Replacing a carpet often feels like everything needed to have the feeling of completely redesigning a room. A carpet can really bring a room together and change the overall style of the decor, but are they always necessary?
Not every living room needs to have a carpet. Using a carpet is a great finishing touch to give a living room the feeling that the decoration process is complete. Sometimes, having a carpet in your living room clashes with your furniture or your living room is already carpeted.
In this article, I will discuss the main factors to consider when debating whether your living room needs a carpet or not. So let’s get started.
Consider the flooring in your living room
One of the first things to consider when deciding if you need a carpet is the type of flooring you have in your living room. If you use interior design magazines and photos as design inspiration, you may notice that carpets are often used on hardwood floors.
But what about living rooms with carpeted floors? If your living room has carpet, a carpet may not look optimal.
However, you can make this decoration piece work depending on the type of carpet you have.
A carpet can work if your carpet has short, flat, and dense fibers. But they might look strange or unnatural on a carpet with longer fibers, like a shag carpet.
If you have a living room with a patterned carpet, you should avoid using a carpet in your decor, as even a simple carpet can make the room appear cluttered.
The size of your living room is a major factor
The general rule for carpets is to choose a carpet that is large enough to fit under all the key furniture pieces you have in the room.
In a living room, that likely means either centering it so that it lies under all seating and coffee tables, or getting one long enough to sit balanced under all furniture in the room.
A carpet should help make a room look finished.
However, if it is too small or you cannot find one that matches the size or shape of your living area, this can have the opposite effect. Before purchasing a carpet, consider the shape of your living room and measure the size of the room.
If you have a living room that is not the same size on all four walls, it can be difficult to find a carpet that fits into the space properly. If you have an especially large living room, you may need to buy a larger carpet, which may be less readily available.
Area carpets require special care
Like carpets, area carpets require special care compared to hardwood or tile floors.
Even if you like the look of carpets, you should consider if you have the time and patience to incorporate the care of a carpet into your household cleaning routine. You may need to regularly vacuum your carpet or shake out dust and dirt outside.
You may even need to use a carpet cleaner and scrub it clean to maintain its color and remove dirt deposits. And that’s all just for regular daily care.
If you or your family regularly eat or do other messy projects in the living room, your carpet may be at a higher risk of getting dirty compared to simply having a smooth floor. While it may not be fun to spill juice on a hardwood floor, at least you don’t have to worry about stains as much.
It’s up to you to decide if you are willing to deal with this type of cleaning regimen.
If your desire to have a carpet in your living room is stronger than the annoyance of having something else to clean, then go for it. However, if you are constantly stressed about your carpet getting messy or stained, you might want to skip having one in a room that you frequently use, such as your living room.
Another thing to consider is that if your carpet is in a high-traffic area, it will require much more care than if it were in an area that is rarely used.
Consider your preferences
If you’re wondering if every living room needs a carpet, or if you’re less enthusiastic about adding one to your room’s decor, then you might want to consider if you even want one at all.
You may have been accustomed to seeing carpets in living rooms your whole life, so you might feel like it’s an unofficial rule to have one. Just because you see carpets being used in other people’s living room furniture doesn’t mean you have to buy one for your home.
Whether you haven’t bought a carpet yet or you’re unsure if you want to keep the one you have, try looking at your living room with all the furniture with just a bare floor. If you like how your living room looks without a carpet, you can do without one.
But if the room looks unfinished to you, then consider looking at the carpet options you can find.
Conclusion
Your living room is likely one of the most heavily trafficked areas in your home. It’s the place where you’re likely to host guests and where you’re likely to relax and unwind.
However, there are several reasons why a carpet may not be necessary for you.
The shape, size, and flooring of your living room are the main factors you should consider when considering adding a carpet to your living space, as well as the need to maintain it.
Ultimately, it’s your taste that is most important for the use of a carpet in your living room.
Sources
- The Spruce: 8 Do’s and Don’ts for Rugs
- The Spruce: Guidelines for Area Rugs
- Martha Stewart: How to Choose the Perfect Area Rug for Your Living Room Based on Your Couch Size
- Architectural Digest: Designers Debate Rugs Vs. Bare Floors
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet: The No. 1 Design Mistake Everyone Makes in Their Living Room
- The Home Depot: Types of Rugs
- The Spruce: Tips for Using Area Rugs Over Carpet