If you are like most people, it's not very often you go shopping for an area carpet. It can be very confusing as there are so many materials carpets can be made of. The finest material for a carpet and the easiest to clean is wool. Just like a good sweater or a fine suit, wool is the standard of quality. From pure wool, there are also many blends. Polyester, viscose, nylon, cotton and even recycled material, can be used to make carpets. Within these areas, there are also different qualities with the highest being hand knotted, then machine made, hand tufted and woven carpets. Your budget will partly determine what you can buy.
The area carpet can define your room and set the colour palette or add that splash of pattern or colour in an otherwise neutral setting. The carpet can also be used to define various areas in a larger room, especially in an open concept. The next consideration of carpets is determining the size you would need for your room. In a living room, it is preferred to have it large enough that the front legs of the sofa sit on the carpet and the rest of the furniture also at least partially touches the carpet as well. In a dining room, the rug should be large enough so that when your dining chairs are pulled out, the back legs are still sitting on the rug so that the chairs are level. Like all rules, they are made to be broken as sometimes there is just not enough room to follow these ideals. Remember, though, when considering a purchase that wool will stand up and look better in the long run. I will talk more about carpets in some future postings, so stay tuned. Drop by Pineapple Design if you are in Markham and take a look. We sell a variety of qualities of carpets and can order many sizes.