Wall-to-wall carpeting became the floor covering of choice during the 1960s and 1970s, and it remains a popular choice today. The comfort, warmth and wide variety of styles and design choices make it easy to fit into any decorating style and mood. Carpets can offer a feeling of luxury, bring colors together, makes small rooms more spacious and tie large areas together into a cohesive whole.
When shopping for carpet, it's important to take into account the use of the room in which it will be installed. The material and workmanship will determine how well the carpet is suited to high traffic areas, or how well it will stand up to regular daily wear. The most common material for contemporary carpets is olefin, and acrylic fiber that can take on a wide variety of textures and thicknesses depending on how it is spun or woven. It resists staining, cleans easily and wears very well. Moisture resistant and fast-drying, olefin has brought the use of carpeting outdoors to patios and all-purpose rooms where natural materials and other synthetics would mold and rot.
Designer Tips and Tricks with Carpet
Putting a pile carpet in a high-traffic area? Choose a frieze style. It's tight twist and pebbly texture makes it wear well, and hide dirt.
To warm a cool room, or give a cozy feeling in a bedroom or family room, choose colors in the red-orange family. Deep brick red, russet brown or a tweedy mix of orange and deep brown will give a room a warm, friendly feeling.
Want to emphasize open, airy spaces? Choose pale blues, greens and grays in smooth textures to keep the contemporary open-air feeling of a bright room. Pale carpets will also brighten a dark room, and open up the space in a small room.
Got a noisy, open space? Damp the sound with a thick, lush carpet. Carpets absorb sound - and not just the sound of footsteps.
Avoid busy patterns in a small room. They just make it feel more cramped. Stick to solid colors, or subtle shadings that create a feeling of space.
Inspire the mood with the choice of color and texture of your carpets. Want a bedroom that relaxes you the moment you enter? Soothing shades include soft blues, pale to dark grays. Patterns should have little contrast - a pretty impressionist pattern is soothing to the eye - and the mood. Want to jazz it up instead? Pick bright, clear colors and vibrant patterns. Or create a sensual mood with thick, luxurious pile carpeting in warm, soft colors.
Try these tips to emphasize a particular decorating style:
Rustic/country - Pick bold colors and rough textures. Braided rugs, looped rugs and painted floor cloths can all emphasize the style of a rustic, country setting.
Informal: Bright strong colors in nubby textures are informal and comfortable. Keep patterns small and irregular - the more regular and structured the pattern, the more formal the room appears.
Contemporary: Emphasize the clean lines of a contemporary room with a single color carpet in either low pile or thick, lush luxurious cotton.
Formal: Soft pale colors and deep sculptured piles up the formality of a gracious living room or parlor.