Contemporary comfort: How to choose the perfect carpet

Creating a modern yet comfortable living environment often requires a bottom-up approach, and that means choosing the right carpet for your needs. Like couture fashion, textures, design and style are constantly changing in the world of interior design, and that means updating your carpet will require some research into the latest trends.

When creating a look that’s both stylish and comfortable, it’s important to start with the potential colour. Depending on the location of your carpet, you are likely to have different requirements with regards to colour. For busy areas of the home where footfall is heavy, light colours are a mistake. To cope with the amount of wear carpets in this area will receive and to reduce the impact of stains, it’s wise to opt for a hard-wearing carpet in a moderately dark shade. Additionally, any carpet with a striped colourway will also help to lessen the appearance of wear and tear.

Consider wear and tear

Traditionally, hallway carpets and those exposed to a greater amount of footfall shouldn’t be plush; however that doesn’t mean quality and style need to be sacrificed. According to luxury carpet manufacturers Axminster Carpets, those with a farmhouse-style hallway should opt for natural, organic hues that reflect the landscape – think of corn, straw, hay and sand-inspired shades that can cope with heavy footfall while still giving off a warm glow.

Moving further into the home and into rooms such as the living room and bedroom, more priority can be given to comfort. Reduced pressure from footfall and the desire to create a relaxing atmosphere should factor into your decisions at this point: look for lighter colours and a plush finish.

Current trends among luxury homeowners point towards vintage designs and handcrafted textures. According to Michelle Parker of Cavalier Breworth, we’re seeing the resurgence of a “cocooning” interior aesthetic in high-end homes, with products with a “handcrafted” and “bespoke” finish coming to the fore.

Vintage look with a handcrafted feel

Materials offering dense twists and oversized loop piles not only satisfy this desire for vintage, handcrafted charm, but will also feel comfortable underfoot. In fact, according to leading interior and architectural designer Ben Pentreath, classic patterns are very much back in vogue.

Through his own design work and research for his forthcoming book, English Houses, Pentreath has noted a move towards lattice and cube patterns in luxury homes. Aligning very much with the sentiments of Parker, Pentreath’s observations suggest that the modern buyer looking to make a confident statement will choose a carpet with a strong pattern and contrasting colours, such as red and beige.

For further inspiration in choosing a carpet that’s both contemporary and comfortable, it often pays to investigate the local property market. Taking a virtual tour of the latest properties for sale will give you an insight into the designs and styles that sell well and complement your type of home. To review some of the most attractive properties currently on the market, visit Engel & Völkers.