6 carpet trends for 2014

Westchester Carpet trends for 2014

What's hot and stylish when it comes to carpets?  Here are the carpet trends that I'm seeing for 2014. 

While hardwood is the preferred flooring surface for common areas (i.e. living room, dining room, etc, there are still several areas where carpet is preferred such as the steps, some family rooms, some bedrooms.

Stair runners continue to grow in popularity, especially as more consumers convert from carpet to hardwood floors.  Hardwood flooring is definitely the preferred surface, but the one area that almost all customers prefer carpet is on the steps – both for safety and for design.  Click here for a complete guide on carpet runners.  This even includes a video I made.

As the trend towards ecofriendly options grows, so does the demand for natural fibers, especially wools and sisals.  These carpets are preferred by higher end customers for 2 reasons: 1) they are natural and ecofriendly, and 2) they often have a “minimalist” style.  The colors are natural/muted and the patterns are subtle and sophisticated.  These carpets trap less dirt and allergens, leading to better indoor air quality.  They often repel stains better, too.  While wool and sisal carpets tend to cost more, they do last longer, both saving money in the long run, and also adding to the green nature of the products.

Looped berber carpets are popular, especially for family rooms and steps, and other high traffic areas.  The trend seems to be more towards a more tailored and sophisticated look with small, subtle patterns.  These small patterns add some style and class and they also help hide the dirt.  Some prefer stripes, some squares and some a more random look.  Many of these are mimicking the styles of natural wool and sisal carpets.

Neutral carpets will always be the most popular as they are the most versatile.  By choosing a neutral color carpet, it gives you flexibility with paint colors, window treatments, furniture, bedding and pillows.   Now, as natural fibers are growing in popularity, the beiges and grays are even more popular.  The "Less is more" trend is showing itself both in colors (for the overall room) and in more simple designs and patterns such as ribbing and small tailored patterns.

Tone on tone carpets have been rapidly growing with more patterns and styles available each year.  These patterns are created by having part of the carpet cut and part looped for a multidimensional look that appears to have 2 colors.  It's a great way to add visual intrique to your room without adding a lot of color complexity. Over the last coucople of years, I've been seeing more two toned patterns where there literally are 2 colors in the carpet, usually with one slightly darker and one slightly slighter, but the same tones.

This is really a subsegment of the two tone carpets, but it's so popular and stylish that I thought I would create its own separate category.  You can find the Moroccan pattern everywhere on the internet.  It’s a hot and mesmerizing pattern (as it repeats itself).  It’s popular on pillows, wallpaper, tiles and super chic for stair runners.  It can work as a stand alone pattern adding visual intrigue to your steps and entry foyer without adding lots of colors.

While customers are split on hardwood vs. carpet for the bedroom (about half prefer hardwood), those that prefer carpet almost always go for a soft and plush feel for the bedroom – the softer the better. The manufacturers have been responding to this with new super soft products such as Shaw’s new Caress and Cashmere line.  These products are so soft and scrumptious…that some even feel softer than high end wools.  In the Westchester NY market, the preference for soft plush carpets is for solid textures and saxonies.  You can read more about Shaw’s Caress line here – What is a saxony carpet?

Carpet trends for 2014 | Westchester NY