There is hardly a floor that is nicer than carpet. Neither warm parquet, nor linoleum, nor cool tiles will give you the feeling of softness and home warmth like carpet pile. In addition to insulation, they have a decorative function, complementing and decorating the interior with drawings.
Types and their features
Since ancient times, people have been insulating and decorating their homes with wicker canvases. In the past, it was a pleasure only for wealthy people, but now the choice suits every taste and wallet. The variety of styles, shades and textures is amazing.
No one can deny that a carpeted room feels warmer and more comfortable. In addition to aesthetics, they have the following functions:
- Soundproofing;
- Space zoning;
- Creation of accents.
Typically, patterned flooring is one of the final chords in the interior and is bought in a ready-made room, but there are such non-standard products that the entire interior design is built from the carpet.
Small models bring a zest to any interior.
They look good by the bed, in front of a seating area or between armchairs. A medium sized rug will look good in small rooms, giving you a sense of coziness and comfort.
Bright small rugs of unusual shapes set a cheerful tone to the room and transform a boring interior.
Round models do not so much insulate and create sound insulation as they decorate and zone the room.
Besides shape and color, carpets share the kind of pile. There are two main types of coatings:
- Single-level - products with not cut loops of the same height. Their surface and pattern are uniform, and the quality depends on the equal length of the villi;
- Multilevel - canvases with loops of different lengths, creating lush ornaments and patterns. Beautiful, non-standard and comfortable products.
Many manufacturers, trying to bypass competitors, create new textures and color combinations, experiment with weaving methods, twisting loops. For example, models with intersecting split pile. This innovation involves the industrial production of products that were previously created only by hand. On sale there are carpets with wavy pile, velor or plush material.
Often, the owners prefer a smooth and loose pile, reminiscent of velvet, which is a pleasure to walk on barefoot.
Properties and cost
On the back of each carpet there is a label with information about the composition of the material and its properties. The cheapest price segment is headed by polypropylene models. Low cost is perhaps the only advantage of such products. The disadvantages will be high electrification, moisture and sunlight intolerance. In addition, such interior items absorb dust and are difficult to clean with a vacuum cleaner. The service life is from 2 to 5 years.
The cost of nylon options is slightly higher. In such products, the loops are fixed to the synthetic base with a special latex mixture. Nylon carpets are durable and practical.
Models with a knitted base are elastic and durable. They are made by weaving both the warp and the pile at the same time.
Such products will serve for at least ten years.
The most expensive and high quality option would be a natural wool carpet. Such products are environmentally friendly products, in addition, they are fire resistant. With proper care, your carpet will last over 50 years.
The disadvantage of woolen carpets is the poor color palette. Unfortunately, wool dyes worse than synthetic products. Usually wool carpets are produced in light, pastel shades. Woolen products are prone to moths and mildew and therefore require special care.
The best option is a product with a mixed composition, which allows you to preserve the beauty of natural material, adding strength and ease of use to it.
What patterns are there?
In the classical view, patterns on carpets are floral and geometric. The first are stylized parts of plants: leaves, flowers, stems. Geometric patterns are made up of lines and geometric shapes. The technique of weaving carpets has practically not changed over the centuries, but the images on them are now completely different.
Realism
The intricate ornaments of oriental canvases, as a rule, were full of meaning. And modern products are extremely simple - no secret signs, the drawing is intelligible and clear, be it the British flag, the panorama of London or a print with roses.
Geometry
Rhombuses, stars, circles and abstract images are more popular today than ever. A contrasting color palette, symmetry of lines and shapes, a whimsical pattern: such models are a stylish accent of a modern interior.
A carpet with a suprematist mosaic image will never go unnoticed.
Contemporary art
A stylish option would be to purchase a carpet with an image in the form of an optical illusion, symbolizing a landscape, animals or people.
Unconventional prints
Today, floral and geometric motifs are still relevant, but they are far from the ideas of our ancestors. In addition, the ornament can be composed of any, the most unexpected, repetitive images.
Modern classic
Modern designers allow themselves to play with classic patterns. Some “weave” something into an oriental pattern, turning it into a contemporary design piece of furniture. Interesting models are obtained by using modern color combinations in a classic pattern or even using a monochrome scale.
Soviet motives
The carpet can, without exaggeration, be called a distinctive feature of a wealthy Soviet citizen. It was not so easy to get them: we had to catch dealers and stand in a kilometer-long queue.
Products of Georgian, Turkmen and Azerbaijani production were in special demand. Real wool carpets were very expensive.
Surely everyone will remember the notorious carpet depicting deer and paths of predominantly red and green colors with stripes on the sides.
They still adorn the houses of our grandmothers. Their price was affordable, and any Soviet person could afford such a purchase from his salary. In addition to deer, there were products with lions and simply with nature. Items of shortage, as a rule, were hung in the most conspicuous place in the living room.
In the USSR, people neglected the vacuum cleaner and more often carried carpet belongings into the yard on horizontal bars. Wall carpets, in addition to their aesthetic function, did not transmit sounds well, which was a godsend for thin-walled Khrushchevs. And the carpet was well covered with stains and wallpaper torn by a cat.
Fashion directions
The variety of modern carpets makes you get confused when choosing such products. Modern styles such as “loft” or “high-tech” are successfully accentuated with a matching rug. Country styles and shabby chic, oriental interiors cannot do without a soft rug. In baroque and empire styles, carpet is an indispensable element of luxury. Below are the most popular carpet trends.
Animal skins
Real animal skins, furs and their artificial substitutes are an echo of our ancestors in decorating and insulating their homes. Most loved by homeowners are such "animal" colors as tiger stripes, leopard spots, giraffe skin. There are also carpets with snakeskin or turtle shell prints. The leader of this “zoo” is the zebra, whose stylish “outfit” is so firmly established in modern interiors.
Such models are eye-catching, so it is better for them to take a place in the center of the room. Naturally, such a specific color will not be appropriate in every home, but for pop art, country, African and colonial motifs, this is what you need.
If the budget allows, it is worth considering a novelty in carpet trends - canvases with inserts made of natural hides and leather.
Patchwork
Carpets, consisting of fragments of different colors and textures, amuse the interior and add vitality. There are many ways to place the flaps and combine materials. Fans of unusual interior solutions will certainly be interested in multi-colored asymmetric models.
Abstraction
Unimaginable abstract drawings are not a new trend, but still relevant. They have gained popularity due to their versatility and limitless choice of color combinations.
The good old geometric designs are just as popular.
Naturalness
Today everything with the prefix "eco" is fashionable by default. This trend has not passed by and carpets. In addition to the use of natural raw materials (silk, cotton, wool, etc.), the maximum similarity with natural dyes is also approved. Thanks to products in natural style, carpet can be represented in the form of autumn leaves, grass or soil, which will become one of the fundamental details in the entire interior.
3D
Of course, such a product does not imply anything "three-dimensional". A similar effect is given by a multi-level haircut of the carpet pile. The unusual change of planes, the play of light and shadow, as well as the viewing angle give even monochromatic models a convex and embossed pattern. Sometimes 3D colored carpets are real masterpieces. In addition, manufacturers promise the effect of foot massage.
When making a choice in favor of this or that carpet, consider not only the external attractiveness of the product, but also the nuances of caring for it.
Many carpets are very capricious in their care, which can be a significant drawback.
For an overview of some models of modern carpets, see the following video.