Carpet shopping for your home is no small investment. In fact, it’s almost similar to shopping for a new car or major appliances — you want something that offers great longevity and value-for-money.
But when it comes to your carpeting choice, you don’t have to spend a small fortune on high-quality material. You just need to do your homework before settling on a carpet choice to ensure it’s the right fit for your household.
With so many styles, textures, colors, and carpet brands on the market, how do you nail down what’s right for your home? This guide on how to choose carpet should help.
How to Choose Carpet Style: What to Consider
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Carpeting options on the market today are endless. Some of the most popular styles for homes include plush, Saxony, Berber, textured, and frieze carpeting. These terms refer to the pile of the carpet and what you see as the ”surface” of the carpet.
Each style of carpet has its own unique look, but this shouldn’t be your main consideration. You should look at your household, the amount of foot traffic, and your lifestyle when choosing carpet material.
Let’s look closer at these carpet styles:
Plush Carpeting
This style of carpeting is not as family or pet-friendly as other styles. While it may be thick, soft, and luxurious, it has a tendency to pool in some areas, show footprints, vacuum tracks, and more. Some areas of the carpet may look more shaded than others. This is due to the carpet fibers sitting in the wrong direction, which is often caused by high traffic.
Saxony Carpeting
This is probably the most common type of carpeting you’ll find in most homes today. It’s similar to plush carpet and works best in certain areas of the home such as the master bedroom, living room, and guest bedrooms.
Berber Carpeting
Berber carpet is a little less luxurious, and a little more flat and dense. It’s made from continuous fiber loops which make this style of carpet very durable. It doesn’t leave behind tracks, footprints, show soil or stains. It’s ideal for high-traffic areas of the home, such as hallways and kid’s bedrooms.
Textured Carpeting
Textured carpets are comprised of fibers that have been cut at different heights. This is what gives this style of carpet its name and classic light reflection.
For this reason, textured carpet is also a good idea for high-traffic homes as it doesn’t show up tracks or dirt, either. You can also find textured Berber carpeting for a brilliant combination of both these styles.
Frieze Carpeting
This style of carpet is made from fibers that have been slightly twisted. It may look less formal than plush carpeting, but far fancier than Berber or textured-style carpets. Frieze has a beautifully soft underfoot feel and hides footprints, dirt, and stains fairly well.
How to Choose Carpet Based on Density and Traffic
Bear in mind that high-traffic areas, such as the living room, hallways, and main bedrooms require firm, dense padding. While less frequently used rooms, such as guest rooms and studies, only require light density.
You’ll need to match the padding to the type of carpet you choose. A general recommendation is as follows:
- 7/16-inch padding for 6 pounds of density per cubic foot for cut pile or cut-loop carpeting
- 3/8-inch padding for 8 pounds of density per cubic foot for Berber or thin-loop rugs
Now, this may sound complicated, but any carpet manufacturer or salesman should be able to help you understand carpet density and what is right for your needs.
Considering Carpet Color and Patterns
This is where homeowners spend most of their time when deliberating over carpet choice. While color and pattern are important, ultimately, it’s down to the durability of carpet material for a busy household.
Nevertheless, with so many carpet colors and patterns to choose from, it’s important to go in with a basic idea of what you want and need for your home. Here’s what to consider:
- Narrow down your search by considering carpet shades that match the overall mood of each room
- To create a calm, peaceful space, opt for cooler shades such as blues, and grays — red and gold shades are ideal for a cozier room
- Remember that lighter shade carpets can make a room feel bigger than it is — cream, tan, or beige carpeting is good for smaller rooms
When it comes to choosing a carpet pattern, simple is best in terms of longevity. You don’t a room to be completely overwhelmed by a carpet that’s bright and busy. Your carpet should not serve as a focal point, it should merely complement the room and fade into the background.
This being said, a carpet pattern can help to hide stains and tracks, so carefully consider each room and how it will be used when making this decision.
Think About Carpet Maintenance Requirements
One of the best decisions you can make when choosing carpeting is to stick with a low-maintenance option. This is especially important for homeowners with pets and small children. At the end of the day, you don’t want to spend a fortune on cleaning stains from a luxurious, high-end carpet. Another important consideration is a stain-resistant carpet, which makes cleaning all-the-more convenient.
Do your homework on maintenance and cleaning requirements before you settle on a carpet option. Ask a salesperson or carpet manufacturer about what they recommend for your particular household. Don’t forget to ask about cleaning products and whether the carpet requires special equipment for cleaning, too.
Find Beautiful Home Inspiration Just a Click Away
We hope this article on how to choose carpet for your home has been useful and left you with some valuable insight on what to choose, and what not to! Ultimately, home carpeting is an investment you should be able to count on.
If you’re in need of some home inspiration, don’t miss out on the rest of this site for more. You’ll find articles on celebrity homes, architectural inspiration, luxury home additions, the list goes on.