Softly, Softly

Sun Herald

Sunday March 9, 2008

Cyndi Tebbel

From luxurious plush pile to industrial-strength commercial grade, carpet is back in vogue.

Wall-to-wall carpet can instantly transform a room by offering a softer, warmer and undeniably quieter platform than timber or tiles, and there's a huge range of colours and textures to complement or completely change the direction of your interior theme.

Another good reason to choose carpet is it hides floor surface irregularities. Maybe that's why it remains more popular than hard flooring. In fact, it's now increasingly seen in rooms, particularly living and family zones, where timber and tiles once dominated.

Subtle difference

When it comes to colour, the carpet palette is still dominated by neutral shades of sand and pastel hues, which are great for opening up a room. However, the retro theme is also gaining favour with decorators and that's evident in the rich red, deep blue, charcoal and chocolate browns on offer. These bold colours can warm up a living space and make a large room cosier.

If you're worried about stains, choose from the many stain-resistant carpets available. For high-traffic areas that may be subject to the patter of little, and possibly grubby feet, go for the new textured multi-level loop pile and patterned carpets that come in pattern-on-pattern styles like stripes or checks and even bold geometric prints. They not only look fabulous, they also brilliantly disguise the consequences of normal wear and tear.

Plush v practical

Most carpets are made from either pure wool or a wool-blend (mixed with nylon). While deep plush pile is a luxurious top-of-the-range choice for low-traffic areas like bedrooms, there are lots of economical options like sisal that wear well and come in many colours.

Finally, don't forget underlay. The correct density of underlay will depend on the type of carpet you install, but it's a critical factor in the look, feel and longevity of your carpet.

To determine which carpet is best for you, look for the Australian Carpet Classification Scheme, which grades carpets using a star rating based on durability of appearance and performance, and provides a minimum two-year performance warranty.

For more information on all aspects of carpet, visit the Carpet Institute of Australia at www.carpetinstitute.com.au.

Did you know?

* It is possible to try a flying carpet at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in Paris. Both theme parks feature magic carpet rides based on the Aladdin film.

* The tradition of walking the red carpet is thought to have originated from the 5th century BC play Agamemnon by Aeschylus, in which Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, lays down a red carpet for her husband before murdering him.

* Many centuries later, train conductors in the US rolled out red carpets to direct passengers to their correct train. Hollywood then picked up the tradition for film premiers, allegedly to remind celebrities of the possibly hurtful words to come from their critics.

* The world's largest carpet was unveiled in 2007 at the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan mosque, Abu Dhabi. The 5625-square-metre carpet features 25 natural colours, 2.2 billion knots and weighs more than 45 tonnes.

* The Ardabil carpet, commissioned in 1539 for a shrine in Iran, is the world's oldest surviving carpet. It is on display at the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

© 2008 Sun Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home