It’s fascinating that how we style a home is more impacted by culture than what we perhaps think it is. We style our home in a way and with a set of rules that others from other parts of the world perhaps thinks is strange. This was what happened I entered the world of England homes back in 2017. I’m Scandinavian, and in Scandinavia no-one is a big fan of carpets or “wall to wall carpet” as we called it in Norwegian. It was a way of styling.a home that died in the 70s. However, in England is having a home with carpets the normal.
Surprisingly, over the years in England have I grown quite found of carpets. At least more than I did before and when it’s done tastefully. I realised that a carpet can really make a rooms ambiance completely different. It becomes more warm and cosy. Perhaps in the future I would consider having a carpet in my home – but only in the bedroom. I’ve gotten quite used to having it in the bedroom in the London flat.
To perhaps change your impression on carpets – here are a couple of tasteful ones I really like.
How to pick the right colour on a carpet
1. Firstly, go for a colour and style that you really like. Decorating a room is all about expression of who you are. For me, I’ve always been drawn to the more natural colour palette (which the picture above shows).
2. Secondly, pick a carpet that complements your existing furniture and design. Think about the furniture, the art, the curtains and other decorations in the room. Select a shade that is in the same colour family. Also, be aware of which item you want the attention to be drawn to. Do you want it to be a sofa or do you want it to be the carpet?
3. Be aware of the use of the room and space. If the room is a high-traffic area or if you have pets – it can be wiser to go with a darker colour
4. If there is not much natural light, choose a lighter shade on the carpet to the room. If you add a dark shade to a room, will the carpet appear even darker in a room with little natural light. Also, if you have a cream carpet will this also become a shade lighter if you have several windows in your room.
5. Bring several carpet swatches home to see what works the best. You may think that you have found the best colour and shade when you stand in the store, but normally has a store completely different lighting than what you have in your home. Therefore ask for multiple samples that goes lighter and darker than what you perhaps thought was a good idea in-store.
The different carpet fibre
There are many different fabrics and fibre to pick in choosing a carpet. Here follows the five most common ones.
Wool is normally used in high-quality carpets. It’s natural, sustainable, resilient and highly durable. It’s also good for reducing heat loss and noice, since it insulates well. Wool feels also very good to walk on and is highly durable. If you want to go for a bit cheaper combination of wool, can you go for Wool-mix which is normally a mix between wool and man-made fibre.
Polypropylene is another popular alternative that is man-mad. It’s resistant to stains and can even be cleaned with a part-bleached solution (check you specific one for instructions before you do). Another man-made solution is polyamide, also known as nylon. It’s a good solution for family homes since it can come with build-in stain-resistant treatments. If you want a wool like appearance, then Polyester is a good choice. It’s soft, durable and resistant.
Staircase from The Frugality
A carpet can do wonder to a cold room. Just remember – make it work with what’s already there and let it naturally blend in with the rest of the furniture.
