Carpets are one of the staple components of the home – they are always there and always used, yet taken for granted and rarely appreciated. Compared to many other types of flooring, carpets are often seen as the luxury option. From bright colours and interesting patterns to cosy and comfortable carpets in relaxing tones, it’s about time we started paying attention to our carpets.
Although carpets may not immediately seem like the most practical solution for families with pets and young children, they are actually a versatile and highly convenient alternative to other types of flooring. Avoid expensive, luxury carpets and opt for more sensible, hard-wearing choices instead. After all, carpets are about finding the perfect combination of cosiness and practicality. It’s important not to forget comfort when considering the design of your home – especially when you have children.
While you may not want to incorporate carpets into the design of every single room of your home, there are plenty of other more creative ways that will allow you to include carpets in the look of individual rooms without compromising on the overall appearance of your home. We have picked out a few of our favourites and outlined them for you below.
The Choice for… Kids and Pets
There is a common misconception that children and carpets go together like chalk and cheese; messy play and sticky fingers make for unsightly stains and countless hours spent scrubbing the floor. However, this need not be the case. Hard-wearing, durable carpets are perfect for families with young children or pets. Carpets also provide a much softer surface than wooden flooring or tiles, which can reduce the risk of injury when accidents happen!
If you have pets, carpets almost certainly won’t be the first type of flooring to come to mind. However, it may well be worth looking into carpets that have been designed specifically with pets in mind. These carpets are more durable and resistant than regular fabrics; some have even been designed to make it easy to brush away any stray pet hair, reducing your cleaning time.
The Choice for… Playrooms
Whether you have a dedicated playroom or just use your child’s bedroom as a space for play, it is important to consider both the look and feel of the space as well as the practical requirements of the area. Most children seem to have an endless supply of boundless energy, which means that creative play often ends up with a lot of jumping around and not much sitting still. Therefore, it is essential that the flooring in your children’s play area is as cushioned and durable as possible – a necessity that tiles or wooden flooring just don’t offer.
Carpets are the perfect option for playrooms and indoor play areas for this very reason. Plus, you can let your little ones pick out a carpet of their choice for their playroom. This personalisation is sure to go down well with the kids – if they can agree on a carpet, that is!
The Choice for… Accent Features
Having said all this, it’s inevitable that carpets just won’t cut it for some people. If you are one of the people who prefer hard floors, this is no excuse to avoid carpets completely. Allow an additional element of comfort into your home with rugs – the perfect compromise. Choose a rug made from luxury wool carpet in muted tones to add a touch of elegance to your home, or pick a rug in a contrasting shade to your colour scheme to really make a statement. Wool rugs are also ideal for children’s rooms as they are fun to look at yet also warming to little toes on chilly winter mornings!
Of course, these are only a few suggestions. There are plenty of other ways in which you can incorporate carpets into your next interior design project, so get your thinking caps on and start considering other creative ways that you can use carpets to really make your home unique. Say goodbye to other types of flooring and welcome the humble carpet back into your home!