A good quality carpet can instantaneously transform your home, making it warm and cosy, absorbing noise, and adding personality. But, choosing the right carpet for your home can leave you feeling floored!
Navigating your way through all the different fibres, colours and styles can be a minefield, so to help you choose the right carpet type for your space, we’ve put together our top 5 tips to make the selection process a little easier.
Tip 1: Consider the Way You Live
You need your carpet to match your lifestyle, so take your family and pets into consideration when choosing a carpet. If you have a young family and/or pets, then a hard-wearing carpet in a forgiving colour (dark coloured carpets will help conceal dirt more) may be more appropriate than a plush pile in a light colour (which may be perfect for a couple looking for a touch of luxury).
Need a pet-friendly carpet? Ask for our top recommendations today!
Tip 2: Look at Different Carpet Styles
There are many different styles of carpet to choose from, but these are the basics:
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Loop pile - this is where individual strands of yarn are pulled through the carpet backing twice, forming a small loop. Loop pile carpets feel nice and smooth, and they are great for high traffic areas as they hide footprints.
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Cut pile - made by cutting yarn loops to produce an upright pile, cut pile carpets have a more luxurious and formal look to them than loop pile carpets. They are generally super soft and dense, so they show footprints more easily than other carpet styles.
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Mix it up - you can also go for a cut and loop pile combination which have great sculptural effects like squares, swirls, and geometric patterns. This extra texture helps disguise marks and footprints than a plain cut pile.
Have you considered the insulation benefits carpet provides for your home? Read our blog here.
Tip 3: Consider Fibre Types
There are lots of different types of fibres used when making carpets, including wool, nylon, and synthetic fibres. So make sure to consider the appearance and texture of the fibres, as well as what would suit your lifestyle best.
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Wool - warm in winter, cool in summer, wool carpets have a luxurious feel to them. Naturally stain resistant, they have a long-lasting beauty that will stand the test of time (and muddy feet).
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Nylon - the most popular carpet choice for Aussie homes, nylon carpets are ultra soft, durable and stain resistant. They are ideal for high traffic areas, families and pets, and are a cheaper alternative to wool.
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Solution Dyed Nylon (SDN) - this is the next generation in nylon carpet, whereby the colour is added to the fibre during the production process rather than applied to the surface of the fibre afterward. This adds a colourfast against cleaning and sunlight and means the carpet colour will last longer.
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Polypropylene - this synthetic carpet fibre is a good option if you’re working to a budget, and is often used in rental properties, garages, and playrooms for this reason.
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Polyester - widely liked for its lustrous appearance and high level of stain resistance, polyester is also one of the most eco-friendly of the synthetic fibres, and, relative to nylon, it often comes at a lower cost.
Tip 4: Understand Carpet Colours
Understanding how colours work will help you choose the right carpet colour for your space.
For instance, darker colours will make a room feel cosier, while lighter colours make a room feel larger. Very light and very dark carpet colours show dirt more, so mid-tones may be better for families with children or pets.
What carpet colour will work best for your lifestyle?
Tip 5: Check Ratings
In Australia, carpets are rated using the Australian Carpet Classification Scheme (ACCS), according to their durability and appearance retention, so make sure to check out the rating of the carpet you’re interested in.
Carpets that are rated for Residential use have a blue and gold ACCS label and can be rated up to 6 stars.
There are a lot of other things you can consider when it comes to choosing the right carpet for your home, so if you’re still not sure, make sure you chat with one of our Flooring Specialists - the team are on hand at our showroom to talk you through all of your options and help you choose the right carpet for your home, your lifestyle and your personal taste.