Beyond Beige

When the choices in carpet were limited to basic beige, designers treated it more often than not as a neutral background for room furnishings. Now, with numerous textures, patterns, and colors available, carpet is emerging as the focal point in some interior designs.

Not that the need for neutral carpet has gone away; it hasn’t. Berber is still a popular choice. But unlike the plain Berbers of the early 1990s, today’s versions have more texture and pattern. Variation in height and sculptured effects offer a bolder look. Even the more traditional Berbers offer more visual interest with more extreme differences in pile cut and thicker, deeper loop textures.

The trend in neutral carpet favors incorporation of these new design possibilities — more texture, some pattern, and even flecks of color adding interest to basic backgrounds.

Color sprinkled against a neutral background adds interest and dimension while it helps mask spots and spills. Flecks of color are now appearing against tan, beige, and cream backgrounds as well as in the “new neutrals” of soft greens, pale yellows, and shades of blue.

Color and Texture

A major shift in new products is toward layered color and soft texture in carpet. A combination of texture and pattern will always be popular because it minimizes soil and vacuum marks. But the other advantage is that color and texture offer more distinctive styling and fashion appeal.

Applied and woven patterns — in designs of leaves, trellises, or flowers, for example — offer organic shapes that coordinate easily with patterns in other furnishings. Strong colors that come from commercial pallets are now available in multicolored loops, cut loop surfaces, and Berber styles as accents. For a wall-to-wall color statement, traditional Saxony and textured Saxony offer the broadest selections.

These new products are changing the public’s perception of carpet as only a background to showcase other furnishings to the possibility that the carpet itself can become a design focus.

Carpet Construction

New manufacturing capabilities have produced many new looks in carpets constructed with cut and loop yarns and in high- and low-loop yarns. Examples include swirls, bows, lattices, plaids, pin dots, and fleurs-de-lis.

Taking advantage of these choices can add great interest to the room and in coordination with the florals, stripes, and other patterns on furniture and window treatments. Carpet pattern and texture increase the perception of quality and value in carpet, and can contrast beautifully with smoother elements such as furniture surfaces, walls, and counters.

Along with paint, carpet can be one of the easiest ways to personalize an environment. Its color can be a neutral foundation or a vibrant focal point. Today’s carpet trends take full advantage of new products as well as new thinking about style.

At Coles, we strive to keep up with the ever changing trends of interior decorating.  Here are just a few trends that we have noticed recently in flooring purchases.

Bamboo

Bamboo has been around for a long time, but what we are seeing lately is an explosion of colors and styles. While technically a fast-growing grass, bamboo is as hard or harder than most hardwoods when dried. Newer products called strand-woven bamboo, a highly engineered product using the inner fibers, are twice as hard as traditional bamboo flooring. In addition to the common thin-banded styles shoppers have become accustomed to, bamboo is offered in wide-plank styles that mimic the look of classic hardwoods. As with all wood flooring, it’s best to keep bamboo out of moisture-prone rooms like kitchens and baths.

Reclaimed Wood

We are seeing more and more of in flooring is classic looks using new technology.  A perfect example of that, is reclaimed hardwood. New factory-finished hardwood flooring offers all the charm of reclaimed timber — right down to that timeless hand-hewn look — but without the high costs associated with true salvaged lumber. Factory-finished wood will stand up to moisture fluctuations better than any wood flooring that is finished onsite.

Large-Format Tile

In the world of tile we are seeing an explosion of sizes, shapes, materials and patterns. Particularly popular these days, are large-format tiles — tiles that come 12″ x 24″ and even 36″ x 36″ — as opposed to the tried-and-true 12″ x 12″ tiles. In addition to looking great, larger sizes mean more tile surface and less grout lines to clean.

It may not be the immediate thing that strikes us when walking into a room: The flooring. We’re often preoccupied with what’s at eye level such as the decor, the fridge contents or view out the window. Like not noticing someone’s footwear, what we stand on might be equally unremarkable.

But have a peek at ground level. How would your score your floor? The passage of time, continual treading, vacuum cleaning and what we bring in from outside can take their toll on flooring which can include: tiling, vinyl, rugs, woodwork and carpets.

Restoring old flooring 

Rugs and mats can do a good job of hiding stains and bald patches on flooring, and can be picked up relatively cheaply. They can also be a cost-effective option compared with buying brand new flooring. Areas in the home which undergo high ‘human traffic’ such as halls, lobbies and landings are more susceptible to wear and tear. Rugs and mats can provide a useful stopgap until a more permanent type of flooring is found.

Waste not, want not

Second-hand is not always second-rate. Home owners can browse the web and newspapers to look out for nearly new or used carpets and other types of flooring. There may be occasions where large homes want rid of carpets and other flooring. That’s why smaller homes with smaller rooms could benefit from cut-out sizes. Rather than being dumped, carpets can be given a new lease of life and be re-laid. Think of a new resident moving into a new home with carpets they do not like. The result? A brand new carpet could be up for sale.

Wood or vinyl?

Each has its own merits. Wood inevitably gives a more traditional-look finish – but may needing sanding and treating with varnish or another protector every few years. The advantage of vinyl is that it can often be wiped and mopped clean more easily than an uneven wood floor, and there is the benefit of not having to protect it all the time. Where wood is concerned, there is also a slight risk of planks sinking over time, resulting in food, high heels and other footwear to become lodged in the cracks.

Types of carpet

Remember the last time you walked on warm, soft sand? A nice, thick carpet can evoke that same feeling of comfort underfoot, regardless of whether you’re bare-footed, wear sandals or shoes. The great aspect of having a carpet installed is they can help insulate your home and keep the warmth in. In the UK, the main types of carpet are ‘Woven’ and ‘Tufted’. Woven carpets retain their appearance and can last longer but are pricier than tufted carpets. Tufted carpets are quicker and cheaper to make, yet have a more limited range of patterns and colors.

courtesy of chictip.com