Not to mention..there's a RUG!!! GASP! I could just imagine the spills and messes that would occur if this was my kitchen..a throw rug/mat, yeah, I've had that...but carpet! I can deal with small spaces, but I hate to feel confined and the patterns are a bit too much for a kitchen in my tastes..but like you said, you can respect their choices. I can see this pattern and all in a living room of course, but how conventional is that?