How to Choose the Right Carpets & Rugs for Your Space

The carpeting, or the rugs, in a room can make or break the whole space, often without you or anyone else being able to point out exactly why or what is wrong, and getting it exactly right can be surprisingly tricky. If trying before you buy is not an option, it is vital that you get the measurements you need, and bigger is always better when it comes to carpets. Style and color—whatever material you want and is best suited for the space—you should have all these locked down before you buy anything. These are just scratching the surface of all the little factors that make up getting the right carpet. This may seem like being a bit dramatic about something that seems so insignificant, but in something like home design, every detail matters—the bricks that make up the whole. So, here is a little help to get you started on finding that perfect rug for your space. Read on.

Living Room

The living room is the room that sees the most people for the most amount of time, making it kind of a priority when it comes to interior design. To start with, you need the right sizes, and considering it is the living room and likely quite large, you are going to want something like these large 9×12 area rugs that cover a lot of the room. Also, consider the needs of the room, for example, if you are in a beachside cottage, you won’t want to pick a heavy, thick rug that you can’t get the sand out of. But if you find yourself in a mountain lodge or something, a plush, deep wool rug will add texture and a warm, cozy atmosphere to the home. Additionally, as your living room gets the most wear, you want a carpet that is not too thin or fragile, or buckling in the middle of rolling up at the edges which can just get very annoying very quickly. 

Dining Room

Choosing the right carpet for the dining room can be a bit tricky, as it needs to be large enough that when all the chairs are out and being used, the chairs’ four feet should still be on the rug. So, to get the sizing just right, what you want to do is pull all the chairs out slightly, and then measure around the chairs. It is also advisable to go for a low-pile carpet that will not bunch or prevent the chairs from being moved out. Also, keep color and fabric in mind as well, as you do not want to have to worry about spills or food stains every time you sit down with your family to enjoy a meal. Darker tones over white are definitely the go-to here, as are washable fabrics, and stain-resistant. 

Don’t Forget Padding

Don’t be tempted to skip on good carpet padding just to save a few bucks because just as any building needs a solid, sturdy foundation, carpets also rely on a layer of padding for strength, support, and some extra cushioning. You cannot see the padding, but you are definitely going to spot the extra wear and tear on your lovely new carpet if you pick inadequate padding. Generally made from foam or rubber materials, padding on carpets is about concealing the subfloor imperfections and not letting the finished floor get damaged. Padding also acts as insulation to help keep the temperature in your home under control and even absorbs sound, protecting your privacy and eliminating noise from the neighbors. Perhaps most important of all, padding supports your rug over years of use as it prevents carpet backing and the fibers from coming apart as time goes on. 

Budget

Make sure you don’t blow your budget, especially as some carpets and rugs can get ridiculously expensive, quite literally luxury items reserved for the obscenely rich and wealthy, but even luxury carpets don’t always have to cost a fortune. So before you make any purchase, make sure you look around different shops and dealers, compare their prices, and choose the best carpet for each room, as we have already touched upon earlier. If you have kids and pets, they are also a factor in picking the right carpet, for example, carpet tile instead of maybe rolled carpeting, so instead of having to replace the whole room’s carpet after a few years of the usual wear and tear that is just par for the course, you can replace single tiles as required to keep it looking new and fresh. Materials also matter when it comes to pricing, so something like wool is the very best quality but also obviously comes with the highest price tag. At the same time, synthetics like nylon feel similar to wool but also can be found at more reasonable, affordable price tags. 

Be Aware of Maintenance Requirements

Understand the maintenance needs before you buy anything, so again, if you have young children or pets, you won’t want super luxurious, deep carpets that are almost impossible to clean. Know your own needs, and then ask the salesperson about any cleaning and maintenance requirements before you commit to a purchase. Ask things like how often you will need to clean the carpet, whether there are any special products or equipment the manufacturer recommends you use, and so on. Also, carpets can come with warranties, including five- and ten-year options, against wear, stains, and even the overall look. Usually, the higher the quality of the carpet, the more coverage you will be offered via the warranty. Now, obviously, you should never buy a carpet, or anything, based solely on how great the warranty is, that is just an extra bonus you should keep in mind while browsing your options. 

Carpets have a huge but subtle effect on your entire space, and you should certainly put some thought and attention into doing some research, measurements, and everything else before you buy anything. Hopefully, you are now a little better prepared to make an informed choice.