Shopping for new carpet flooring? Great! Carpet is a highly popular flooring choice and if you do it right, it isn't something you'll change too frequently. Seven years is the average lifespan for a carpet before it is replaced, usually as part of a home remodeling project.
With many options available, it's not always easy to decide on the best carpet for your needs. We're here to help! Read on to learn how to choose the best carpet colors to complement your home decor.
Where to Begin?
Any home remodeling project is a complex set of decisions. You're trying to balance your decisions with many factors. Colors are just one of the myriads of items you'll consider.
There's texture, materials, costs, ease of installation, and fashion all competing for attention. Every element of your room contributes to the overall effect. Creating harmony between walls, other painted surfaces, furniture, curtains, and the carpet is a challenge.
If you get the decision wrong with the walls, repainting is relatively easy to fix on your own or with the help of a professional. Getting it wrong with carpet, not as quick of a fix. While your professional installer can always complete a replacement job for you, you want to get this right the first time so you can start enjoying your floors and bringing in the furniture!
Your Color Preferences
Start your carpet color decision journey by dismissing any color that you can do without. If you despise pink, you're never going to like to see it all over your floor, every day. Eliminate any colors that fall into this category first.
You may have already made some decisions that will impact your carpet color choice. Do you have a specific item of furniture that you just have to feature prominently in the room? If it has a strong color it may help drive your color options.
Working Together
There's no substitute for testing color options. Have samples of the colors and textures so you can see them together. Don't try to choose the carpet on its own.
When testing carpet color options, try it out with a sample of the wall color. If you intend to paint the walls have a sheet of paper painted with a sample of the color. If you intend to have a wall covering, a sample of that will work well too.
You'll need to compare the carpet with a larger area of wall paint or covering. A small paint chip and a large piece of carpet will look very different when your carpet is fitted in your home next to a large expanse of wall.
Color Availability
You may have made some decisions about your carpet already. The quality, material, and price decisions will reduce your color options somewhat. Check what is available within the specification you have decided on.
Color and Optical Illusions
Your choice of color isn't just an esthetic decision. Color can make a big difference in how you perceive space.
If you're working with a smaller room, a darker carpet will tend to make it look even smaller. If you want to create the effect of space, select a lighter shade. You'll add the illusion of an additional few square feet even though the walls are in the same place as before.
A larger room can be made to feel cozier by selecting a darker carpet. A lighter shade can make an already large room appear palatial.
Color and Durability
Your color choice can make a difference to the lifespan of the carpet. Lighter colors can show the signs of aging more quickly than darker or patterned carpets.
In high traffic areas, lighter carpets will likely begin to show wear and tear sooner than other carpets. Assess the level of traffic you expect. A frequently used flight of stairs is a different carpeting challenge than a spare bedroom that is only occasionally used.
Living with a carpet means living with the risk of spills and stains. Even stain-resistant carpet has its limitations. Stain-resistance isn't 100% effective.
Children and pets might be the most common culprits, but they're not the only ones. If you will be holding parties in the room, then perhaps the light, single-color carpet isn't the best option for you.
If you need to hide stains, opt for a darker carpet or one with flecks or a multi-colored pattern.
Installation and Color
There are times when a carpet has to be joined. A skilled carpet installer can make the join almost invisible, but how effective this is can vary with the carpet. In general, a darker carpet is better for hiding seams.
Pattern matching may be a problem when joining a carpet. If a join disrupts the pattern it can stand out even more. If the pattern can be used to hide a join it can be an advantage.
Check with your installer. If you want a patterned carpet, asses if joins are needed, whether they will be in prominent areas, and the impact of any pattern.
Color Matching
Using a color wheel can help you determine which color combinations will work together.
You can create a color scheme that uses different shades of the same color or you could pair colors that are next to each other. Complementary colors also work well together. These are two colors from opposite sides, such as blue and orange. Exciting, vibrant color relationships can be explored such as taking three colors that are equally spaced on the color wheel such as yellow, red, and blue.
Fashion
Colors come into and out of fashion. If you intend to replace your carpet frequently you might want to follow it but bear in mind that there'll be a new fashion along before too long.
Neutral colored carpets allow you to change the colors in other aspects of your décor. It's more realistic to change the color of the walls more frequently so this is a viable option. Beiges and grays are the color pallet to choose from for maximum flexibility.
Your Carpet Colors
At the end of the day, your preferences, your existing décor, and your practical considerations are unique to you. Now that you've reviewed the guide, it's time to talk to an expert!
National Floors Direct is here to talk to you about your carpeting needs, contact us today!
