Caymans Post

A world within. A state apart.
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Flooring expert reveals the only downstairs room you should be using carpet in

Flooring expert reveals the only downstairs room you should be using carpet in

Do you agree?

It’s safe to say that carpet in a kitchen or a bathroom is a definite ‘no’, but these aren’t the only places where carpet should be banned, according to a flooring expert.

The only rooms that should ever be carpeted downstairs are reception rooms,’ says interior designer Carla Chases of Carla Designs, ‘and even then, I think a wooden floor with rugs would be a preferable choice 90% of the time.’



For me, the best choice for long life and enduring style is always a beautiful wooden floor. Wood is timeless, naturally warm underfoot and can work equally well in a living room with the use of rugs as much as in a utility room.’

‘The right choice of wooden floor can highlight the period, style and scale of a house beautifully. And a good wooden floor will soak up sounds too.’



What about carpet upstairs?


‘Upstairs, and in hallways and on stairs, carpet is a lovely flooring,’ adds Carla, ‘it gives a warm, soft feel underfoot and helps to keep the space as cosy as possible.’

Interior designer at Greta Mae, Amy Jones, admits that she hasn’t used carpet in many recent projects, with clients requesting wooden floors, ‘although people do choose the combination of a wooden floor downstairs and then opt for carpet upstairs, as it’s soft to get out of bed on.’

So has carpet had its day?




Definitely not!’ says interior stylist and set designer Diana Civil, ‘it’s an extremely versatile tool as part of a decorating scheme. I always treat the floor as the fifth wall, so styling from the floor is a great way to go. Advances in carpet technology has meant there’s a huge range of fibres, colours, textures and patterns to choose from. It also has that wonderfully tactile-soft look and feel.’

Are neutral carpets the way to go?




‘You can only imagine how much neutral carpet I have used on decorating shoots over the years,’ says Diana, ‘but as the stylist for Carpetright, working on its trend look books each season, I am always chomping at the bit to see the new colours and patterns I can play with – to me, the more bold, imaginative and innovative, the better.

‘It does take courage to step away from neutral flooring. Perhaps transform your hallway or stairs to start, giving personality to a functional through-route and turn it into a showstopper?’

Amy is more cautious; ‘There’s a big trend towards more jewel-like colours and maximalist patterns, but these are quite a statement and would dictate everything else. I personally prefer using a neutral carpet in say a jute/wool mix and then layer the interest on top with a rug.’

Are patterned carpets over?




‘Absolutely not,’ says Diana. ‘Patterned carpet is set for a massive revival. After the gloom and doom of 2020, maximalism is set to continue with bold colour and expressive style making its mark on our homes, with florals, geometrics and animal prints taking centre stage. It’s all about self-expression, so be brave!’

Amy recommends making sure you really love a patterned carpet. ‘It’s not really part of my aesthetic,’ she says, ‘so I’d always advise clients to be 100% sure that they will like it for a long time – carpet is a big financial investment.’ Still sold on the idea of pattern, then Amy suggests going for a patterned stair runner.

Should we put the same carpet everywhere, or is it ok to mix it up?




‘Having the same carpet everywhere can help make a space feel bigger as there are no definite edges,’ says Amy.

‘It also depends on the layout of your home,’ adds Diana. ‘In a traditional home with separate rooms, I love mixing it up as it adds personality to each room, but it’s good to have one colour that links everything together. For open-plan, you can “zone” areas with different carpets or mix and match a plain with a stripe, but it needs to be done smartly so each zone works with the scale of the furniture in it.’

Lastly, are rugs on carpet a naff idea?




‘No, it’s all down to how you do it,’ says Amy. ‘If you have a neutral carpet, a rug is going to add an extra layer of texture, interest and pattern to a room. But if you have a thick-pile carpet, then I wouldn’t add a thick-pile rug on top – it would be too much, but a patterned rug over a neutral carpet adds extra colour and interest.’

Diana agrees: ‘While some people treat this as a capital sin, personally, I think it has it’s place with certain types of carpets. It’s also great for rentals, where you inherit existing carpet – a rug can transform the space and make it your own… better still, you can take it with you.

My biggest bugbear is a tiny rug in the centre of a room, topped with a coffee table and a huge gap around it before you get to the furniture,’ says Diana. ‘Always choose the largest rug that will work in your space,’ she recommends, ‘and measure before you shop.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

Caymans Post
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×