Carpets to make comeback

Many households are turning away from minimalist design trends and opting for a cosier, more lived-in feel that includes wall-to-wall carpets.

Abigail Ahern, an interior designer, says that carpets are making a comeback. Speaking to Livingetc, she said:

“We are looking at ways to bring comfort into our homes and there's nothing like carpet to make rooms feel cosier and more sumptuous than ever.”

There are several carpet trends that are expected to be popular in 2022. One key trend is carpets made from natural fibres, including jute, seagrass and wool. A natural fibre carpet in neutral colours has simplicity and underfoot softness. A deep-pile wool carpet looks attractive and makes a space feel luxurious, warm and comforting. To add vibrance to a room that has a plain-coloured, natural fibre carpet, lay brightly coloured rugs on top of it.

Another trend predicted to be big in 2022 is carpets with bold colours and prints. Some homes are opting for bold carpet patterns with three or four colours. The furniture and the rest of the room decor is matched to the shades featured in the carpet.

Tartan carpets are another trend expected to feature in 2022. A simple tartan pattern in traditional greens and browns can make a room feel fresh and contemporary.

People spent more time at home during lockdown and looked for ways to improve their homes. Carpets in North Wales and Chester homes are a simple way to elevate a room and make it feel more cosy and warm.

Designer recommends bold carpets

Designer and artist Luke Edward Hall has recommended ditching bland carpets in favour of bold designs.

Hall says that bold patterned, wall-to-wall carpets make homes more fun, with his rule being to “go big”. For inspiration, Hall suggests looking at past designers, such as David Hick, who revolutionised flooring with geometric carpets that are bold and sharp with vibrant colours. Alternatively, carpets by the late French designer Madeleine Casting featured geometrics, leafy motifs and leopard prints.

Though many bold carpet designs from the past are no longer available, they can be viewed online for inspiration. Many bold designs are available from UK carpet manufacturers.

Hall says that bold-patterned wallpapers are common, but it’s now time to attend to floors. For people that are uncertain, he suggests starting with a small area, such as a dressing room, before carpeting the main living rooms. For those who don’t want to go the whole way with a bold pattern, he recommends considering a plain colour carpet in a vibrant shade.

Speaking to the Financial Times and describing a sitting room featured on Instagram that had a deep red carpet, Hall said:

“Its walls are white, the furniture cream and grey and black. On top of the red carpet is a large black circular rug. The effect is sublime.”

Whether homeowners install neutral or bold-patterned carpets in their North Wales or Chester homes, they should ensure that the quality is good, so that it will last for a long time, even in busy households.

What areas of the home suit luxury vinyl tiles?

It’s fair to say that vinyl flooring has come a long way since it was first manufactured as a product. While vinyl was discovered by a German chemist in the 1800s, its first use in flooring took place in the 1930s in Ohio, in the USA. In the 1950s and 60s, it became a popular and affordable floor solution, but the forerunner for today’s luxury vinyl tiles, or LVT for short, came in the 1970s, with the first ever vinyl plank flooring.

When professionally installed, modern LVT offers homeowners a wealth of benefits, from easy maintenance and affordability to a scratch and water-resistant surface. Its versatility involves it being able to recreate the look and feel of natural wood and stone, or to match any colour and pattern present for a cohesive look.

In the next sections, we’ll examine how LVT works with different living spaces around properties, providing guidance on its suitability as a flooring choice.

Living rooms

Used for recreation, living rooms typically enjoy low moisture levels, a stable temperature and minimal footfall. These conditions are exceptionally easy for LVT to cope with, making it an ideal option.

Even when central heating is used extensively in winter months, LVT is resistant to heat, ensuring it never buckles or warps in higher temperatures. This makes it a perfect partner for underfloor heating systems.

Kitchens

Today’s LVT flooring can resist leaks from washing machines and spills from sinks, providing sealed waterproof protection. With a durable surface, it’s also able to defend against dents and scratches when kitchen equipment falls to the floor. Finally, it’s exceptionally easy to clean. All these reasons allow LVT to provide a hardwearing and hygienic environment that still looks high-end.

Bedrooms

While many people prefer carpeting in the rooms they sleep in, LVT can appear like real wood or authentic stone, creating stylish bedroom designs. LVT is also an excellent solution when you suffer from dust allergies, as it’s easier to keep free of unwanted particles, offering a more restful sleep. Those seeking a little extra warmth underfoot can consider installing an underfloor heating system, or simply adding some soft rugs.

Bathrooms

Along with being impermeable to water splashed from sinks, showers and baths, LVT can be cleaned with water-based methods and products, making high levels of sanitation simple. It’s also offered in an impressive array of styles, colours, textures and tones, providing plenty of design possibilities.

Conservatories

The increased sunlight in conservatories can lead to sun fading on many floor types, but high-quality LVT is typically UV protected. Its waterproof quality also makes it suitable for watering plants and easy cleaning.

Basements

Vinyl flooring is perfect for basements, whether they are being used for storage or are converted into recreation areas. Basements experience a wide range of temperature changes, which can damage certain styles of flooring, however, LVT can easily cope with any fluctuations.

LVT is a versatile option suited to many rooms of the house, and it’s also perfect for outbuildings of all types, from sheds and greenhouses to outdoor gyms and home offices.

Clean carpets improve confidence in businesses

A recent Harris Poll has discovered that a well-maintained carpet influences how much confidence 83% of respondents have in an organisation.

A stained carpet that shows signs of wear and discolouration negatively impacts how people perceive an organisation. The importance of clean carpets in an establishment has increased since the pandemic, which has focused attention on hygiene. Clean carpets in hotels and restaurants make customers feel confident about the cleanliness of the kitchens and other facilities.

Over a third of the people who took part in the Harris Poll survey said that clean carpets in shops, offices, schools and care homes show that an organisation has a commitment to cleanliness.

High-quality carpets in Chester and North Wales premises will last a long time and will continue to look attractive, provided they are cleaned regularly. In commercial premises, daily vacuuming is recommended, with regular deep cleaning to remove stains and bacteria that gets trapped in the pile.

The Harris Poll was conducted for Whittaker, the organisation that owns the brand Smart Care, a commercial carpet cleaning system. According to CleanLink, a cleaning expert at Whittaker, Joe Bshero, recommended hiring a professional carpet cleaning service, and he added:

“A strategic carpet care program incorporates high-quality chemistry formulated for various types of stains and soils, as well as reliable equipment that keeps carpet looking its best.”

Carpets that are cleaned regularly are safe and hygienic, and therefore won’t spread the Covid-19 virus to staff and members of the public.

How can you protect laminate floors?

Able to appear like hardwood, but far more affordable and easier to install, laminate flooring has become an increasingly popular selection for both commercial and residential buildings. It’s worth noting, however, that along with resembling a wood floor, laminate also shares many of the same weaknesses.

To help homeowners and enterprises with laminate flooring meet these challenges head on, we’ve compiled some important points on how to keep this type of floor in tip-top condition.

What is laminate flooring?

A hybrid floor material, typical laminate is made using a wood board core, an image layer that looks like real wood and a protective wear layer. Invented in Sweden back in 1977 by a company called Perstorp, it was originally designed to put waste wood to good use to create a durable flooring solution. Today, numerous enterprises supply laminate, and it can be found in a wide variety of applications, like living areas, bedrooms, hallways and office receptions.

Protecting laminate flooring from water

Just like wooden floors, the number one enemy of laminate is water. Laminate floorboards contain medium-density fibreboard substrates that absorb water. This process can happen gradually, which means that water damage is not always immediately apparent. However, once the boards have soaked up the liquid, they will swell up, causing them to buckle and bend. Not only does this ruin the appearance of your floor, but it renders them susceptible to damage. Cracks and splinters can occur and raised corners will chip, making them look even worse.

To prevent this happening, first and foremost, tackle spills instantly. Ensure any standing water is quickly dried up to avoid damage. It is particularly critical that any spilled water is not allowed to enter between the joints. When you’re cleaning your floor, remember never to use water, but instead a dedicated cleaner designed for laminate flooring.

Among the best approaches to defend your flooring against water is adding a topcoat of polyurethane. However, this is often a job best left to the professionals, as it can be a tricky task. Most laminate has a resin layer that rejects any coating processes, so you must build up layers of protection gradually, adding a coat and letting it dry before applying another one.

After laminate is installed, the joints between planks should be sealed to stop unwanted moisture seeping in. Floor sealant is ideal, as it won’t glue gaps too tightly, which can make it impossible to remove them when repairs are necessary.

Protecting against scuffs and scratches

Add soft coverings to the feet of heavy furnishings like sofas and tables to prevent scratches on your floor when you move them. If you have pets, keep their claws clipped or well-worn with walks to avoid more marks. It’s also worth using a soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to stop small particles being pushed into the laminate, causing unwanted scoring, and you could place mats and rug in areas that see more traffic.

Providing you follow these easy-to-remember rules, you can get the most value from an investment in laminate flooring and you can enjoy a lower maintenance and far more affordable solution than real wood.