Since ancient times, until people got the opportunity to use the latest finishing materials and discovered new methods of building and heating rooms, carpets were an effective way to decorate living rooms and corridors and remove dangerous drafts. They were hung on icy stone and adobe walls, and covered with adobe and marble floors to prevent their feet from getting cold. And in wooden towers and huts, woven carpets were desirable decorative items, testifying to the wealth and well-being of the owners.
A carpeted floor evokes strong associations with home warmth and comfort. Moreover, regardless of the type of flooring. Experienced designers readily use this psychological technique. They decorate formal dining rooms and living rooms, and soften the interior of bedrooms. With their help, they create safe children's play areas: after all, kids love to crawl on the floor.
High-quality carpets can be compared to a noble, aged wine: the older it is, the more refined the bouquet and aftertaste. They are not afraid of intensive use, because that is exactly what they are designed for! Even if a large family with children, household members and playful pets constantly moves on a real carpet, the surface will only fluff up more over time. This is a sign of a high-quality product for which you don’t mind paying money: its warp threads twist more and more under load, making the pile dense and not subject to abrasion. The same goes for colors. A good carpet does not lose its rich palette, delighting its owners with rich or pastel colors for many years.
We will tell you in this article how to choose the right carpet based on its quality and design, and what to pay close attention to. We will also give recommendations on the selection of options suitable for furniture.
How to choose a carpet for the floor?
Carpets in a living room or other room should be carefully selected not only in style. Here are 6 more things to consider. You can choose a suitable carpet:
By color.
Carpets in the interior come in different shades and colors. Therefore, there are 2 main schemes:
- Contrast. The color of the carpet should differ significantly from the decoration of the room. Black on light, white on dark, bright on white, etc.
- Lack of contrast. The color scheme of the palace is as close as possible to the interior - it can be the same color as the floor, furniture, or walls. At the same time, merging cannot be allowed - let one thing be a couple of tones lighter or darker than the other.
When choosing a color, the issue of practicality is also important - snow-white or blue-black are some of the worst options for the floor. They show debris, dirt, and animal hair. The most universal are beige, gray, pastel shades.
To size.
The main thing to understand before buying: no extremes. An overly large rug that covers the entire room will look more like carpet and will visually reduce the space. A very small one will get lost in the room. 3 basic rules for choosing a size:
- The doors should not touch the carpet.
- The smaller the carpet in the interior in relation to the floor, the stronger the contrast between the coverings should be.
- The feet of seated people should be placed on top of the rug.
According to the form.
There are 3 main types:
- Rectangular. Most of the rooms in apartments have an irregular aspect ratio, which is why such carpets are in great demand. Versatile, compatible with different styles and room sizes.
- Round. To prevent the carpet on the floor from looking like a black sheep, its shape should be repeated in other details. Round table, smooth contours of the chair, aquarium, chandelier.
- Oval. An excellent option for highlighting a specific area - for example, a dining table with chairs or an armchair with a bookcase.
There are also irregularly shaped carpets. Natural (flower, animal, star) and geometric (several figures in one, abstraction) motifs are popular among them. Such interior items are very active, so you need to use them wisely: focus on the rug, choose it exactly to suit your interior.
The photo shows a carpet in a modern design
According to the material.
Carpet products are made from natural and artificial raw materials. Most Popular:
- Wool. It is expensive, but practically does not fade under sunlight, withstands mechanical stress, and does not break. High-quality, comfortable and environmentally friendly decoration for your home and apartment.
- Silk. Durable and very beautiful, but the cost can reach 1,000,000 rubles.
- Viscose. The closest replacement for silk is considered a natural material, because... made from cellulose. Thanks to the possibility of coloring, there are no restrictions on color brightness. Durability is not inferior to wool.
- Acrylic. At first glance it looks like natural wool. Acrylic flooring is easy to maintain, affordable and durable. But it has one drawback - it accumulates static electricity and can give an electric shock. But this material is suitable for wet rooms (bathrooms, toilets), excluding the formation of mold.
The manufacturing method also matters: handmade is more expensive, but thanks to natural materials it will last longer. Factory models are cheaper and are usually made of synthetics.
Along the length of the pile.
Short pile (0-5 mm) is the most practical - it is easy to care for, is durable and abrasion-resistant. Therefore, it is better to lay it in accessible rooms: hallway, living room. Long pile (15+ mm) requires special care; place such a carpet in the least active area - near the window, in the lounge area. Medium pile (5-15 mm) is more difficult to care for than short pile, but softer and more pleasant. Therefore, it is often used in children's rooms and bedrooms.
Under furniture.
These two parts of the interior directly interact with each other, so carefully study the furniture before purchasing.
- What shape is it? Choose a rug that will follow the outline: rectangle or circle.
- What color is it? Choose a contrasting or non-contrasting palette of the carpet.
- How is it located? Carpets in the living room interior should accommodate a sofa, armchairs, and coffee table. Therefore, the size of the path depends on the layout.
In the photo there is a bright geometric print on the rug
Benefits of beige colors
Beige is less strict and formal than white, but at the same time it expands the space and creates a feeling of spaciousness in the room. The light and soft color of the beige carpet on the floor allows you to create the perfect unobtrusive background for bright interior details. But as soon as the accents are shifted, the same carpet product can become the central element of the composition if the features of its design are played correctly.
The main advantage of a beige carpet is that it simply cannot spoil the interior. So if you don’t know which color to choose, choose beige and you won’t go wrong. The only drawback is that on products of very light shades any dirt is visible, which can be critical for families with pets or small children. But even in this case, you can find a more practical design with a small pattern or darker colors.
Where is the best location?
Carpets will look appropriate in a modern interior if they are placed correctly. General location recommendations are as follows:
- Push the rug under the furniture by 15-20 cm to avoid the effect of dividing the space.
- Move the carpet in the interior away from the wall by 10-20 cm.
- Lay rectangular and square models parallel to a load-bearing wall or large object (door, sofa, fireplace).
In the photo there is a light palace in a classic hall
There are also local rules for each room:
- in the living room, the carpet should accommodate the main furniture, so it is placed in the center, completely or partially tucked under a soft corner;
- in the bedroom, the main thing is that the edges protrude beyond the bed by 50-70 cm, otherwise it will be almost invisible;
- in the kitchen, small paths are placed along a straight or corner kitchen unit, but the coating must be anti-slip - to avoid injuries during cooking.
No. 1. Carpet material
Classic materials for making carpets are wool and silk. From time immemorial to this day, such carpets have been considered the highest chic, but not everyone can afford them, and they are not always appropriate in modern housing.
Depending on the material used, all carpets are divided into the following types:
- natural from sheep wool, silk, cotton and animal skins. These are the most expensive carpets, they look great, but require specific care;
- carpets made from artificial fibers are often confused with synthetic ones. Man-made fibers are those that have been produced from natural raw materials through processing and chemical reactions. A striking example is viscose, which is obtained from cellulose fibers;
- carpets made from synthetic fibers are actually a completely artificial product. Fibers are obtained by processing petroleum products, gas and coal. This group includes acrylic, elastane, polyester, polyamide and others. These are durable and easy to use products.
On sale today you can find both completely natural and synthetic options, as well as partially synthetic carpets, in which several types of fibers are mixed. The latter are considered the best option because they retain the advantages of wallpaper fiber types. However, even completely synthetic carpets today feel practically no different from natural ones.
How do they look in different styles?
Carpets are selected for the interior not only by shape and color, but also by style. It is important that they do not stand out from the situation, but complement it.
- Classic style. Pastel or dusty shades, decor - symmetrical patterns. Woolen models with long pile are suitable, which are emphasized.
- High tech. The ideal choice is a plain model in cold colors. If you need patterns, choose geometry - lines, diamonds, squares, circles.
- Loft. To avoid mistakes, pay attention to plain monochrome rugs. Gray, milky, black will fit into industrial design. To focus attention, play with the texture: the resemblance of a mat will be just right.
- Modern. Don't be afraid of bright colors and unusual patterns. It would be great if it was handmade embroidery.
In the photo there is a long-pile carpet under a bright sofa
- Scandinavian. A rug or runner with a pile along the edges in a monochrome color would be most suitable. The pattern is geometry or a fancy northern ornament. Choose a cozy carpet based on the same characteristics.
- Ethno. This is where your imagination can run wild - pay attention to colorful colors and abstract or floral compositions. Bright, vibrant colors are welcome - red, blue, green, purple.
- Rustic. Natural shades, repeating geometric patterns and patterns. Somewhat similar to Scandinavian ones, but in color.
- English style. Size matters - according to the standard, the coating occupies almost the entire floor area. Choose expensive options made from natural wool. Color range: red, brown, milky.
The photo shows a bedroom in ethnic style
Zoning with carpets
In large spacious rooms there is always a need for certain zoning. The simplest option would be to use carpets that are similar in color and style.
On a small carpet you can place armchairs and a coffee table. When placing a sofa and chairs on a small carpet, place the sofa directly on the carpet, and the chairs should be already outside it.
You should not lay the carpet close to the sofa if you do not want to put it on the carpet - leave a free space of about 10 cm between them.
Leave a free gap of about 20 cm wide between the carpet and the walls; the larger the room, the larger the strip, so its width can reach up to half a meter. The correct solution would be to place the rug in the center of the room, between the furniture.
What does it look like in the interior of the rooms?
You rarely put the same carpet in different rooms, so you should select the model very carefully.
Carpets in the living room interior
Most often, soft flooring is laid on the floor in the living room. After all, this room is the center of the house; the whole family, guests, and children often gather here. The rug is placed in two ways: under furniture, covering almost the entire floor area. Or under a coffee table, highlighting the central area.
In the photo there is a light carpet on a wooden floor
The carpet for the living room is selected according to the style, but it should be a kind of accent - a bright color, a rich pattern or an unusual combination of textures will help you.
The photo shows a carpet in patchwork style
Photo of carpets in the kitchen
Many people underestimate the importance of paths and carpets in the kitchen, but it is textiles that can add home comfort to this room. It is especially important to lay a covering along the work area on a cold tiled floor, so you can cook even barefoot. If a long path is of no use, throw a round rug near the sink to make the dishwashing process more enjoyable.
Lay an oval or rectangular rug under the table - this way you zone the room and highlight the dining area.
In the photo there is a dining area with a palace
Bedroom interior with carpet
Getting out of a warm bed onto a cold floor is unpleasant; a carpet will help correct the situation. Usually they lay one large rug, pushing it under the bed. But you can get by with two small rugs on both sides.
Choose the most pleasant texture - long pile, soft fur, pleasant wool.
Examples of use in the corridor
The hallway is perhaps the most stressful area for flooring. In spring and autumn it is dirty here, in winter it is wet, in summer it is dusty. Plus, household members constantly walk along the corridor from room to room. Therefore, the carpet in the interior of the entrance group must withstand loads. Synthetic models (acrylic, polyester) with short pile are suitable.
However, you should not cover the entire area with soft textiles - in the corridor you have to wash the floors often, and the path will interfere with this.
Photo of carpets in a children's room
The brightest and most unusual colors can be enjoyed right here - in the child’s room! But first, evaluate the safety of the carpet: first of all, it must be hypoallergenic, which means only synthetic threads are suitable. Another requirement is easy cleaning. And synthetics come in handy here too.
The picture depicts cartoon characters, animals, and plants. The carpet is often used as a playground, so it can imitate a football field, lawn, or city roads.
No. 6. Carpet sizes
Just a couple of decades ago, the gold standard for using carpet was to completely cover the entire area of the room (sometimes even a wall). This was done not so much for aesthetic reasons, but for the sake of preserving heat. Today, when effective heat-insulating materials are used, this is no longer necessary - the room looks much nicer when the carpet covers only part of it. This allows it to perform another function - zoning the room. Using a carpet, you can highlight a relaxation area with a sofa and armchairs, an area near the fireplace, a dining area, etc.
The size of the carpet is chosen depending on the parameters of the room and the tasks assigned to it. Conventionally, carpets can be divided into:
- small with an area of up to 3 m2;
- medium with an area of 3-6 m2;
- large with an area of more than 6 m2.
Small products are used to highlight individual zones in the room, and also serve as bright and functional accessories that place accents in the room.
You should approach the choice of large carpets with special care and attention: products in which the side is more than 2.5 m attract the eye and become the center of the room. It is better if it is a carpet of a calm, monochromatic color.
To determine the required size of the carpet, you can lay out the required outlines on the floor with tape or thread and, when purchasing, be guided by the obtained parameters.
Variety of shades
Brown sofas are versatile and have long been leaders in fashion trends. They are also characterized by a variety of shades - from chocolate to milk cocoa color. Using such finishing, the owner of the house emphasizes his desire for comfort and safety.
But remember, it is not recommended to use this technique in bedroom design. Because it negatively affects the intimate and psychological environment in the family.
But if you have already had this type of finishing done, then dilute the brown tint in the interior with red or peach tones.
A sofa with a hint of dark chocolate adds solidity to the entire interior. Furniture sets with clear lines, dark curtains, and decorated candlesticks will look great in combination with it.
Upholstery in coffee tones requires the placement of pillows in plum shades. Blueberry decorative elements are also suitable.
This combination will give the whole composition a more attractive purple hue. And you can complement it with a beige carpet on the floor or light curtains for the windows.
Leather armrests and massive pillows against the backdrop of stone-trimmed walls will send us back to the Middle Ages. And if the interior is supplemented with original carpets and silk linens, you can create an original oriental image.
Popular combinations of brown with other colors
Shades of brown combine harmoniously with a wide palette of colors. A trend that never goes out of fashion is beige-brown. Accents of bright colors, such as yellow, light green or turquoise, will help dilute the interior. The upholstery of the sofa can be two-tone, striped or combine many colors at the same time.
Expert opinion
Stepanov Mikhail Filippovich
Designer of private and commercial interiors. 5 years of experience.
The combination of brown and blue has become fashionable in the last couple of decades. Furniture decor can be combined, for example, with a white bottom and a brown back. Or a red-brown frame with gold or sand armrests.
Rug or rug in the kitchen: advantages and disadvantages
Another advantage of carpets is that they help protect the flooring from damage; for example, a carpet will well protect a plastic laminate from damage.
Pros of carpeting in the kitchen:
It is necessary when there is a small child or an elderly person in the house, as it can soften a person’s fall. In these cases, a rug is especially needed if tiles are used as the floor covering.
The rug is well suited for zoning the kitchen and living room, expanding its space. Carpets for the dining area are used for these purposes.
This also emphasizes the “living” function of the kitchen, which is important for a large kitchen space.
Of particular functional importance is a rug under your feet in the area where food is prepared. Since legs often get very tired while cooking, a shock-absorbing mat will be very convenient for home cooks.
Flaws:
- The rug on the kitchen floor quickly gets dirty, dust accumulates in it and under it, all this reduces the hygiene of the kitchen environment;
- caring for these things complicates home cleaning;
- Since kitchen carpets need to be cleaned or washed frequently, they wear out quickly.
Briefly about the main thing
Textiles in chocolate, sand and coffee shades remain a popular choice for window decoration year after year. It can be easily combined with other finishing colors, making attractive pairs with blue, white, mint or beige. You can choose an option for a modern or traditional interior, make it more expressive, and, if necessary, disguise defects.
The ability of rich brown color to visually reduce space must be taken into account in the design of a small room. You should also remember to match the style of the room, the shade of the walls or floor.
Psychological effects of color
Since the sofa is almost the largest piece of furniture in the room, there will be a lot of colors, no matter what it is. Even in ancient times, philosophers noted that colors affect not only a person’s mood, his psychological state, but also his physical well-being, so upholstery should be selected taking into account the character of the household and their preferences.
For example, black with white polka dots will not suit a restless, explosive person at all, and those prone to melancholy will not rest on gray pillows, but feel sad. Before choosing an acceptable model and finally deciding on the color of the sofa, it is better to familiarize yourself with how different colors affect psychologically.
By looking at a selection of photos of sofas of different colors in interiors with different designs, you can understand which upholstery will be most suitable, good for the eye, and organic in your own living room or bedroom.
Gray will evoke a feeling of calm and peace, but can lead to apathy.
White furniture will bring freshness and dynamism to the atmosphere, making the atmosphere of the room light, but if a person is lonely, white furniture can increase the feeling of inner emptiness.
In green shades - it will look lively, fun and, at the same time, cozy, promote a positive attitude, relieve excessive excitement, induce a feeling of clarity - green helps to tune in to decision-making.
A black sofa looks respectable, but if there is a lot of black palette, the furniture can subconsciously evoke a feeling of fear and depression. In addition, if the upholstery is leather, it can make the atmosphere not at home official.
A beige sofa is a classic, often chosen for its versatility. Psychologically, it suits self-sufficient people, but it can turn out to be somewhat boring, especially if the room is not designed in any interesting style and looks ordinary, but the rich palette of beige color evokes a feeling of warmth and tenderness, calms and pacifies.
Furniture upholstered in brown fabric is suitable for a person of a conservative disposition who does not like to stand out, an adherent of the classic style both in behavior and clothing, and in the home environment. But brown has a rich range of warm shades, so even with such a seemingly ordinary color the interior can be decorated very beautifully. It is functional - not easily soiled, its light shades create an atmosphere of comfort and balance. Overall, a living room with a brown sofa will look warm and inviting.
With red upholstery, it will look good in a living room decorated in a modern style, and a red sofa in the kitchen will provide positivity at breakfast on weekdays. Red will fill everything around with energy, but is not suitable for easily excitable people prone to irritability and aggression.
A pink sofa will create a romantic mood, especially in a girl’s bedroom; there are many shades of pink, but they should not be cloying, otherwise everything will look banal and tasteless.
Orange - suitable for homes of those who love communication and action, but orange can be a stimulus for excessive activity; it should not be chosen by those who get tired quickly.
A sofa with lemon upholstery and all shades of yellow will be good both in the living room and in the office: yellow color promotes mental activity, brings joy to the atmosphere of the room and evokes a thirst for life, but an excess of yellow may well provoke overexcitement, and dark yellow shades can cause start to oppress for a while.
Blue sofa cushions are good in a stylish room, it is the color of calm, wise people, but dark blue tones can cause apathy. When choosing upholstered furniture covered with blue material, you should give preference to bright or light shades. For example, blue promotes pleasant relaxation, and azure has a calming effect.
Furniture upholstered in purple and lilac fabric is suitable for creative individuals; these colors awaken inspiration, but an overly impressionable person can fall under the negative influence of these tones - they contribute to the aggravation of mental disorders. It is better for a person prone to depression to choose others.
Manufacturer's choice
If you are not very limited in money, then you should not choose cheap carpets from unknown manufacturers. In this case, you will only be able to save money at the moment, but in 2-3 years you will most likely need a new one.
Carpets from well-known companies do not lose their attractiveness for many years.
Some manufacturers guarantee the service life of their products up to 50 years.
Rating of the best manufacturers:
- Luzern;
- Wool&Silk;
- MID;
- Longbarn Company;
- Radici Pietro.
These are the most famous companies that guarantee the high quality of their products.
Two living rooms
In large rooms, there is sometimes a reason to create two separate living areas. This divides the spaces, but still leaves it free, although all the extra meters are given to work. Otherwise, there would be little space for guests in the large room, which is simply inconvenient.
- What carpets can be used in this case?
- Can you mix and match shapes or stick to the same ones?
- Is it better to have one big one or several smaller ones?
In order.
By choosing two identical shapes or two identical halves, you will create a tightly connected space. The photo shows two identical carpets in a minimalist living room. The style is quite simple, so no-frills rugs are the way to go.
The same rug is used twice because the seating areas are almost identical. But what if we combine different styles in the hall? Yes, you need to act and select unusual combinations of carpet shapes. Layering carpet will also work.
in the form of a skin to a more standard one. Different shapes at a distance from each other will visually greatly divide the space of the room.
And to combine two zones that are distant at a distance, lay two identical carpets of the appropriate size and shape under them.
