3 Ways to Spruce up Your Carpeting
Carpet floors: When they’re first installed, they create a stunning uniformity. However, over the years carpeting loses its luster and soon looks boring and old. Fortunately, there are many ways to make old carpeting look new again. For instance, a new area rug or two can add new life to any space. Or, if you’re ready for a big change, you can have a carpet company rip out your old carpeting and install new carpet floors. Below, we’ve listed a few suggestions that your carpet company might suggest for sprucing up lackluster carpet floors.
1. Add an Area Rug
Whether or not you keep your current carpet floors, an area rug can take any space from boring to intriguing in mere minutes. Here are a few design approaches to help you maximize the impact of new area rugs:
Protect high-traffic areas. Use runners and other smaller area rugs to protect areas that receive plenty of traffic. For instance, if your hall could use a little design help, add a long, rectangular rug that will prevent scratches while beautifying the space.
Match your rug to your décor. Braided rugs complement country styles, while natural jute, wool or sisal rugs are excellent materials for creating a cozy feel. If you’re aiming for a sophisticated, modern look, consider a plush, thick area rug.
Don’t go overboard with patterns. Just as a plaid suit is hard on the eyes, too many patterns can overwhelm a room. Therefore, if your wallpaper, furniture, or other accessories feature lots of patterns, it’s probably best to choose a minimalist or even solid-toned rug. On the other hand, if the rest of your décor seems bland, a patterned rug can help jazz up the space.
Oftentimes, people who have wall-to-wall carpeting feel that they are stuck with the stuff for a lifetime, since the flooring underneath is often hard, unwelcoming concrete. Well, here’s an unusual way to tweak this situation: Remove the old carpeting, dye and polish the underlying concrete floor to give it a modern flair, and then select an exciting area rug from one of your local carpet suppliers. Chances are you will be able to find a rug that can cover nearly the entire room. And that polished concrete floor will be stunning, assuming you dye it a striking tone that matches the rest of your décor.
2. Go Green with Recycled Carpeting
Carpet suppliers are rarely included on lists of green flooring material providers. However, some modern carpet manufacturers are finding ways to reduce material use – namely by utilizing recycled materials. For instance, Anso carpeting, by Shaw, is recycled from existent nylon carpeting, thus preventing 100 million pounds of carpeting from entering landfills every year. And best of all, you don’t have to sacrifice style or performance when you choose to install Anso carpeting. It’s beautiful and durable, just like traditional carpet.
Other carpet suppliers are moving away from petroleum-based nylon carpeting and toward innovative solutions such as carpet fibers made from corn sugar. That might sound impossible, but the carpet company Mohawk Greenworks has created its SmartStrand carpeting with DuPont Sorona, which is indeed produced from renewable crops such as corn. Mohawk also recycles PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles into carpet fibers.
Installing earth-friendly carpet floors will not only spruce up your home; it will also bring you the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping to save the planet with your home design choices.
3. Create a Pattern with Carpet Tiles
Considering how long most carpeting lasts, it may have been quite some time since you last reviewed carpet suppliers’ offerings. Carpet tiles, for instance, are a fairly new development in the carpeting field.
Carpet tiles are just what they sound like – square tiles of carpet that can be placed together to create unique patterns. The edges of the tiles are finished, so you don’t have to worry about unraveling. Sticky discs adhere each tile to the underlying wood, linoleum or tile flooring. A huge benefit of this approach is that individual squares can be replaced when damaged. Another advantage is the creative license granted by carpeting tiles.
Just think: You can combine solid and complementary colors to create the perfect design for your space. Maybe a checkerboard pattern would suit your living room. Or perhaps you’ll outline a certain feature with a line of matching carpet tiles. When it comes to creating a unique, fresh look, your carpet company representative will report that carpet tiles make it easy.