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Choosing the right carpet for your living room
Woolen carpets keep the house warm. Shutter photo
What you need to know:
- He says determining whether the dyes are good or bad lies within whether or not the dyes are colorfast.
- Ssentongo adds that fugitive dies are not good for carpets. He observes that spilling anything water or oil based, will result in a bleeding dye mess on your carpet.
Carpets bring a nice ambience to any interior. Jackeline Biira of Spaces Interior says carpets are made from different kinds of material. These include wool, wool mix, and man-made fibres. She explains that each type has particular qualities and benefits.
“Wool carpets are truly luxurious and will enhance the elegance of any living room. They are wonderful to walk on and durable. Wool is an excellent insulator and so will keep your living room warm and reduce noise,” she says.
According to Asaad Kabugo Tamale of Fox Wood interiors and Architects before selecting the type of carpet for a living room, it is important to consider different aspects.
Family size
She explains that wool mix carpets are perfect for busy families. She says they are great insulators which are resistant to wear-and-tear and can easily be cleaned.
For the man-made carpets, Biira says they are attractive and hardwearing and are perfect for a big family. “If you have young children or pets and require a high-performance living room carpet, a man-made blend is ideal. It can cope with heavy footfall, dirt, and spillages,” she says.
Maintenance
“Don’t choose a carpet that you will not be able to maintain, if your living room always has too much traffic then it is better you don’t go for heavy wool,” he advises.
Tamale says a home owner must provide good carpet care to maintain the look and condition of their carpets.
“Stain resistant carpets are great for high traffic areas because they require less cleaning. Textured carpets are suitable for high traffic areas because of their resistance to dirt.
Make sure you are aware of the maintenance requirements for a carpet type before you buy so that you can avoid high maintenance carpetes that you cannot care for yourself,” he says.
Colours and patterns
Biira says choosing the right colour or pattern for your carpeting can be the most intensive part of the process because of the seemingly endless options available. However, she says some things you should decide before choosing a carpet include the kind of feeling or mood you want to create and whether you want the carpet to be a focal point or background furnishing. “Take some carpet samples home with you to see what they look like with the rest of the room in the natural light before making a decision.”
What you need to know when choosing colours
Warm Colours
Warm colors such as red really help to brighten up the room and create a cosy ambience. Biira says that red carpets often go well with neutral and warm colored walls and are especially effective in living rooms.
Earthy Tones
She explains that a modern carpet trend is the use of earthy tones.
“Greens, light blues and stone colours help to create a calm and serene atmosphere. However, they will show up stains and dirt easily so avoid placing them in high traffic areas that see large levels of child or pet activity,” she observes.
Popular Colours
The most popular carpet colour is beige.
“Although it has an undeserved reputation for looking dull and being a little too safe, the great thing about beige is that it compliments most other colours. No matter what color the walls in a room are, beige will almost certainly blend in well,” says Biira.
Differentiating genuine carpets from fake ones
George Ssentongo a trader dealing in carpets says some carpets loose color and that is a characteristic of fake ones.
“Most dyes will appear brilliant and true to exactly what you are looking for, but the real test is how well they last under a stain and frequent traffic,” he says.
He says determining whether the dyes are good or bad lies within whether or not the dyes are colorfast.
Ssentongo adds that fugitive dies are not good for carpets. He observes that spilling anything water or oil based, will result in a bleeding dye mess on your carpet.
Keeping carpets clean
Use doormats
Biira says the doormat does wonders to reduce the amount of sand and dirt tracked into the home. “Buy a doormat to expand the life of your carpet and keep it clean and longer,” she says.
Vacuum daily
“Daily vacuuming helps pick up dirt and debris before it sinks deep into the carpet. Less dirt expands the life of your carpet,” says Biira.
Clean spots and spills immediately.
Biira says it is important that any person with a woolen carpet clean the stains and spills immediately.
“Not only will a quick clean reduce the rate of absorption but it also helps reduce the bacteria and other problems associated with a spill,” she notes.
She adds that regardless of what type of carpeting you choose, having them cleaned with professional carpet cleaning services once a year can greatly extend their life.
