The Secret to buying the right carpet for your home

It’s that time of the year when winter collection is out on sale everywhere. You’ve bought new clothes and shoes to keep you warm, new curtains, heaters and so on. But, you’ll also need something for your cold floor that will not only keep your feet warm but an extra bonus for your décor. Carpets!

Choosing the right carpet for your home is an important element in your décor that makes it not only appealing but complete. Here’s disclosing the secrets to purchasing the right kind of carpet for your home.  

Before going into details, knowing the types of carpets helps in defining the type you would like to have for your décor. Carpets can be distinguished based on their style and construction.

Based on style:

Traditional Carpets: If you want a classical look to your décor, choosing traditional carpets like Persian and Oriental is a good idea. These carpets and rugs have intricate and artistic details that go back to 16th century. Even the Kilims and Daris fall under this category, which are characterized by flat woven without a pile. These are used as throw rugs and even across walls.

Contemporary Carpets: These have a fresh modern look and can range from hand knotted to hand tufted that appear in silk and wool. Besides, shaggy carpets also come under modern style embossed with a grassy pile that’s soft and best enjoyed barefoot. These are crafted with various materials like wool, leather and polyester.

Based on construction:

Cut pile: All tufted carpets start out during the manufacturing process as loops. They’re made by twisting the carpet yarn tightly together, after which the loop is cut. These highly twisted yarns will hold its shape longer making it apt for high traffic areas in your space. More than anything, they get their durability from the fiber used, density of the tufts and the twist of the yarn. Cut pile is less resistant to crushing than other types of carpet. They are versatile and match all styles of homes. There are four popular styles to choose from: plush, textured, Saxony, frieze, and cable.

Plush- Its appearance can be obtained by stapling yarns or twisting the yarns enabling the ends to blend together, enhancing the overall look. It’s smooth, soft, and silky with a luxurious finish. It creates a deep, soft feel underfoot and an effect similar to that of velour and velvet in looks. It’s best for low traffic areas and suited for formal areas like living room, bedroom.

 Textured- this construction is obtained by stuffing yarn into a steam box to get a kinked or curled yarn. These carpets are tightly twisted and have a multi-coloured look that disguises tracks and footprints. It uses low density fibers of uneven heights. It is not suited for high traffic areas.

Saxony- This is a cut pile carpet which is similar to plush pile but with a higher pile height; and two or more piles of yarn twisted and steamed so that the tip of each carpet tuft is distinguishable on the pile surface. It is smooth, has refined surface and even finish. This carpet is ideal for living, dining and bedroom.

Frieze- It is a highly coarse cut pile carpet that forms a curly textured surface because the yarns are extremely twisted. It has an informal look and is suited for high traffic areas. Its long and loose fibers help to hide dirt and footprints. A frieze carpet is a perfect choice for a well-used family room.

Cable- This style of carpet is made with thicker and longer fibers to provide a cozy feeling when walked on.

Some of the types of construction of Hands Carpets

Loop Pile: This carpet has uncut yarn tips, making the loops visible. These loops are of the same height, creating an informal look. This style generally lasts a long time in high-traffic areas as they are resistant to crushing and matting. This type of carpeting is more casual and ideal for family rooms.

Level loop- It is made by weaving even loops of yarn into carpet backing at both ends. It has a distinct textured loop finish created by a simple loop. This type of carpet is ideal for high traffic areas. Level loop piles with short and densely packed loops are easy to clean.  They prevent dirt from filtering into carpet. 

Patterned Multi-Level Loop- this type of carpet has loops of varying heights to create a texture or pattern. It creates a casual or informal look making it suitable for family rooms. It is suitable for high traffic areas.

Cut and Loop: This carpet style combines tufts of cut and uncut yarns. This means it is a mixture between cut pile and loop pile fibers. It offers a pile surface that is predominantly cut with loops forming a pattern or predominately loops with limited cut yarns to display a pattern. It has a textured appearance that is ideal for highly trafficked areas. As an added bonus, this type of carpet also hides dirt and stains. When cuts and loops are combined, you can create a wide range of patterns. This style offers both level and multi-level constructions.

Berber: The loops are made from thick or bulky yarns of wool, nylon, polypropylene or a blend of these fibres providing high durability and a luxurious cushioned effect underfoot. They can be either level loop of multilevel loop. Berbers can have thicker yarns than other level loop pile carpets for high durability. Berber carpet is a durable yet modern carpet, which is great for use in high foot traffic areas such as offices and schools.

Apart from the benefits, there are few questions you need to consider about your lifestyle.

What are the rooms (bedroom, hallway, dining) in your house used for? Do you want a carpet that blends in to your overall fashion design or one that makes its own fashion statement? How many rooms in your home do you need the carpet for? What is the traffic to each of these rooms? Does the room receive a lot of sunlight? How often do you clean or vacuum it? Answering these questions it will narrow down your search and help in determining the carpet for your home in terms of fiber as well as the texture, construction and colour.

Classic or Contemporary, suit your style

Basic rules and principles to consider:

-If you’ve heard that carpets makes a room seem smaller, it’s certainly a myth because placing carpets actually enhances the size of your room, visually appealing to the eyes.

-If you follow contemporary style, having plush, cut and loop pile, and shaggy ones look great. Also, a plush shiny carpets with some sheen adds glamour to your space. If your style is classic or traditional, then a Persian, Oriental, Kilims will be apt for your space.

-The size of your carpet should be big enough to set boundaries and ground your furniture and make the room look spacious. For instance it should be large enough to at least accommodate the front legs of the furniture on it. Similarly, in your bedroom you need to feel the carpet under your feet when you get out of bed.

-If you’re moving to a new place or decorating your room from scratch, then you need to choose a rug first and pick other elements that go well with it.

-The level of traffic on your carpet will define the kind of usage of your carpet. More traffic means more danger of spillage, stains and dirt. Carpets are not recommended for kitchen due to heavy traffic and the nature of activities that happen in the kitchen.

-If you have rooms with excessive exposure of sunlight, do not place your carpets there. Harsh sunlight may deteriorate the colour which is similar to any other accessories like drapes and mats etc.

- Every room needs one main focal point. Your carpet can be that point or it can support another object such as a painting, crystal ware or piece of furniture. You just don't want the carpet competing, or your room will feel too busy and confusing.

-Choosing the right colour for your carpet can put you in dilemma. You’ll want to pick a colour that goes with the current trend or colour scheme or your decor. Neutral colours such as beige, black, brown or white go well with most of the décor setting. In addition, they are always safe except white, very calming and appealing in any room. Beige is considered safe by many designers. It is flexible and has an utilitarian value when it comes to protecting it from dust and dirt.

Besides, your carpet need not match all your furniture or accessories in the room instead it could match at least the sofa pillows or drapes. Similar patterns and textures like that of your carpet in your decor is also a good choice. Complementary colours are great too and are hard to go wrong.

The current trends are towards the much warmer colors like golds and greens. Earthy, environmental colors have become increasingly popular as well. Light blues, marcella, neutral stone hues, rosy quartz, khaki and suede shades are also very much in demand.

Oriental reds and blues add intensity to any interior décor set-up yet carves a distinct space for itself.

The most high-traffic area of your home should be layered with carpets in darker hues.

To present an artistic and classy appeal to your décor, place a contemporary carpet with bright colours. For lounge area, a plain rug with various weaves and textures and modern designs looks great. For children’s room bright-hued carpets with quirky designs should be introduced and placed between the study table and the bed. This will represent their persona.

It is highly suggested to have carpet and the curtains in contrast shades to bring in positive vibes.

What role or function do you want your carpet to play? To brighten up a dark room or tone down a light space? For darker family rooms, living rooms and hallways, red is a perfect choice of colour. It wears well and tends not to show stains as badly as some of the lighter colors.

Does the rug color match your personality? Casual, more-relaxed people tend to favor the warmer colors and earth tones. Detail-oriented people, on the other hand, often prefer blues, blacks, whites, grays and jewel tones. Do you feel more comfortable walking in rooms whose rugs are in one color family or the other?

 -Carpet quality is determined by a variety of factors including: the fiber type, the fiber construction, weight, density, and twist. The more fibers, the heavier the carpet; the heavier the carpet, the better. Density is important to the life of a carpet because it shows how many fibers are used in the pile and how close the fibers are tufted together. The rule of thumb is, the denser the carpet is the better quality it is. The type of fiber used determines the basic performance and appearance of the carpet.

Every home is unique and requires different kinds of carpets to add the one element that makes it complete. Eventually, the carpet you choose will become the foundation of your fashion decor for each room you design.  

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