 |
Before you shop for a carpet for your home, think about colors and textures. What will look good in your home? How long will the carpeting keep its pleasing appearance?
Red, orange and yellow are warm colors. They tend to create a lively and cheery feeling. They are good in rooms that get little sunlight. Also, they can make a large room seem cozier. In a small room, though, they can be overpowering.
Green, blue and violet are cool colors. These colors are useful for sunny rooms or for a formal setting. They tend to make rooms seem cooler and larger.
Gray and beige are neutral. They go well with either warm or cool colors. Neutral colors will blend well with colors already in a room. No matter what color carpet you choose, it will look better in your room if it is part of a planned color scheme.
Single-color schemes are made up of various shades of one color, ranging from light to dark. Use the darkest shade in the carpet and lighter shades in curtains or furniture. Examples of a contrasting-color scheme would be orange with green or blue with yellow. Make one color stand out and have only small things in the contrasting color. If the carpet color contrasts with the walls, the effect will be too much. Use the contrasting color instead in upholstery fabrics.
Texture is important, too. Smooth, even surface textures made of long, closely packed yarns give carpets an expensive look. An uneven texture gives a less formal effect. Patterns or designs can highlight either one of these effects.
Light carpet colors show soil and dust easily. They should not be used if your home has forced-air heat. Air-borne dust will soon darken light colors around air vents. Black, dark brown and other deep colors show lint. A mixture of two or more colors, patterns and designs tends to hide soil. Multi-colored rugs are a wise choice if you don’t want your carpet to show the dirt.
Also, even textures tend to show dirt and dust more than uneven textures. Uneven textures, however, are harder to clean and may need more strokes of vacuum cleaner.
The next time you are in the market for a good carpet, keep these few simple facts in mind. Take time to think about your choice – it will make a world of difference.
