With well over a hundred thousands styles and colors of new carpet being released every year, it is no wonder that selecting the right carpet to match your needs can be very challenging. Most people when they select carpet are only considering the aesthetics or the looks but there is so much more to making the right choice.

One of the most important things to consider when you shop for carpet is the amount of traffic that the carpet will get when it is installed in the area you hope to use it in. The construction and the texture are both key aspects that play major roles in how a carpet will stand up in a specified area.

Nylon, polyester, and olefin are the most widely used fibers with carpet manufacturers. Each one has qualities that make them great for specific applications and uses.

Nylon is the most expensive type of fiber but it is also the softest and most resilient, which makes it great for any room in your home, including those areas that have a high level of traffic.

Polyester fabric is less resilient than nylon, although it is more cost efficient and offers a
high level of resistance to stains. This makes it a great choice for areas such as bedrooms or dining rooms that are not subject to a lot of traffic.

Olefin fiber carpets are solution dyed, which results in a highly stain resistant carpet that can be cleaned easily using a water and bleach solution, without any loss to the color. Unlike the other types of fibers, olefin is fade, mildew, and mold resistant, which results in a carpet that performs well indoors and outdoors. However olefin carpets aren’t very resilient and as a result, they should only be considered with Berber construction.

That brings us to the different types of construction. You can get carpets in either plush or Berber construction. The Berber type of carpets are well constructed with a continuous level loop, while plush carpets are constructed of loops that have been sheared, which results in the strands standing upright.

Berber construction carpets don’t crush or matt, due to their high level loops. They are however harder underfoot and less comfortable to sit on or lay down on. Berber carpets are well suited for high traffic areas, which include walk ways, living rooms, and entrance areas. They aren’t popular with bedrooms, as their hard texture makes them a less than attractive option. The other thing is they can easily become damaged by pets with long nails.

The plush type carpets are much softer to walk or lay on and they offer better sound and thermal insulation. They tend to crush and matt though when they are subjected to high levels of foot traffic. Though when nylon fibers are paired with a tight low pile construction this will help to limit the amount of pile and matt crushing that occurs. This is due to the high resilient nature of the nylon fiber and the added support that is gained from tight construction.

Warranties
The warranties for carpet range a lot (from 5 – 30 years). Generally the warranty will not cover carpet that covers stairs. Another rule is most carpet warranties require new carpet padding to be installed at the time of installation in order for the warranty to become valid.

Carpet today is available in so many different textures, constructions, colors, and designs that I am sure you can find the right one to go with virtually any interior design you can imagine. The combinations of texture and color can complement the look of both formal and casual environments, while helping to bring continuity to the overall room and home design.

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New trends come and go all the time and one of the latest trends is going back to homes and styles of the 1940′s, 50′s and 60′s. People are rediscovering the charm and architectural styling of that era. There’s a growing population that instead of eradicating existing structures and styling is interested in resurrecting the post modern styles inherent in these homes.

20 million new homes were built in the US during the baby boom years of 1945-1960 and most of them in the suburbs. There were 3 predominant styles during that period. They were, the Ranch style, the Colonial and Cape styles, and this is also when split levels came into vogue. These homes were typically 1,100-1,700 sq feet and while this may be on the smaller side by today’s standards, they had a spirit of an age to come “green”. Their compact footprint takes less fuel to heat, fewer chemicals to clean and less material to renovate.

Really the time is now for homes built in that era. They have become the more affordable houses on the market today. They are also often filled with hidden treasures like architectural elements that can be highlighted, original wood flooring that can be re-surfaced, or original appliances that can be re-furbished and set as the center pieces to your retro reno.

The great thing is that you can still do practical modern upgrades that’ll improve the functionality of your home while doing a retro reno. Some of the modern features that can be taken advantage of can include energy-saving features like solar energy systems, heat pumps and continuous flow hot water systems. This all can be done by paying attention to stylistic details that’ll add that retro spark.

There’s actually a lot on the market in terms of retro influenced design elements to help you re-create the original spirit of your home because of the interest in these sorts of renos. Searching for original retro pieces in good working condition can add even more original flair to your design. This process may not be as speedy as a “modern” renovation but the hunt is part of the fun and the satisfaction in such a reno. If you work slowly to collect all the parts before you start your reno.

If you’re racking your brain, wondering where to source out your retro reno materials, check out some of these ideas: -Craigs list, -EBay, -freecycle.org, -recycle.net, -restorationandbuidlingserices.com, -Your local Thrift, Goodwill, Salvation Army and Estate sales, -Local salvage yards, flea markets and swap meets and -Auctions

Another great resource that has sprung up is a new blog called retrorenovation.com. Here you’ll find daily updates on retro styling tips for your kitchens and bathrooms. It is a great source for retro inspired wallpaper, countertop materials, flooring, lighting and furniture, as well as cultural inspiration from books, exhibits and advertising.

If you’re thinking of searching out the perfect mid century home to retro reno, you’ll want to be looking for a place that has good indoor/outdoor flow. You’ll also want to look for flexible living spaces that’ll give you different options of opening things up into larger spaces, or sizing them down into smaller spaces. You’ll also want to look for a place that has consistent interior detailing including doors, base boards, moldings and ceilings.

These are all things that can help you bring the retro character of your home to life.

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