The living room tends to be the most multipurpose room in your entire house. Unlike the kitchen or dining room, your living room is often used for gathering with friends, reading, working, watching, and relaxing throughout the day. Because of the wide range in activities and the amount of foot traffic, people often look to carpets as a preferred flooring material for their living room for comfort and durability. If you’re thinking about a new carpet in your living room, we’ve got some considerations and trends for you to think through.

Considerations

Durability

Your living room is a high-traffic area in your house, so durability should be a top concern. You want something that can stand up to the everyday wear and tear that occurs in your home. Not all carpets are known for their longevity. There are some technical terms that factor in—face weight, tuft twist, and density rating. If you’re unfamiliar with the terms or how they relate to a carpet’s durability, the experts at your local Flooring America can easily explain how these factors come into play. In more general shopping, you’ll want to be on the lookout for high-quality carpeting with an above-average wear warranty. Generally, the most durable carpets are made from a blend of wool and nylon. Plus, innovations in carpeting have come a long way. You can now find kid- and pet-friendly carpets that are specially designed to last longer.

Material

In addition to durability, choosing the right material for your carpet can also affect how it looks and feels. Some of the most popular fibers that hold up well over time are polyester, triexta, nylon, and olefin. Wool, lama, and mohair carpeting give your home a sophisticated feel. In fact, wool is often held as the best option for living rooms because of its combination of natural strength and softness. Silk and silk-like materials are even being worked into some carpeting now for an extra touch of elegance.

Cleaning

Since the living room is often used for many activities, it’s also prone to lots of spills, stains, and other accidents. That’s why ease of cleaning is important when shopping for a new carpet. Typically, carpets are higher maintenance compared to other flooring materials, but if you look for one that is waterproof or stain-resistant, you should have an easier time. Also, make sure to check every carpet’s warranty. This will help in case stains do occur.

Color

When choosing a carpet color for your living room, traditionally, people choose a neutral shade because it’s less likely to go out of style. Plus, neutrals work well with all the other color aspects of your room, like the walls, furniture, pet hair color, and even the amount of natural light and how it shifts during the day. Amp up the coziness of your living room by choosing warmer color carpets in deep reds, soft browns, sienna golds or peachy creams.

Feel

The feel of your carpet is determined by the fibers it’s made of. If you have small children spending a lot of time on the floor, you may want to opt for a softer-style carpet made with thinner fibers. However, as you might suspect, these softer carpets tend not to last as long and are harder to clean. If you want a lower-maintenance carpet, you can create a softer space by adding an underpad during installation. Carpet cushions come in several different sizes and materials, helping to add cushioning, insulation, and longevity to your carpet.

Construction

With carpets ranging by fiber material, color, and design, the construction of carpeting varies as well. It’s important to keep in mind that the pile, cut, or loop and the style, frieze, and Berber can also have an impact on the above considerations. The way in which all of these elements are brought together will impact the final result, determining whether or not the carpet is right for your living room. If you’re looking for the highest quality construction, traditional woven carpets are still the standard-bearer when it comes to value.

Trends

More and more people are using carpeting to add texture to their living rooms. Bold patterns and a mix of pile heights can raise the wow factor of your interior design. We’re also seeing natural-looking carpets rise in popularity. After years of spending most of our time indoors, people are starting to bring elements of nature into their space. Greens, stone shades, and other colors found in nature are being used as accents in carpeting.

Still unsure about which carpet is right for your living room? Your local Flooring America experts are here to help make your design process easier. Start with All Flooring USA for filtering by durability, style and material, and see where it leads you.