Carpets are in vogue.
Modern flooring trends showcase home carpeting, and for good reasons. Not only can carpets create stunning looks, they can save energy costs.
Photo by Sidekix Media on Unsplash
Carpet insulates, cutting today’s high heating and cooling bills for Australian homes. They make any home more comfortable.
Whether decorating a new home, or updating an established one, consider modern carpet trends and ideas.
Carpet Ideas: Neutrals, Colours, And Natural Materials
Chances are you’ve lived in homes with bland flooring. Change that with luxurious designer carpet textures, contemporary neutrals with or without a splash of colour and darker shades. Consider bold patterns, combined with sustainable natural materials like sheep or yak wool, jute, coir, from the coconut plant, and sisal, from the agave plant.
There’s much to consider in your carpeting choice, because a good choice will last you almost two decades. Your carpeting is an investment.
Be aware of:
- Fibre: the carpeting material, such as wool, nylon, or a blend of fibres.
- The pile: how the carpet is woven. A carpet may have looped fibres, or a cut or twist pile.
- Pile density: the denser the pile, the more hard-wearing. Bend a carpet sample. If you can easily see the backing, the carpet may not wear for long.
- Durability, which should be noted on the carpet’s label, sometimes with a star rating. No rating? Ask the retailer, and consider the fibre and its density to make your own assessment.
- The essential underlay, which helps carpeting to wear longer, and increases insulation. Choose the best underlay you can afford.
Now let’s look at trends.
Consider these inspiring ideas.
1. Bold Carpeting: Colours And Patterns To Love
Bland is out; bold is in. Why not choose your favorite colour either bright and bold, or in easy-to-live-with neutral shades, light or dark. Consider patterns and textures: plush, or knobbly.
You’re limited only by your imagination. Visit your favourite carpet retailer to see what’s new in carpet colours, textures and styles.
2. Sustainable Natural Fibres: Aesthetically Pleasing, And Eco-friendly
The planet matters, so sustainability is vital when considering home carpeting. You may think: wool, or cotton. True, but modern eco-friendly carpet trends include other natural, sustainable materials such as sisal, jute, and seagrass.
Sisal, made from the agave plant, and used for ship’s ropes for centuries, may be woven with wool for softness and durability. These carpets offer subtle shades, and elegant comfort. Think sophistication, rather than rustic or boho styling.
Soft jute, made from an Indian plant, is super-sustainable. It’s grown in India’s monsoon areas, and the plant grows so quickly it can be harvested several times a year.
Jute tempts you to walk barefoot. In subtle, yet cheerful colours, and woven textures, it’s sure to become a talking point, as it adds to your home’s welcoming ambience.
3. Carpets And Pets: Fear Not, Modern Carpets Can Handle It
Wary of carpeted floors? If you share your home with four-legged family members, you may cringe at the idea of carpets.
Relax. Today’s carpeting trends have pets in mind, offering carpets manufactured from stain-resistant and hardwearing materials.
4. Comfort Is Everything: Sink Your Toes Into Plush Carpeting
Admit it: you want carpeted floors for the comfort. When you get home from your stress-filled job, nothing beats kicking off your shoes, then joining the kids to play on soft carpet.
Perhaps you’ve lived in homes with unforgiving cement flooring. Now you want softness, and cushioning underfoot. Softness comes from the carpet’s construction and pile, as much as it does from the carpet’s fibre.
When choosing synthetic fibre, nylon is not only soft, it’s suitable for Australia’s humid environments, because it’s resistant to mould and mildew.
5. Wool Forever: It’s Natural, Sustainable, Hardwearing, And Beautiful Too
Sheep and wool built Australia, which was said to “ride on the sheep’s back.” John Macarthur brought a tiny flock of merino sheep to Australia in 1797, less than a decade after the first fleet. The sheep thrived, giving Australia a valuable export.
Wool is a natural, sustainable fibre choice. It comes in many varieties, so you’re sure to find a durable, wallet-pleasing option.
Choose 100% wool, or a wool and synthetic mix. Whatever you choose, your wool carpet is hardwearing and dirt-resistant; this is useful for allergy sufferers. Wool traps pollen and dust from the atmosphere, ready for your vacuum cleaner.
In the tropical and sub-tropical areas of Australia, with high humidity for many months of each year, wool carpeting helps to make your home more comfortable. It readily absorbs moisture from the air, then releases it again when the air is drier.
Want Further Inspiration?
Visit a carpet retailer. Not only will you be inspired by modern carpet trends, you’ll get great advice.