Dear Alice | Carpet 101

First of all- we are so excited to let you know we’re ranked the second podcast for Apple's US interior design podcasts- thank you so much for getting us there; we quite literally couldn’t do it without you! We interviewed some of our favorite people within the world of carpet for everything hot and best practices in carpet and we can’t wait to share what we’ve learned! Ten years ago hardwood floors were only 10% of the home where now it’s 50% hardwood so carpet has taken a backseat but is still very charming and worthwhile in our opinion! This week’s episode can be found on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Google Podcast.

Carpet is usually sold per square yard so keep that in mind when buying carpet. Also make sure to factor in installation to your budget as well! $60 a yard for carpet including install is where we usually end up at.

Carpets in bedrooms are lovely; waking up and feeling cozy when you’re stepping out of bed is unmatched and is much quieter. One thing we always think about- do you want to vacuum or mop your room; it feels wrong to mop it!

Closets also could use some carpet because it’s very nice and cozy. You don’t want to mop a closet when there’s fallen lint or fibers. The same carpet that’s in your room will be the same in your closet unless it’s separated by a bathroom and you want to do an accent carpet.

Stairs are lovely to put carpet on or at least a runner so you don’t slip down and it makes them much more interesting. It adds a lot of personality and is replaceable without being extremely expensive.

Basements are another good place to put them- they can be colder and is a great way to warm the space up. If you have a kitchenette, you can tile around that!

Your carpets will mostly be uniform throughout your home unless it’s a runner or accent carpet!

Don’t put carpet in the bathroom!! You don’t want it to get moldy and it especially should never go around the toilet. Do tile or some other hard surfaces in your bathrooms. You can have removable mats that are washable but nothing permanent and fiberous. 

Don’t put clipped/in set carpet in rooms- run the hard surfaces right to the mantle and corners of the room; it’s not the same thing as a rug. There should be no angles created by carpet! Boardroom carpet goes from wall to wall and is the only way to carpet a room in our opinion!

Accent carpet is more expensive than general carpet but very worth investing in because it’s the pocket square of your home. Stark carpet is great- we used it on Rachel Parcell’s runner and they’ve got a lower end line called Prestige which has a lot of the same carpets for much cheaper so do your research because they come from the same mill. Rosecore also has a lot of beautiful options! 

No carpet in dining rooms- it goes without saying but you don’t want to spill drinks or food and have it stain. It’s a great area for a rug thought if you’d like one!

We generally go for as light as we can while it still feels natural for the space while not being white or leaning yellow or grey- so think of your buff and oatmeal colors.

When shopping for carpet- polyester is generally cheaper, has a great range of color and is good to get stains out of although it has a lower melting point so if you clean it too hot when steaming it, you can melt it. It has a 7-10 year lifespan and most homes have polyester because of how budget friendly it is so don’t feel guilty about ripping it out. It’s generally around $18-$50/yard.

Nylon is a step up; some brands are pet friendly so it doesn’t stain as easily. It doesn’t have as many colors although for carpets we don’t look for crazy colors so it’s fine by us. Nylon has a 10-20 year lifespan and you can steam clean it so the performance is fantastic. It’s generally $40-$75/yard.

Wool is the best! It’s low luster so no shiny materials pop through and it’s a natural material that feels like it gives you energy back. We typically use this in our projects. It’s thick and dense with undyed fibers. It’s more difficult to clean so test clean it first and make sure to be delicate- you don’t want to get it too wet so use dry cleaning type products. It has a 12-25 year lifespan so it’s a worthwhile investment. You can ask the vendor if they can find a nylon that looks like a wool if wool isn’t in your budget!

Loop cut loop (or LCL ) are loops and tip of the carpet, is a mixed construction and is really trending right now. Low pile is best because you’ll want to put rugs on top of your carpet without it being floppy and will show those vacuum lines less. It’ll show off the rugs in a much more true way without shifting around. Don’t get cut pile; it’s having a bad hair day everyday and is high maintenance. Dig you finger in and see if you can find the spine- if you move it around and can see the spine, it might not be that great quality of carpet so keep looking!

Invest in your pads for longevity so your carpet doesn’t feel wave-y because of the pad. A half inch thick pad is best so it won’t break down before your carpet does. The higher the density number, the more dense it’ll be, the lower the number, the more squishy and comfortable it’ll be. Get one that’ll fit your lifestyle- if you’re wrestling kids, a squishy one might be better suited for you.  

Nothing will drive you crazier than walking over carpet you hate for years so make sure to get it right! Any questions or podcast ideas? Email us at dearalice@alicelanehome.com