How to Choose the Right Carpet Colors for Your Home

There are many carpet options available on the market today. This can make buying carpet seem daunting. Fear not, though! We're here to help guide you through finding your perfect carpet. Carpets vary in color, pile, type, material, cost, and more. When it comes to the question of how to pick carpet colors for your home, it’s essential to consider all of these factors. However, arguably the biggest decision is what color carpet you choose. If you’re unsure where to start with your carpet color choice, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re looking for a pure white carpet, a brightly colored carpet, or a dark-colored carpet, you can find it all at your local Carpet One location. We’re breaking down some tips on how to find the perfect carpet colors for your home!

Carpet Trends

One thing you should consider when looking for the perfect carpet color for your home is today’s trends. Check out what’s fresh and hot, and whether that fits your interior design style. Trendy carpets range from brightly colored carpets to very dark colors, new patterns, and unique carpet styles with waterproof wicking features. 

What is the Best Color for My Home?

When choosing a carpet color for your home, it’s important to see how the colors look in your space. Carpet colors can be directly influenced by the amount of natural light in your home and the size of your room. We recommend ordering different colored carpet samples before committing to an entire carpet. Our sample box makes this easy for you —simply click here to order up to six different flooring samples to try them in your home today!

Carpet Colors

Neutral Colors

While trends come and go, neutral colors have stuck around forever. They offer a timeless feel and can be long-lasting through ever-changing interior design trends. Grays, beiges, browns, and even certain shades of blue can be considered neutral carpet colors. So, if you’re hoping to choose a carpet color that will adapt to nearly any trend or style, a neutral carpet color is an excellent choice for you.

Dark Colors

Dark colors can instantly elevate a room and create a feeling of luxury and warmth, while simultaneously hiding dirt, debris, and stains in high-traffic areas. Consider carpets in darker colors such as blues, purples, maroons, and blacks when shopping for a floor in your entryway, hallway, or entertainment space. Carpets in a darker color make for a cleaner appearance and can make any room feel immediately more comfortable.

Light Colors

Light colors open up your space and make a room feel bigger, thanks to their ability to refract natural light. Oftentimes, light colors are used to brighten up small spaces like nurseries, home offices, and bedrooms. Choose whites, beiges, creams, or even light shades of green or pink if you're looking for a fresh, clean vibe. But, be careful if you are looking to install a light-colored carpet in a high-traffic area as dirt is harder to hide —look for products that are stainproof and easy to clean in case of a mess.

Gray Carpet

While gray carpet is considered a neutral carpet color, it can also be quite the showstopper. Dark gray carpet colors and tones lend themselves to more dramatic, moodier designs and help hide spills and stains. On the other hand, light gray carpet colors brighten a room and make it adaptable to many design styles.

And, while light and dark gray colors may seem like the only two options when it comes to gray carpet, you may be surprised to learn that there are even some warm shades of gray carpet that feel more like a “greige” than an explicit beige or a gray. These warm gray carpet colors are ideal for spaces with a warmer wall color and design style.

Tan and Beige Carpet 

For years, tan and beige have been the carpet of choice for homes everywhere. That's because these carpet colors fit all design styles and offer a timeless appeal. Rather than going for that pop of color or trend, opting for a tan, beige, or brown carpet will ensure that you invest in a carpet that will stay relevant through changing design trends. Brown carpets are making a comeback this year, as we see a return to natural earth tones in home design. Brown carpeting is also perfect for hiding any pet hair or dirt tracked in from outdoors. Just because you have a neutral-colored carpet, doesn't mean that your space has to feel stale —find patterns or textured carpets in brown, beige, or tan to set your floor apart!

Blue Carpet 

Blue carpet is the perfect way to go if you want to add a dash of color without overwhelming your home with saturated hues! Classic and timeless, shades of blue carpet can add a subtle hint of color to your space, whether through a stark blue textured cut-pile in the bedroom or a patterned light blue carpet in the family room.

Black Carpet 

You simply can't forget black as part of the neutral carpet color options, especially for those modern and contemporary homes! Not only does black carpet make a statement, but it also provides an excellent option for a home with lots of kids and pets as it's easier to hide stains and spills. Available in a range of shades from dark to light, black carpet is a great choice for many homes!

Are You Upgrading or Starting Fresh?

First and foremost, if you're moving into a new build home or remodeling from scratch, you might have a few more options to start with than those looking to upgrade carpet and keep existing furniture and wall colors. While there are still plenty of carpet colors, design styles, and patterns out there for almost any home design, starting fresh gives you a blank slate to work with. However, it can often be tough to know where to start regarding carpet, wall colors, furniture, linens, and décor, so where should you begin?

Suppose you have not yet chosen any part of your interior design. In that case, we recommend choosing an overall color palette or color scheme and a furniture swatch or piece of furniture, then choosing flooring, followed by paint. It is much easier to paint walls or change furniture than it is to replace the flooring, so keep this in mind when thinking about your best carpet color options. When selecting your paint color, be sure to choose a color that complements your carpet.

Think About Your Lifestyle

Do you have kids or pets? Or do you live a quiet life by the beach? While you may not think your lifestyle will play a huge part in your carpet color choice, you may be surprised. Carpet features like stain resistance and easy cleanup have come a long way. Still, it’s much easier to pick a carpet that works with your lifestyle, rather than constantly worrying about having a clean carpet.

Colors like white, light beige, and any light neutral is more difficult to keep clean regarding food spills and messes, pet accidents, and mud and debris. However, they work well for quieter households and rooms like dens, living spaces, and bedrooms, and can be kept just as clean, depending on their durability. If your house is full of young kids, it's best to opt for a darker neutral, flecks of a few different colors, or even a carpet with a pattern.

Other colors like deep gray, shades of blue and green, and carpets with multiple colors throughout are also ideal for homes with busy lifestyles or active families. This is a great tip to keep in mind when choosing the best carpet color.

Remove Color Options You Don’t Like

This might seem like a simple tip, but it's one of the most important. If there are carpet colors you don't like, don't even think about them! Remove them from the available options at the beginning of your search, so you can narrow down your options. It's better to be honest with yourself than waste time considering colors that you likely won't be happy with in the long run.

Consider Your Wall Colors

Navy, cool gray, warm gray, white, light pink —whatever your wall color is, make sure you think about it when choosing a carpet color unless you're willing to change it. One thing that often gets overlooked when choosing a carpet color is the undertone of wall colors. Sure, you might have gray walls, but are they warm or cool gray tones? It's better to pair warm tones with warm tones and cool tones with cool tones rather than ending up with your home feeling like something is just a bit off.

If you can, take a paint swatch of your wall color with you while looking at carpet colors. This will help you get a better idea of whether or not the carpet will match the overall color scheme in your household. If you're willing to change your wall color, bring a few swatches and see which direction you're leaning. You'll be able to narrow down a few wall colors, and probably a few carpet colors too.

Solid Color vs Pattern Carpet

Now, some might wonder: Should I choose a solid or pattern carpet for my home? Explore the pros and cons of both:

Solid Color Carpet

While no one can deny the bold statement that a pattern makes in your design, if you already have a lot of patterned pieces in the room, from furniture to wallpaper to artwork, stick to a solid color carpet. You don't want to overwhelm the space with competing visual elements, so a solid-colored carpet is probably the best option if you have a smaller space. A solid carpet can beautifully tie your space together by using one shade to ground the other elements and colors in your room.

Pattern Carpet

Patterned carpets are a great way to alter perspectives in your home by adding the illusion of extra depth to your space. For instance, adding horizontal stripes to a narrow room makes the room appear wider. If you decide to add a patterned carpet to your space, here are some rules of thumb to follow:

• Use one standout pattern per space

• Avoid busy patterns with bright colors

• If you have textured walls/furniture, choose a carpet with a subtle pattern

• Avoid using two dense patterns in the same space

Patterned carpets come in a wide array of choices, from chevron to stripes to floral to animal print and more. Don't be afraid to have fun with your patterns and test your aesthetic by mixing and matching.

Order Some Samples and Live with Them

Okay, so you think you've found the best carpet color —now what? Our suggestion actually isn't to dive in headfirst and purchase, but instead to order some flooring samples and live with them for a while. Just like trying out paint samples on your wall, it's important to see the carpet colors in your space in different lights and rooms. You'll get a better feel of how much you like them after you can look at them over and over for a few days.

If you're interested in finding the perfect carpet color for your home and want to get started, check out our extensive collection of carpets. Think you're ready to order flooring samples? Check out how you can do that here, and view all of the different ways to evaluate your carpet samples in our blog post How to Use Flooring Samples to Pick New Floors.