PATTERNED CARPET - WORTH THE COST?

News Letter Vol. 3 - June 14, 2020

---

I love carpet, I mean ALL kinds of carpet! From area rugs, cut pile, loop, shag and everything in between. Carpet installation is one of, if not the easiest way to define a space with no remodeling, building or tearing down of any kind. Today we're going to dive into the pattered carpet realm and all that it entails!

My family and I have just purchased and started renovating our new home, yay! First things first, I need carpet installed immediately! The previous owners had a cat and the original carpet from1986 (it's pink, fabulous and I admired the previous owners personality). With my allergies and a slightly different design esthetic (wink) it had to go. This here is the reason for the blog post. I am knee deep in carpet samples right now and I know how daunting large decisions for your home are, from being both a home owner and a designer. I want to give you every advantage to making carpet decisions. Here is every tip, secret and piece of advice I've gained over the years in my career. Let's dive in!

Interior Designers know there is value in quality finishes that are used and abused daily like carpet. Carpets are a soft place for your tootsies to land, a cozy place for kiddos to play and a wonderful cushion for your baby to learn to crawl. There is a functionality to carpet and it needs to be included in spaces, of course. With that said would you ever think of carpet being a statement piece in your home or office or another place to add interest and texture? If you are prone to attention to detail and appreciate a little character, you might consider patterned carpet.

I interviewed my carpet rep Mike Hagen from Carpet Brokers, LLC. He was very informative and gave me the pros and cons with patterned carpet from his years experience in the industry. Mike also let me take home all these samples since I explained the anxiety this decision was giving me. Below are a couple of examples of different patterned carpets, all my images are from the Mohawk website. I have chosen samples with different repeat sizes 7.25", 5" and 4.5". The repeat of the carpet is important to be aware of due to the lining up of the patterns when installing. The larger the repeat the additional carpet you'll have to order to make the patterns line up.

List of pros and cons for patterned carpet:

PROS:

• Look: Gorgeous textures and patterns.

• Texture: Visual interest to your space, loops and cut piles are fantastic

• Variety: Huge selection in pattern and color and mixed prints

• Esthetic: Classic and timeless.

• Durability: The technology and materials used today to make these masterpieces are improving all the time! Patterned carpets are lasting and holding up longer than they every have before.

CONS:

• Snagging: These carpeted beauties are a little high maintenance. If you have one continuous looped line (going vertical or horizontal) of pattern and one little loop gets a snag, the whole loop could be pulled out and leave a seem. This is a possibility with a beloved pets nail or claw, a kid toy that got caught or a stiletto heel that was in just the right place. This is not as typical for the diagonal lined carpet. *pro tip - choose a carpet with a "break" in the carpet pattern try and stay away from the continuous looped lines.. Incorporate cut pile and loop pattern like in examples.

• Cost: Standard carpet can run from $1.00-$3.00 per square foot where patterned can run around $5.00-$20.00 per square foot. Remember the larger the pattern repeat the additional carpet that needs ordering.

• Cleaning: Some carpets cannot be cleaned with large machines like their standard counterparts (make sure you check with the carpet company for cleaning instructions). Nylon and other synthetics hold up well to the carpet cleaners. Natural fibers like wool and silk tend to be a little less forgiving. It depends on the manufacturers so I beg you to check with them first.

It is my hope this information has helped in making your carpet decisions. Please share your selections or questions that you have that I didn't address. I am always happy to see what everyone is doing with their spaces and how your projects are coming together!

Take Care!

Amanda

*I will post "before and afters" of my home for the patterned selection that I made. Our home is still a month out from our moving date and the carpet I ended up with was 2 weeks back ordered. I couldn't have had photos ready for you when this posted.