It has been a part of our decor since 6000 BC when we began to shear goats and sheep, weaving the hair and wool to make clothes and flooring, carpets are a part of our history with trends changing most seasons, and since the introduction of reality television programs even our homes must be fashionable now. Floor coverings play a large part in the interior of our homes, and it is now recognized that a carpet cannot be just something that we lay. It is the centre piece of our home, providing color, depth and a background for the theme of the room. Over the past few years laminate flooring and tiles have been the popular craze as they give a clean feel to the home, but as we become more ecological aware, carpet is creeping back in as a way of retaining heat within our homes.
There are many different kinds of carpet, the main ones being twist, loop, velvet, Saxony and shag. Their names all refer to the kind of pile. Twist was developed in the 1930's and is hard wearing, making it a popular choice for high traffic areas such as front hallways. Loop was first recognized in the 1970's and is coming back into fashion now, making it a popular choice for the living areas. You can buy carpet either on a roll cut to the size you require, or you can buy carpet squares by the pack instead.
Carpet tiles, or squares, have been around for more than 50 years now, and are more often used within companies than the home. However, they are starting to become more popular as you can create your own designs. Carpet tiles are ideal for children's bedrooms, using them to make colorful patterns on the floor. They come in a range of colors, styles and can be cut into different shapes too. Carpet tiles are easy to lay and have a hardwearing back, which means that there is no need to hire someone to do it for you. Using carpet tiles you can create a beautiful border around the room, or between the squares.
Retro is in fashion, which means bright bold colors are regularly seen, not only in our clothes and accessories, but also in our home. Designers are continuously using fashion to help them with the dcor for interior design. Neutral plain and block colors were the trend through the 1990's and early 2000, using the carpet as a background or base and creating the room design using furniture and art. Beige, stone and white carpets were the most popular colors used. Nowadays though, patterned carpets that were once seen from the 1950's to the 1970's seem to be making a comeback. The main patterns used seem to be swirls, lattices, stripes and dots with almost a Middle Eastern inspiration to them, although floral patterns are sneaking in too thanks to designers such as Laura Ashley. Paisley is being seen as the trend for this coming winter.
New products are being introduced almost every day, and we can now buy curtains, throws and cushions to match our carpets. Some people are still keeping their old plain carpets, choosing to recreate a new theme using a large rug as a focal point instead. We are always looking into the past for inspiration, and whilst the postwar era is at its peak right now, it is thought that prewar time will soon be used.