thin pile rug and place the table and chairs on it.
It will take any accidents.

godmum56 · 07/08/2026 17:22

simplesighmon · 07/08/2026 15:55

I’d change the carpet to wood or laminate flooring. Carpet will be hard to clean when food or drink drops on it. It’s gross.
Until recently, a lot of Brits had carpet in their bathrooms — I’d take their opinions with a grain of salt.

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?

LibertyLily · 07/08/2026 17:23

We don't have any fitted carpets in our house - and not just because half of it is a building site, it's a personal choice as we didn't have fitted carpet anywhere in our last three houses either! I'm just not a fan of them at all.

Our preference is for large area rugs over original floorboards/engineered wood flooring or stone etc. Our current dining room (semi open plan to the kitchen) has lovely Georgian and Victorian boards with an antique kilim rug under the table.

As you're renting @Booktote I'd do as others have suggested and put an inexpensive rug over the carpet to protect it from food spillages/accidents etc.

Error404FucksNotFound · 07/08/2026 17:25

How messily does your husband eat that he wants an easy clean floor? 😁

Yes you can have carpet in a dining room. If you have young children then might be an idea to buy a cheap rug to go on top or even that plastic stuff but theres no reason a room with a carpet can't be used as a place to eat.

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?

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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 😳

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!!

GentleSheep · 07/08/2026 17:31

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

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.

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?

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!

Newbie8918 · 07/08/2026 18:24

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

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?

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!!!!

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!