Every decorative item you choose to furnish this interior is an element of design which lives the space and into the space, combining comfort and functionality, beauty and warm cosiness.
The carpets for the living room comply with this paradigm; by choosing them, you actually define the interior atmosphere and personality. It is about finding that unique item which matches the floor, which elegantly suits the pieces of furniture and which welcomes every guest with a visual combination of colours and textures. It is a choice which goes beyond practicality; it is a way of expressing yourself, your identity, your way of living.
The questions and curiosities about the carpets for interior design are a lot. We gathered them in this article and used them to create a guide about how to choose the carpets for the living room.
Let us show you how to choose the carpets. You will find the solutions to turn your living room into a work of art where beauty and functionality are combined to create interiors which are refined and welcoming, spectacular and intimate at the same time.
1) How big should a carpet for the living room be?
The design carpet is very important in the living room, both for its decorative function and for its ability to define and unite the space.
Its size is fundamental: if it were too small, it could look like an island lost in the sea of the floor; if it were too large, it might risk to smother the surrounding interior design.
The best choice depends on the size of your living room; it has to contribute to the creation of a cohesive conversation area and implicitly suggest the way the interior should be used and experienced.
2) How to put a carpet in the living room?
Putting the carpet in the living room is a “dance” of balances. There should be a part of floor equally displayed all around the carpet edges, acting as a frame which enhances both the carpet and the pieces of furniture onto it.
This strategy improves the room look and functionality, preventing the carpet to become an obstacle in the natural movement flux.
Everything must be, of course, adjusted according to the size of the living room. Generally speaking:
- Small room: the best solution is to put the carpet in front of the sofa, without covering the latter’s feet. This helps not to visually smother the space. The carpet should be as long as the sofa, balancing the two furnishing items, which thus enhance each other.
- Medium room: this is the most common situation and it allows to put the carpet under the front feet of the sofa. This prevents the carpet from moving and creates a connection which makes the interior pleasant and balanced. The carpet should be at least 20 cm longer than every corner of the sofa, thus insuring beautiful symmetry.
- Big room: the carpet becomes an island of comfort and style. Furniture, including sofas and armchairs, should be totally put onto the carpet, keeping a minimum distance of about 30 cm from the nearby walls. This location enhances the importance of the conversation area and makes the carpet a central, sophisticated element in it.
3) How to choose the colour of the carpet in the living room?
The colour of the carpet is extremely important to define the style and the atmosphere of your living room. This choice does not only concern the way the room looks; it also involves your personality, it depends on the style you want to give to your interior.
Here are some general recommendations:
- Reflecting your own style: if you prefer a sober, refined style, you’d better choose neutral tones as grey, beige or brown. If you like to be daring, choose bright colours as red, blue or multi-colour patterns;
- T****aking the room lighting into consideration: the colour of the carpet can change a lot according to the natural or artificial light in the room. Light colours can help light up dark spaces, enhancing light, while dark colours can give warmth and cosiness to wide, well-lit environments;
- Playing with contrasts or creating coherence: does the carpet have to contrast the existing interior design or to match it? Answering this question can help you choose the right carpet for your living room: a model with contrasting colours can become the visual center of the living room, while colours similar to the tones of the sofas, walls and floor will create continuity and airiness;
- Considering the combination with pieces of furniture and decorative objects: you always need to consider the way the colour of the carpet matches the other elements in the room. A carpet which well matches curtains, cushions and other textiles contributes to the creation of a welcoming, pleasant interior;
- Trying out textures: the carpet texture, together with its colour, can be visually and sensorially interesting. A carpet with embossed patterns and textures can make the room deeper, while smooth, flat fabrics can be relaxing and minimalist.
(If you like more information about how to furnish with design carpets, read also Decorating interiors with design carpets: ideas and inspirations to use them with elegance).
4) How to combine a carpet with the floor?
The combination of carpet and floor is a beautiful fusion of materials and colours which can be created by matching or by contrasting elements.
The tone-on-tone combination offers a sober, more relaxing visual experience; if you choose contrasting colours and textures, you can define the interior with energy and personality.
1) A carpet on a light floor
A light floor, in white, grey colours or in the tones of light wood, is a neutral, bright canvas which can be used in a lot of ways:
- Moderate contrast: a carpet in a darker colour can create a pleasant contrast which is eye-catching but not dominating;
- Textures combinations: using carpets with interesting textures or complicated patterns can provide additional visual depth and interest, keeping colours neutral;
- Reflections and nuances: choosing a carpet which reflects one of the minor colours of the floor can pleasantly match the design of the whole room, creating a nice, impressive unity.
2) A carpet on a dark floor
You can choose to combine carpets and dark floors (as mahogany, walnut or dark grey) in different ways, according to the result you want to achieve:
- Lighting up the environment: light-coloured carpets, enriched by vivid decorative items, can contrast a dark floor, giving brightness and airiness to the interior. Cream, face powder pink or green colours can liven up the living room.
- Softened luxury: a carpet with colours that match the floor but with a different texture can provide luxury and depth, without radically changing the colours palette.
- Dynamic patterns: using geometric or floral patterns can interrupt the monotony of a dark floor, creating movement and liveliness.
Anyway, you always have to balance colours, textures and patterns to create an interior which reflects your personal taste while enhancing the available space.
5) How to combine carpet and sofa?
The relationship between carpet and sofa is fundamental for the visual harmony of the living room.
The carpet can be a neutral background for a coloured, richly decorated sofa, or it can stand out when used with a sofa with neutral colours. Same as for the floor, to create a cosy, beautiful interior you need these two main elements to be chromatically and texturally linked together.
Which carpet to combine with a white sofa
The white sofa is a canvas which allows utmost freedom when choosing the carpet. Bright colours, complex patterns, neutral tones, textures: everything can suit the interior. It only depends on the personality you want your living room to have.
Whether you want to be daring or to get a moderate colour combination, we recommend that you make sure colours and textures always interact.
Which carpet to use with a grey sofa
The grey sofa offers a neutral yet sophisticated base which can be enhanced through the choice of the right carpet:
- A carpet with beige or pastel tones can create a fine contrast which illuminates the room, insuring balance and elegance;
- For a more rigid, modern approach, a carpet in a darker or lighter nuance than the grey colour of the sofa is perfect. This coherent look is ideal for contemporary interiors;
- When the sofa is light grey, a carpet with darker nuances as black or navy blue can elegantly characterise the interior, enhancing and embellishing it.
Choosing the carpet for the living room means embellishing the whole interior.
Beautiful to be looked at, as precious as jewels and as creative as paintings: these pieces of furniture can turn the ordinary into a contemporary, strongly expressive object.
Choosing a carpet for the living room involves functionality, beauty and personality. It means translating your personal, intimate language into textiles, where images reflect your thoughts and patterns represent your words.
(If you look for the best carpets for the living room online, have a look at locanera.it).
