Where wall-to-wall carpeting throughout the home was once
considered a luxury, the trend in recent years has favoured
hard surfaces, although Manitobans tend to like carpet in bed-
rooms — even retro shag carpet — for those winter mornings
when you're stepping barefoot onto a cold floor.
But today's homeowners don't want to spend a lot of time
vacuuming, and carpets are designed to look good longer
and with less maintenance.
new techniques in carpet manufacturing provide a variety
of design possibilities. One is cut-and-loop carpet, in which
slight variations in the height of the pile create patterns and
textures. Another trend is toward carpets with two or more
colour tones twisted together on each strand. These innova-
tions don't just create new eye-catching looks, they also help
to hide the little stains and marks that will occur as a home
is lived in.
Parade of Homes Spring 2017 103
Curtis notes that retro patterns are also in vogue. The art
deco look of hexagonal tiles is coming back, though done
with larger tiles than when that look was first popular in the
1920s.
Earth tones and light to medium shades are on trend both
in carpeting and in hard flooring. More neutral shades are
compatible with many more different colours of furnishings
and paint. And if, in a few years, you want to change the look
of your home, it's a lot easier to repaint or buy a new couch
than to put in new flooring.
Carpeting styles have gone through ups and downs in
popularity over the decades. Many of us may remember the
deep shag carpets of the 1970s that had to be vacuumed in
the same direction or even raked in order to provide a solid
appearance. And then, as soon as somebody stepped on the
freshly vacuumed carpet, it became covered in footprints.
Hearth Homes — 14 Camira Way
