shopping for carpet

confession.

i actually picked out my carpet a while ago, but i have been so wrapped up in other selections, and carpet installation seemed EONS away, that i just totally forgot to share my selections with you!

a friend of mine with incredible taste had just remodeled her house and gave me a a tour.  she had done a lot if digging around to find a really affordable source for her carpet, and generously shared with me where she bought hers. (buy direct flooring in layton, in case any of you locals were wondering. this friend is also how i "found" the elongated hex tile that i used in my upstairs bathroom!) 

anyway, i went there, and headed straight for their "bargain" priced carpets, only to find that i didn't like ANY of the carpets that were in my price range. 

(i know y'all are SHOCKED!)

all of the carpets in my budget were multi-colored frieze carpets except for one, which was really thin and looked like matted doll hair. 

yuck, right?

i think i have a pair of pants thicker than that carpet! it was plasticy and yucky, and felt like it would wear out within MONTHS.

i have had multi-colored frieze carpet in the last two rentals houses we have lived in, and while they actually wear pretty well, and hide dirt really well (and small toys, jewelry, and who knows what else!), i wanted something more solid in appearance--almost like a natural fiber rug. 

SO, i asked if there were any loop (often called berber)  or low pile patterned carpets that i could afford....

i managed to find three that i liked:

(they were still a little out of my budget, but thank goodness the owner at buy direct worked with me!)

two of the carpets were a cut pile carpet with touches of texture due to some looped accents.

they were all really soft and pretty, and were all 100% nylon, but in the end, i liked the loop style the best.

 i love how it mimics a sisal rug!

 it also had a great selection of colors to choose from.

i wanted a color that wasnt' brown, tan or grey, but something in between all of them.

and dark. i really wanted the carpet to be a grounding element in the upstairs, and, like ANY mom, i want it to hide the dirt that i know my kids will drag in!

i ended up selecting the "soft pewter"color.

some people would freak out about choosing a carpet this dark, but not me. i love a dark carpet!

another view:

it is called "high style loop". 

it is manufactured by shaw, and part of thier HGTV home flooring selection.

a few things to consider before you shop for carpet:

1. price will be affected by the material the carpet is made from. generally, synthetics like olefin and polypropylene are not as crush resistant or soft as nylon, but cost less. nylon is the standard, but, like any fiber, there are things which affect the pricing. natural fibers like wool are more expensive than nylon.

2. the density or "weight" of the fibers packed into the carpet will effect price and performance. generally,the more fibers per square yard, the higher the cost and the better the performance.

3. most carpet is priced by the square yard, which can be tricky when trying to compare costs of other types of flooring.

4. there are different grades of padding. the padding you choose can affect the wear and lifespan of your carpet, so this is not a good place to skimp!

5. installation is generally included in the price, but make sure your quote includes both pad and installation. things that affect installation costs are stairs, angled rooms and carpet type. (for instance, some installers charge more for loop carpets because the seams are harder to "hide" and they take longer than with a cut pile.)