Choosing the best flooring for the children’s room can be a challenge. You want your little ones to be safe when they play around but their comfort is also a concern. Add to this the fact that you still want to remain practical as dirt and spills are more than expectable, and it becomes evident that you need your carpet choice to be impeccable. Here are a few considerations that will help you come up with the best solution for your family.
Materials not to choose
The first and most important thing to consider about your carpet is the material it is made from. You should choose something that is durable and stain-resistant. So, while those soft, fluffy carpets look (and feel) amazing and you might feel tempted to spoil your kids with such a comfy material, steer clear of velvet and plush carpets. These don’t take heavy foot traffic that well and if your kids will run in and out in their shoes, the carpet is going to show wear sooner than you’d like it to. The same goes for wool. Wool carpets are amazing, but being made of natural materials, they have a heftier price tag. And while wool is fairly resistant to dirt, stains that do get onto it are rather hard to remove. So, if you want to steer clear of this issue, maybe wool is not the best choice for the kids’ room.
Synthetic is the way to go
But then what would be a suitable material? Think about synthetic materials. While they might look less “luxe,” they are designed to be more durable and that is exactly what you need. Nylon is a great choice due to its durability, and it even retains its color for a long time so you won’t have to worry about your kids’ room looking washed out after just a few years. Other carpets you can consider are, for instance, recycled carpets. Those made of PET bottles won’t soak in stains and will hold up well. But not all synthetic materials are ideal either. Polyester and olefin are generally not recommended as they wear out quickly and get visibly dirty.
Photo by Gale Michaud Interiors
Area rugs to the rescue
Sometimes people say that carpets are just too fussy for children’s rooms. While there is certainly truth to this statement, you probably still want your kids’ feet to stay warm and cozy. A solution to this issue could be area rugs. Whether you still put a wall-to-wall carpet underneath or opt for some other kind of flooring instead, area rugs can be placed on top, both protecting the layer underneath and giving that necessary comfort. With versatile area rugs such as those from Click Rugs, you get a bit more freedom in mixing and matching colors and textures to bring in more interest, but at the same time, if spills or other accidents do happen, it will be much easier to have the rug cleaned. Keeping the room hygienic will be less of a problem this way.
Photo by Simply Inspired Interior Design LLC
Carpet (or rug) style
Other than its material, the way the carpet is woven also plays an important role in its durability. While some people suggest Berber rugs for their durability, they are actually not as ideal for kids’ rooms, nor are any other carpet styles that are looped. Should the loops come undone, the carpet can unravel and it’s quite unsightly. But another reason why looped (and shag) rugs and carpets can pose a problem is that really small thing can get lost and stuck in them, resulting in the unpleasant pain of stepping on some Lego piece. For carpets, cut pile and frieze are safe choices, while for rugs, your best bet is flat weave or even tufted.
Colors
Finally, you also need to pick the right shade for your children’s room. It can be tempting to keep the pastel vibes you have decorated the rest of the room with, but light-colored carpets are impractical as they will show stains so you should steer clear of them. Your best bet is medium-toned carpets. In addition, a marbled design is preferable to a solid-color carpet if you really want to hide any imperfections. Still, you probably want to keep it bright and lively with a pop of color rather than going for boring grey or brown, which is perfectly understandable. Just make sure the material you choose retains color for a reasonably long time.
When choosing the right kids’ room carpet, you have to take into consideration a lot of things, from the material through the style all the way to the color. You also have an option to combine carpets and rugs for extra convenience and comfort. Hopefully, this guide makes your decision-making process easier.