Did you know? Carpet color selection and carpet color scheme can greatly impact carpet wear and carpet performance.

Carpet Color Selection is Critical

After establishing your budget and estimating the footage required, it is time to consider carpet color selection. Carpet color was probably the very first thing that came to mind when you began to think about buying carpet. That’s because color can be manipulated  to create nearly any mood or effects you wish.

You may have heard that dark colors make a room look smaller. It’s true. So you should stay away from dark colors ---  Not necessarily. If your objective  is to create a warm, cozy  look, a smaller "feel" is exactly what you want and dark, rich colors like hunter green or burgundy will work for you. If a dark color is what you love, and it helps you create the ambience you want, maybe you should consider it.

Lighter shades such as pastels and color tints on the other hand, tend to enlarge a space. These colors create a restful and subdued mood. They’re ideal when you want a formal, orderly and intimate tone.

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Strong contrasts of colors are lively, exciting, active and can be a bold statement for your family’s living style.

 Color also can change the feel of a room. In north facing rooms and in cool climates, you can "warm up" the room by featuring reds, yellows, oranges, peaches and apricots. In south facing rooms and in warm climates, a room can be made to feel more comfortable by using cooler shades such as blues, purples, greens and teals.  The carpet industry has a distinct advantage in requiring very short lead times from product conception, to production, to sampling and resell.  As a result, the carpet industry is able to monitor color choices offered by the furniture industry, as well as other interior furnishings industries and provide complementary colors within a few weeks notice.  Also custom colors are available from many mills if you can't seem to find the right shade.

 Unfortunately, for the consumer, far too much emphasis is placed on coordinating colors and far too little emphasis on color prudence.  Few consumers realize that carpet is a fabric exposed to foot traffic.  Few materials subjected to this type of daily abuse and maintenance neglect perform with equal results.  Foot traffic and soil type should be carefully considered when selecting carpet color.

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In the days before Stainmaster®, it went without question that carpet was subject to stains and soil and color prudence was a matter of standard carpet selection.  Carpets were principally drab browns, gold’s, or avocado’s and colors were selected to hide these immortal sins.  After the release of stain-resist technology, carpet became a fashion statement with beautiful blue’s, teal’s, and even white’s.  While these products clean more readily than the older products, they do not hide soil as well as their forerunners because of color choice.

 In selecting color these facts should be considered. Now that you realize the impact color can have on the mood of a room, you can make your choice of color with greater confidence. Now where do you start? If you’re redecorating, often an existing fabric, or a cherished piece of furniture can be a starting point and can stimulate your creativity. Working around an existing piece is an excellent way to start when making your color choice. Important: it is rarely desirable to match a color exactly. More visual interest is created by blending colors. 

If the room is empty, start with the color that gets your creative juices flowing! If it’s not a color that other household members love, the problem may be resolved by the skillful use of a color scheme that coordinates your choice with several colors. Carpet color is an emotional issue. But with these color selection tips, you can enter a carpet retailer with more self assurance.  

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Lighting has a direct effect on the atmosphere of a room and can create some of the most dramatic results. But it is one of the most neglected and underutilized design principals. Low voltage recessed lighting, halogen fixtures and floor and table lamps with opaque shades can all add further drama and intimacy to a space. The light distribution is directed at specific objects, not the entire room.

Ceiling surface-mounted fixtures, recessed down lights, lamps with translucent shades and hanging lamps all create a bright, open and cheerful mood. When you see a room with lighting you like, pay attention to how it is done. Then you'll be able to incorporate those ideas in your own home.  Remember, many colors have a way of changing shades with different types of lighting.  Some shades may even change color completely.

Rather than gathering throw pillows and choosing a specific color to match, consider selecting a number of colors and a variety of lighter and darker shades.  Consider the type of soil tracked into your home, how often it will be cleaned, the frequency of vacuuming, and the amount and type of stains that will be subjected.  Once these issues have been considered, the color choice may assure your future happiness with your purchase.  Remember, newer carpets may clean more easily than older carpets, but they must be cleaned with regularity. They will not prevent the appearance of soil. It is possible to be pleased with white carpet as long as you understand and are willing to provide the carpet care required. 

With these issues addressed, collect a variety of color preferences from wallpaper samples, throw pillows, furniture fabrics, and draperies and begin your search for a carpet retailer in which you have faith.  

Now the process becomes confusing.  You may encounter numerous fiber types, Berbers and trackless, olefin and polyester, various brand names, conflicting information from retailers, foam cushion and rebond cushion, 5-year warranties and 10-year warranties, matting warranties and crushing warranties, stain warranties, and stain assurances, and so on.  The next few chapters have been designed to address these issues and more.  They may be more detailed than necessary, but once you have obtained samples from retailers and spread them across the floor for comparison, most of your questions should be addressed. 

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