What does a Carpet do for your Home ?
Carpets today are available in multiple colours, textures, designs and patterns and can add warmth and comfort to your floors and homes. If you want to choose the best carpet for your home – it can be a herculean task especially if you are a first time buyer. The various varieties of rugs and carpets in the market can confuse you and you may not be able to choose the perfect carpet for your needs. So here are our tips to help you select the best carpet for your home. One that is functional as well as beautiful enough to add to your space and lifestyle.
Evaluate your Needs
Once you have made up your mind to buy a carpet for say – your living room, you must evaluate as to what could be the right kind of carpet for your needs . Decide whether you want a handmade carpet or a machine made one. What should be the type of fibre used in the making of the carpet- (natural or synthetic), its texture (pile type or length) ? Figure out the colour of your carpet which should go with the walls, interiors, furniture. All these factors will make it easy for you to create a shortlist of possible choices from where you can finally pick one carpet for your home.
Choose the right Carpet Material
Carpets are made of diverse materials including wool, silk, viscose, polyethylene etc. However, among all of these, wool carpets are the most long lasting while fibre & silk carpets are the finest in look and feel. Further, wool and silk carpets are expensive they are made from natural fibres. Hence their utilisation in a carpet increases its cost.
Synthetic fibres like polyethylene, polyamide product, polyester, acrylic and art silk are mostly used to create machine-made carpets. The fibres render a beautiful look to the carpet and bring down the carpet manufacturing cost. Hence they are popular among carpet manufacturers, exporters & buyers.
Here you need to make a choice if you want high end luxury and finesse in your carpet or else want to go with something that’s durable and affordable. While silk carpets are alluring and beautiful – woollen carpets are durable and resist fire, dust & allergens. And carpets made of synthetic fibres are reasonable in cost.
Select the Texture to go with your Room
Texture is a function of diverse factors, such as a carpet’s cut pile/plush pile, its loop pile, cut & loop pile and patterned loop pile. The high pile carpets are difficult to clean but look marvellous. Hence, before choosing the type and length of pile, you need to keep in mind if you have pets, kids & elders in your home.
What kind of Carpet works for which Room ?
A Carpet can be laid in any room, but is not recommended for kitchens and most people avoid it in bathrooms. Halls, stairs and landings take the most wear and tear, so it is advisable to lay down a hardwearing carpet in these areas, with at least 80 percent wool content. You can be a little more indulgent and opt for a luxurious choice in bedrooms, for example, that aren’t used as much.
Consider man-made fibres such as polypropylene for kids’ rooms and dining spaces as they are highly stain-resistant. When it comes to carpeting stairs, flatweaves are suitable. Flatweaves are more flexible, making them an advisable choice for winding staircases. Both nylon and polypropylene are excellent carpet materials for homes with pets: they are durable and stain-resistant, but most importantly, they are less attractive for scratching. Both dogs and cats gladly sink their claws into soft wool carpets, so avoid these in a house with pets, and definitely avoid anything with silk.
Choose the Right Colour
Colours have a strong role in carpet selection as the bright and bold colours make a room feel cosy -while light and pastel shades make a room look bigger in size.The other point to keep in mind during color selection to keep your room theme in mind. The color of the carpet should go with interiors of your room.
How would you want your Carpet to Feel
Before making a final choice, ask yourself a few questions. How you want to your carpet to feel underfoot. If you want it to have a warm or a fuzzy feel, then it should be a wool or fur carpet or a shaggy rug. If you want something that feels light and natural then jute, cotton or coir is the choice for you.
Decide where you want to Place the Carpet versus the Furniture
Next you need to decide where you want to place your carpet. Experts advise that when placing a rug in your dining room, make sure it covers a considerable area – even when your chairs are pulled out for use. Designers swear by a 24-inch perimeter of extra carpet around the dining space for maximum impact. This also prevents your chair-legs from getting caught on the edge of the carpet or rug. (Please check image below for reference)
One must also place furniture on the borders of your carpet to create a cohesive look. Ideally all four legs of your furniture should be within the carpet area but if you cannot afford to do that, make sure the two front legs are in the carpeted area, at least. (Please check image below for reference)
To sum up …
If you follow our easy pointers, you will be able to make the right choice and buy a favourite carpet for your living room as well as for other rooms such in your home or office.
Buying a carpet is an investment which one doesn’t buy frequently and hence we recommend you not compromise on its quality.
The fact is that nothing accentuates the aesthetics of a home the way a carpet does. A well placed carpet can bind together all décor elements of a room which includes creating a focal point of interest, providing comfort and enhancing the look of a room.
We hope our tips will help you in choosing the perfect carpet or rug for your home. Happy shopping…!
This detailed guide to buying the right carpet for your home is authored by the team at Saraswatii Global, a brand that crafts the most beautiful collection of rugs and carpets. Check out their store with us here.