Finding The Best Carpet For Your Living Room
Your lounge is likely to be the heart of your home – so to complement your interior design and create a comfortable and inviting environment, you need to make sure you choose the right carpet for your space.
Here, we discuss some of the things you’ll need to bear in mind when picking the best carpet for your living room.
Factors to consider when choosing a living room carpet
Performance
Your family will naturally gravitate towards your living room, so you’ll need to find a carpet that can withstand high footfall and remain relatively resistant to accidental spills and pills.
To make sure you settle on a long-lasting choice, always choose a carpet made from the hardiest materials possible. High density fibres are also known to contribute to overall durability.
Aesthetics
Your living room carpet needs to complement your existing colour scheme. Natural tones like beige, grey and taupe will ensure a sophisticated look and could even be used to create the illusion of more space, while warmer and darker colours will create a more dramatic setting (and are much better at hiding stains, so could be a more functional option for busy households with young children or pets). Stripes, florals and even geometric designs can be used to liven up the space if you’re going for a more daring look.
As well as ensuring you select the best colour carpet for your living room, you’ll also need to consider how the pile type might hide or emphasise footprints and vacuum marks, as these will affect the overall finish on a daily basis.
Comfort
Your living room carpet should feel sumptuous underfoot. A carpet’s weight is measured in ounces per square yard – and generally, the higher the weight, the thicker and more luxurious the product.
However, although it can be tempting to go for the bulkiest option for maximum comfort, bear in mind that thicker carpets will have a higher profile, so you may need to adjust doors, door strips and skirting boards to accommodate them.
Lifestyle
Most customers need to find a living room carpet that blends beauty with practicality. While looks are important, you’ll also want to ensure your new carpet is a logical choice based on the way you use your home.
Products with demonstrable strength and enhanced stain resistance are the best bet for high traffic areas like lounges that are susceptible to wear and tear. If you are fitting a carpet in a more formal living room that only gets used on special occasions, you can afford to prioritise its colour and design over its ability to perform well under pressure!
Maintenance
Some carpets – such as those made from nylon – are easier to keep clean than their longer fibre counterparts, which will naturally attract and retain more dirt. Most surfaces will need to be vacuumed regularly to ensure they remain fresh and welcoming, while others will need to be deep cleaned from time to time for a consistently bright finish.
Always check the maintenance requirements of your purchase when choosing the best carpet for your living room, and don’t be afraid to ask the team here at The Flooring Group for expert aftercare advice.
Types of carpets for living rooms
Carpets can be manufactured using a range of materials, all of which offer their own pros and cons. Let’s explore the best carpets for living rooms based on their look, feel, and unique features.
Wool carpets
With their naturally plush texture and brilliant thermal and sound insulation properties, wool carpets are a common choice for UK homes. They are remarkably resilient and can recover well from compression.
However, wool products are normally more expensive than synthetic options and will require professional cleaning to maintain their pristine appearance. They also have high moisture sensitivity, so shouldn’t be used in living rooms where damp or humidity is a recurring issue.
Nylon carpets
Considered fantastic all-rounders, nylon carpets stand up well to excessive wear and will hold their form for a long time, even in busy living rooms with heavy furniture that could mark the pile. Nylon carpets are available in a huge range of colours and styles, so customers rarely struggle to find something that ticks their boxes aesthetically.
Bear in mind that nylon carpets can be sensitive to some chemicals and cleaning agents, so you’ll need to take care when selecting the right aftercare products.
Polyester carpets
Soft, comfortable, and more affordable than you might think, polyester products will appeal to homeowners who are searching for a good value living room carpet that will hold its colour well and continue to be resistant to water-based stains. The lower cost is often attributed to the fact that polyester carpets are made from recycled synthetic materials.
While they are often considered the best carpets for living rooms, there are only a few downsides to polyester carpets. They are not as good at retaining their shape, so will flatten faster in busy living rooms. Polyester carpets are prone to fading, too, so you may find that darker or particularly bold shades lose their lustre after a few years if they are installed in areas that are flooded with natural sunlight.
Berber carpets
With their closed loops and traditionally flecked appearance, Berber carpets deliver a distinctive look at a relatively low cost. The looped construction of the fibres ensure that the product is very resistant to wear and won’t flatten after being subjected to footprints or vacuuming. Plus, any spills will sit on the surface rather than sink into the fibres, making Berber carpets extremely easy to clean.
They are not the best choice if you want a soft feel – and you must be aware that sometimes Berber carpet loops can snag, especially when exposed to animal claws or other sharp objects.
Frieze carpets
Frieze carpets are often considered the perfect choice for high traffic living rooms! Their high twists mean their surface is less likely to fray over time, and their flecked carpet fibres will flop over in a relaxed way to effortlessly conceal dirt, stains and footprints. Because these fibres hide seams well, frieze carpets are also an excellent option for larger lounges that will not be covered by standard widths.
The high density of frieze carpets means they are natural insulators. However, these dense fibres will need to be professionally cleaned to maintain their vibrancy.
Shag carpets
Take your living room design right back to the 1970s with luxurious shag carpets! There’s nothing quite like sinking into silky smooth shag fibres – so if comfort is your number one priority, and you’re on board with a distinctively retro aesthetic, this is the best living room carpet for you. Like frieze carpets, shag carpets provide good sound and thermal insulation, and they are now available in a great range of shades and styles to suit any décor.
Remember, despite their many advantages, shag carpets will struggle to withstand frequent tread, so they may be better suited to lounges that are only used occasionally. Dust, dirt and stains will get trapped in long shag fibres, so you’ll need to take extra care when cleaning them (and may need to bring in the experts).
We hope we’ve helped you get to grips with the different types of carpets that are available, and you’re one step closer to deciding on the best carpet for your living room. For more guidance, contact The Flooring Group today. Alternatively, view our full range of carpets to start comparing colours and designs!