For many of us, our bedroom is a cozy sanctuary where we can retreat and escape the hustle and bustle of the rest of the home after a long day. Nothing epitomises relaxation more than plush, luxurious flooring underfoot, and carpet adds a layer of warmth and softness that harder floors often can’t provide. So if you are shopping for new carpet for a renovation or new build, what factors should you consider when looking for the best carpet for bedrooms?
Benefits Of Carpets
- They’re soft. Your bedroom floor is the first thing your bare feet will touch in the morning and the last thing before you go to bed at night. Carpet has a soft, cushioned feel that makes it a wonderfully soothing texture underfoot.
- They’re warm. Most of us don’t enjoy waking up to an alarm every morning and having to leave the comfort of our bed. Double the discomfort if you’re stepping onto a cold, hard floor! Bedroom carpets remain warm throughout the year, regardless of the season.
- They’re quiet. Carpet is quieter to walk on than hard flooring and dampens the sound of others walking in the room. It will also insulate your bedroom against other ambient noise throughout the house.
- They’re safer. Stumbling to the bathroom in the middle of the night can be hazardous on a hard, slippery floor. Bedroom carpets can also cushion falls, particularly if you have young children who are prone to falling out of bed!
Choosing The Colour
Colour is an essential factor when choosing bedroom carpets. It should link to the rest of the room’s palette and work with other textural elements in the room. These include window treatments, furniture, wall colour and finish and even bed linen. A good first step is to choose the hero element of your bedroom, and then look for a carpet that complements your decor rather than overpowering it.
Lighter shades like sand, taupe and light grey are ideal in terms of versatility, mid-toned carpets can disguise stains and dust, and darker hues create a luxurious, cosy and inviting environment. Carpeting in subtle shades of green or blue can also add visual interest, however, try and avoid loud colours and busy patterns as they can be too stimulating for a bedroom.
Choosing The Pile
Factors to consider when choosing the pile height and density of your carpet will depend on your decor and lifestyle. However, unlike busier parts of the home where practicality may steer your design choices, low-traffic bedrooms give you the chance to indulge in more sophisticated styles like velvety, plush piles and oversized loop-pile carpets.
Long, plush piles can give a more luxe look, whereas shorter, tighter piles are harder wearing and will show less indentation and wear. Cut carpet piles make for a plusher surface, whereas uncut carpet piles can be less comfortable in a bedroom setting. If you choose a plush carpet, be aware that shading is a feature of this style and that when you walk or vacuum over it, you may notice a colour difference. They also tend to show footmarks and indentations more easily.
Choosing The Fibre
There is a range of carpet materials to choose from, including wool, nylon, wool-nylon mixes and more luxurious options like wool-silk mixes. For luxury, softness and graceful ageing, pure wool carpet is hard to beat. It is easy to maintain, has natural, insulating properties and is low in allergens.
However, it can be expensive, so nylon or nylon-mix carpets may be a better choice if budget is a priority. They are hardwearing and more stain-resistant than pure wool carpets, and with technological innovations, they are becoming softer and more luxurious. For the best of both worlds, a wool blend will give you the natural appeal of wool with the hardwearing properties of synthetic carpets.
References
- Georgia Madden, 2017, Soft touch: How to choose carpet for your bedroom, Houzz Australia
- Cheryl Simmons, 2021, Why carpet is the best choice for bedrooms, The Spruce
- 2021, The best carpet for bedrooms, Flooring Clarity
