Abstract: A floor covering assembly for covering the floor pan area of a vehicle in which the floor pan area includes a recess for routing an operating component, such as a wire harness, for the vehicle. The assembly includes an aesthetic material, a padding material, and a shield. The aesthetic material, such as a carpet, is adapted to be coextensive with the floor pan area to cover the floor pan area and the recess. The padding material has one side attached to the aesthetic material and is substantially coextensive therewith. The shield protects the operating component and is selectively attached to the other side of the padding material at a predetermined location smaller than the floor pan area, whereby to cover the recess in the floor pan area protectively when the assembly is installed in the vehicle to cover the floor pan aesthetically.