When considering new carpet, you can get overwhelmed with all the different options in texture and colour so it is good to learn a bit about the options and where they are most suited. To help you, here are a few tips and examples.
First, think about your lifestyle.
1. If you have a young family or a family with pets you will most likely want a hard-wearing carpet with a forgiving colour. Some options could include a textured loop pile or a quality hard-twist cut. Loop piles have many variations: formal, linear or textured.
2. If you are more concerned with luxury, a plush pile in a flat colour may be more to your liking. Plush piles are very soft, dense carpet.
3. If you entertain a lot, a combination cut and loop pile in a mid-to-dark tone or a stippled cut pile may suit. The combination has contrasting textures and are less likely to show footprints.
Darker colours are cosier whereas lighter colours make a room feel larger. You can also choose a combination of two colours for a more neutral feel. Colour also fades over time, so choose a couple shades darker than you want for future and the fibre type can also affect the colour you get.
Pairing a rug with solid oak
Solid oak flooring really does pair perfectly with a rug. You can choose a classic design like Aztec or Tudor, or perhaps a more contemporary faux fur rug, but whatever look you decide on, a rug can add a touch of cosiness and comfort to your solid flooring. Oak may be extremely beautiful and durable, but it doesn’t give home a great deal of comfort, yet many homeowners do not want to ruin the look by adding lengths of carpet, so a rug is a wise option. Whether you have mahogany oak, light oak or something in-between, there are so many colours and styles of rugs to choose between nowadays, so take your time to find one that will look beautiful in your home. It’s important to make sure you choose a rug that matches the character and feel of your property, so let’s say you have a cottage bungalow in the country, a thick sheepskin rug would be a lovely addition to your classic oak floor.
Why your carpet should complement your walls
Many interior designers are fixated on furniture and wall colours but some do not give flooring the time of day. In most homes in the UK, a soft natural carpet is added to most of the key areas in the house, apart from kitchens and bathrooms and those houses that have classic slate or oak flooring. There are certain things you need to take into account when choosing a carpet though, and one of those is the colour of the wall. We feel the wall colour should complement the colour of your carpet and vice versa. Let’s say you have grey walls and your aim was to create a minimalistic room, you don’t want to be adding colour to your carpet, you need to choose a shade that complements the wall colour such as a shade of grey, a shade of brown or even a more pale colour. Adding a bold colour would work against the grey colour of the wall, and it will leave your home looking a tad dated!
Basics of carpet cleaning
The best way to keep your carpets looking newer for longer, is to keep them well maintained and cleaned regularly. Carpets should be cleaned as frequently as needed. That said, once a week should be a minimum even if there is no visible dirt. We have outlined the three main ways to keep your carpets clean and well maintained:
Stains- Stubborn stains can ruin a carpets appearance instantly, that’s why cleaning a spillage as soon as it has happened is so vital. Leaving a stain on a carpet for a long period of time will only make it harder or even impossible to remove.
Vacuuming- Sounds cliché, but it really is that simple. As we have mentioned this should be done once a week as a minimum, but can be more frequent if needed. If you have thick piled carpets, make sure your vacuum is powerful enough to clear the deeper dirt.
Professional- Hiring a profession every 6 months to a year to give your carpets a deep clean will help to reduce allergens, and also improve the cleanliness of your home.