Elegance is a relatively subjective term. For some people, elegance conjures up images of traditional countryside estates or wealthy elites in extravagant clothing. However, elegance can also be a sleek and well-designed room with contemporary features and a focus on comfort. Since elegance doesn’t need to distract from other more unique interior styles such as industrial chic or maximalist, anyone can make their home more elegant simply by paying attention to a few subtle details.

Small Functional Parts

This broad name covers pieces you find within your home that are all necessary but don’t always have the best appearance. These could include light switches, wall sockets, handles, and even door stoppers that are attached to the wall. Many people accept whatever their home has when they move in when it comes to these small features, but taking the time to find stylish replacements can be surprisingly effective in elevating the elegance of a space. You can make a space appear more deliberate and styled by simply replacing your existing door handles with something that compliments your taste and furniture better.

Floors, Walls, and Ceilings

The surfaces that make up a room – the walls, the floor, and the ceiling – are sometimes overlooked when redecorating. People tend to enjoy changing the appearance of their interior walls by painting or wallpapering them, but floors and ceilings are usually neglected and left as is. Updating your floor and ceiling is a great place to start if you want to tie your space into a cohesive and elegant look. There are carpets in Dulwich that are designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and practical for real life, both qualities that add up to elegance. For your ceiling, consider having subtle coving or moulding added to create a sense of gradual depth and traditional detail.

Lighting

How well you are able to light a room doesn’t depend on how bright you can make it at any one time. It means having a range of light sources that serve individual purposes as well as combining to create a pleasing atmosphere in a room. For example, in your living room, you might have a standing lamp near the sofa and a desk lamp on a sideboard at the adjacent wall. How you position these differently sized lamps in the space will dictate the mood and level of elegance you can achieve. Generally speaking, a single source of light coming from the ceiling doesn’t tend to be attractive or elegant. Smaller, varied sources of light are much more preferable when creating visual interest in a room.

Redecorating parts of your home can be simultaneously thrilling and nerve-wracking. Your design choices cost money and are time-intensive to reverse, meaning that it’s important to be certain when you commit to a paint colour or flooring type. Whenever possible, collect samples to position in the space to see firsthand how the room’s light and shape interact with your potential tones and textures. There’s nothing wrong with expressing your own interior design style; just take your time and enjoy the process.

If you already have carpeted floors in your home, you are most likely more than aware of the many benefits they bring to your interiors. Some people prefer to have a mixture of carpet and another type of flooring in different rooms of the house, while others strongly prefer a particular kind of flooring throughout. If you are currently looking for a way to update your home interior with newer flooring, you probably have to choose between laying down a carpet or another type of floor. Of course, this will depend on many factors, including your personal style, the lifestyle you lead, and the purpose of your space. Here is a brief guide to help you decide whether or not carpet should be your next choice.

Cleanliness

Although there can be benefits to opting for a hard flooring if cleanliness is one of your top concerns, people often overlook how carpet can help a home stay clean. Sometimes people become distracted by the possibility of spills or stains but forget that carpet can actually serve to keep other parts of your home fresher. This is because the fibres of a carpet, even with a short pile, can help to prevent dust and other dirt from sticking to the bottoms of feet, meaning that dirt is not brought into unwanted places such as bathtubs or beds.

Fewer Breaks

When something delicate such as a glass or a device, drops onto a hard floor, it is much more likely to smash compared to if it is dropped onto a carpet. This might seem at first like a minor consideration; however, these subtle differences in a home can make a space feel more relaxed. It is slightly harder to unwind in your home when you are subliminally concerned about accidents such as slipping over or dropping something fragile.

Insulation

If you want to save some money on energy bills when it comes to keeping your home warm in the colder months, a carpet is better at retaining the heat for longer. Search for carpets in Dulwich that will not only look stylish with your home decor but will also protect your home from dropping below comfortable temperatures. This is also handy for those cold winter days when you do not want your feet to touch a chilly floor.

Luxurious Feel

While some of the above points have been more focused on various practicalities about installing carpet in your home, this final point will simply focus on how luxurious and indulgent it is. Hard types of flooring, such as tile or wood, have their place, of course, but carpet provides a certain kind of comfort and gentleness that makes a home more welcoming.

As you can see, carpeting your home offers plenty of advantages, from reducing energy waste to adding style. Hopefully, this quick guide has helped you to consider a few more detailed points when it comes to choosing the ideal floor for your home.

If you have just purchased a new carpet for your home, you may be worried about it starting to look tired and worn out over time.

Thankfully, there are several tips and tricks that you can take advantage of to keep your carpet looking and feeling new for as long as possible.

Read on to discover five techniques that guarantee to protect your carpet from muddy footprints, stains, spillages and more.

1. Vacuum Regularly

One of the simplest and inarguably best ways to keep your carpet looking new for longer is to vacuum it regularly. Ideally, you’ll need to vacuum your carpet at least twice a week or more often, especially if you notice dirt and debris on the fibres.

Also, make sure to keep on top of changing the filters in your vacuum. If you don’t, the appliance won’t be able to do its job properly and your carpets will suffer.

2. Move Your Furniture Around

Some areas of carpet will experience much more footfall than others, which is why homeowners often use more durable carpet cuts in the hallway. Although there isn’t much you can do to reduce the amount of wear and tear that certain areas of carpet are subjected to, you can move your furniture around to keep your entire carpet looking fresh for longer.

For best results, switch up the layout of your furniture around once every six months.

3. Sprinkle Baking Soda

As well as looking tired and worn out, your carpet can also start to smell musty over time. One highly effective way to prevent this is to sprinkle baking soda all over it before vacuuming.

Doing so will eliminate any bad odours such as pet smells and help keep your carpet smelling fresh. Don’t forget to leave the baking soda for a few minutes before vacuuming, as this will ensure it works its magic on the carpet fibres.

4. Invest in Stain Removal Products

Even if you are super careful, stains and spillages can happen; when they do, you need to ensure you are prepared. Although several effective remedies for removing stains from carpets exist, having a few stain removal products in your cupboard for emergencies is always a good idea.

These products can be applied directly to a wide range of stains, such as wine and coffee, and are highly effective at removing all traces of spills. Alternatively, dishwasher detergent, club soda and hydrogen peroxide are all good at banishing carpet stains.

5. Book a Deep Clean

In addition to vacuuming several times each week to pick up dirt, dust and other debris, you should also take the time to deep clean your carpet. A professional carpet cleaner works deep into the fibres to remove all traces of dirt and grime.

You can buy or rent carpet cleaners, depending on your budget and how often you intend to use them. Ideally, you should deep clean your carpets at least once every six months for effective results and to keep yours looking spick and span for longer.

In some cases, though, the long-term damage may have already been done if your carpets are too old or haven’t been looked after properly over the years, which may mean you need brand-new ones instead.

Whatever the case, our high-quality carpets in Dulwich have got you (and your floors) covered. Check out our amazing deals on carpets on our website, or pop down to our showroom to take a closer look at what we have to offer.

Have you just spilt wine all over your brand-new carpet? Or perhaps you have an old wine stain that you just can’t shift?

Either way, the below blog will tell you everything you need to know about how to remove those pesky wine stains from your carpets!

How to Remove Red Wine Stains from Carpets

If you have spilled red wine on your carpet, you need to act quickly. Start with blotting as much of the liquid as possible using a clean cloth or paper towel. Make sure you blot, not rub, as this will prevent the stain from setting into the fabric. If you don’t have a red wine stain removal product to hand, you can use several store cupboard staples instead.

Prepare a cleaning solution using one tablespoon of dishwashing soap, one tablespoon of white vinegar and two cups of warm water. Apply a small amount to the stain and blot until it vanishes.

Alternatively, you can use hydrogen peroxide, although this can sometimes cause discolouration of the carpet. To avoid this, test a small area of carpet first, ideally in an inconspicuous spot where you won’t notice any marks. Once you have tested your carpet, mix two parts hydrogen peroxide with one part dishwashing soap and apply the mixture to the stain. Blot and repeat until the stain has completely disappeared.

Of course, not all stains will come out, especially if your carpets are worn, old and in need of a complete overhaul – they can only take so much, after all. If your carpets are beyond saving and you fancy some fresh ones instead, take a look at our top-quality carpets in Dulwich and update your home without breaking the bank.

How to Remove White Wine Stains from Carpets

If you have spilled white wine on your carpet, then the process of removing it is simpler than with red wine. Although a white wine stain may not look as bad as a red wine stain at first glance, over time, this spill can turn brown and discoloured, so you still need to act quickly.

As with removing red wine from your carpets, start by blotting up as much of the liquid as possible. To remove the stain, use either plain water or mix one tablespoon of washing-up liquid and one tablespoon of white vinegar with two cups of warm water. Use a clean cloth to sponge the stain and then blot frequently with a dry cloth until the stain disappears.

Again, you can use special wine stain removal products but make sure you pick one that is suitable for your carpet type.

How to Remove Champagne Stains from Carpets

There is nothing quite like a glass of champagne to toast a special occasion, but unfortunately, accidents can happen, especially if you are having a party.

As with all wine stains on a carpet, blot the area immediately after the spillage has occurred to prevent the stain from setting. Then, flood the affected area with water using either a clean sponge or cloth – this will dilute the stain and prevent the sugars from sticking to the carpet’s fibres.

Blot again and allow the carpet to dry naturally. Do not apply heat directly to the carpet as this can damage it. If the stain has already dried, apply a solution of one tablespoon of liquid soap and two cups of water. Work this into the stain and then rinse with plain water. Use a dry cloth to blot as much of this liquid as possible and then allow it to dry.

Improving your interior design, upgrading your home and spending money on improvements is all time and funds well spent – but what can easily make your home space less than perfect is persistent pet hair. It can mark your carpets, compromise your seats and generally leave your home’s air quality feeling askew if you have allergies.

However, all is not lost for those with furry friends living in the home; having a good system in place for dealing with pet hair means your interior design and home’s cleanliness can always remain its best. To prove that fact, here are a few ideas for handling pet hair in your home.

Choose the Right Carpet

If you have pets with black fur and a white or cream carpet, cleaning is going to be significantly harder than it should be when you’re trying to keep on top of it – not to mention it’s worse if you have a thicker carpet with more hair getting trapped.

Therefore, choosing the right carpet is essential for keeping on top of pet hair, both in colour and in style. With carpets in Dulwich, you can select the right colour and length to cope more easily with the hair that your pets are shedding, as well as a carpet style that’s easy to vacuum.

Use Rugs

If you want to protect your carpet or flooring as much as possible, area rugs can be a big plus for dealing with pet hair, too. It might sound counterproductive, but if you can get a comfortable rug that’s the designated spot for your pet, it might help keep most of the hair in one area instead of all over your carpet. It can also reduce the amount of foot and pet traffic the main carpet sees.

Protect Your Furniture

When thinking about protecting your furniture, easily wipeable surfaces, like leather instead of fabric, would be best – but this is not always possible if you’re a fan of fabric or already have your home kitted out with fabric seating.

It may be easier to control pet hair if you cover sofas and chairs with a removable cover or throw so that you can detach and clean that instead, rather than your sofa itself getting marked or spoiled.

Tackle Your Pet First

To limit the amount of hair dropping and causing a mess, it’s a good idea to take care of it at the source as much as possible – and that means regularly brushing or grooming your pet, and bathing them to keep them clean and fresh. This will hopefully reduce any extra fur moulting and uncleanliness if it can be brushed or washed away first.

It’s Okay to Set Up Home Boundaries

You might not want your pet to have access to every area of the home, and that’s okay; if you have two lounges, for example, you might like one to remain the hair-free, cosy room you always wanted it to be with a plush carpet and soft fabrics. If that’s the case, make sure to set up rules – and pet gates – for where your pets can and can’t roam.

Winter may be the last thing on your mind, especially with summer’s soaring temperatures, but preparing your home for winter is all about having it ready for when the cold sets in, which means planning in advance is always a must.

Preparing your home for the winter temperature drop means thinking about cosy home interiors and extras you can arrange so that you never have to worry about your home lacking for the winter season. To help with that, here are some top tips to get your home ready for the colder season.

Get Your Ambient Lighting Ready

Natural light is abundant in summer and it’s always great to flood your home with it – especially when it stays light until bedtime; you’re saving money on energy bills, too. However, when winter arrives, you will need adequate interior lighting, and when it comes to creating a warm and cosy space, soft ambient lighting is a must.

You can think about:

• Lamps with warm lighting placed in the right places
• TV backlighting
• Warm fairy lights
• Candles (especially scented ones that give off a winter scent!)

1. Switch Wooden Flooring for Carpet

Wooden flooring can be extremely cold underfoot in the winter, especially in the bedroom. There’s nothing worse than a cold room when you’re getting ready for bed, and there’s only so much area rugs can do to warm up a room. However, looking for the right carpet, like our range of carpets in Dulwich, means you can have a much warmer and cosier room – particularly if you prefer a thicker carpet.

A plush carpet is also ideal for any pets who like to sleep on the floor; wooden floors can be cooling in the summer, but your furry friends might want something a little warmer and softer in the winter! If you’ve been thinking about making the switch to carpet anyway, winter is the perfect time.

2. It’s All About the Fireplace

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, you’ll know it’s essential for both winter warmth and winter aesthetic. Of course, your fireplace is a functional feature that will light up and heat up your space; however, it’s also perfect for placing festive mantel decorations or simply adding a cosy winter feel using candles and accents around the fire.

If you don’t have a fireplace built in, even a small portable fireplace can work wonders if electric is your only option. It can really make a space feel more welcoming and provide a great focal point, especially for social spaces and for guests during festive celebrations.

3. Layer Up Your Soft Furnishings

In summer, you may spend more time outdoors than indoors, and throws and cushions may be the last thing on your mind for your interior seating. However, when you spend those long and cosy nights indoors, having your seating as practical and inviting as possible is a must. So, make sure every seat has a useable throw to keep you warm, as well as comfortable cushions to scatter where need

Deciding you would like a carpet in your home is one thing, but narrowing down the wealth of colour choices is another. When you’re investing time and money into a high-quality carpet for your room, you need to make sure that you’re going to love the colour, that it’s going to work in your room design and that you won’t quickly regret your choice after it’s all been fitted.

With this in mind, here are some top tips to consider before you settle on the right carpet for you.

1. Think About the Activity of Your Household

Carpet colour is all about room design and aesthetic preferences, but when it comes to any kind of flooring, practicality has to be taken into account. This applies to the people or pets you might have in your household and, therefore, what certain coloured carpets may result in. If you have young children who like to make a mess or pets who shed a lot of dark-coloured hair, then light-coloured carpets like whites, creams, and greys may need a lot of maintenance and may look dirty more quickly compared to dark colours like brown or black.

2. Look for Inspiration First

With so many colours and patterns available on the market, there might be something out there that’s perfect for you that you hadn’t already thought of. Thinking of the obvious shades, like brown and grey, is easy, but there are many you may need to see to inspire you. It’s a good idea to shop around, like with high-quality suppliers of carpets in Dulwich, so that you can take colour inspiration and perhaps end up with something that you might never have considered otherwise.

3. Take Your Wall Colour Into Consideration

This counts for your present wall colour and any changes you’re planning to make down the line. Having a new carpet fitted is a great investment and one you’re going to be able to enjoy for years to come, so thinking about the future in terms of your home design is important, too. This means if you’re planning to make any drastic wall colour changes down the line, thinking about the long-term in regard to your carpet colour is a better idea.

If your walls are light-coloured or neutral, then you can explore dark carpet colours for contrast and light ones that could complement. If your walls are very dark-coloured, then a light-coloured carpet might be a good idea to offer a lighter section to the space, depending on your preference.

4. Patterns are an Option, Too

This can be a good one if your walls are very plain or bare, as a patterned carpet will bring out an exciting new design element to an otherwise minimalistic room. Patterned carpets aren’t for everybody, though, so be sure it’s something you want if you’re a fan of maximalist styles and colouring. Patterned carpets can be good for rooms without wallpaper, as too many patterns can clash.

The living room is the most sociable place in the home if you have a growing family, or it can be the perfect place for rest and relaxation if you live alone or as a couple. Either way, making the living room as warm and inviting as possible is something that most people strive for, but this might be a challenge for many reasons. If you’re looking to upgrade the warmth of your living space, here are a few ideas you can try.

Have Carpet Installed

There’s no doubt that one of the biggest and best changes you can make to a room in terms of adding warmth and layers is having carpet installed. There are many benefits of wooden flooring, but they can grow cold – especially in winter – if you don’t have underfloor heating options or if you don’t layer them with rugs. Having a thick and durable carpet that’s soft underfoot can not only make your room feel warmer, but it can have it looking warmer, too. You can browse the great selection of carpets in Dulwich, with so many options to match the aesthetic of your room.

Use Layered Rugs

Rugs are not just reserved for an area over hardwood floor. The more rugs you can layer up, the better, and this can even be the case if you already have carpet down. Rugs can have a room feeling more cosy, add an extra layer of warmth under your feet, and are also ideal for adding a splash of warm colours like oranges and reds if you want to brighten up a room.

Rich and deep colours can easily make a room feel warmer based on décor alone, and rugs are ideal for this if you don’t want too bold a pattern for your entire carpet but would like a small addition of it in a certain area, such as under the coffee table.

Make Use of All Your Floor Space for a Cosier Feel

If your room is sparse in furniture or minimalistic in design, this can make it feel a lot more empty and, by default, potentially colder. If you make use of all the floor space, you have to make sure everything has a place and no corner is cold or untouched. This can help to create a more warming and welcoming atmosphere. You could use furniture, chairs, and sofas placed together for a sociable space and make sure that bare areas on the floor are filled with accessories or other warming touches.

Have Long Curtains That Drape Onto the Floor

Fabric curtains are a pinnacle for any room that wants to look and feel warmer. As opposed to wooden or metal blinds, thick fabric curtains can help to add even more layers to your living space. Furthermore, long curtains draping onto the floor can help a room look more layered. If you have very short curtains, you’re risking a bare space underneath the window sill, as well as on the floor in front if you don’t have anything to place there. Long curtains which run to the floor can help to frame your window in a better way and add full warmth.

It has long been debated which flooring is healthier for your home, with many people believing that when it comes to allergies, asthma and breathing issues, hardwood flooring or tiles are the best. However, there are many misconceptions when it comes to carpets versus hard flooring as well as many other reasons why carpets may be a healthier choice to have in your home.

Carpets act as a filter

As mentioned, when it comes to breathing health problems that can be aggravated by dust and pollen such as asthma and allergies, people often think that carpets only make the problem worse. However, this is not the case. Carpets act as a filter and trap and hold the germs which stops them from becoming airborne. If you choose wooden or tiled floors, you can see the dust and dirt more clearly to clean, but unless you’re constantly hoovering it up, it’s likely to be in the air as well. If you have carpets, at least you know it’s contained in the material and can’t affect you. However, you should still clean and vacuum your carpets regularly. Many studies have suggested that carpets can improve air quality.

Carpets are safe

Carpets can be much safer than hard floors as they provide a softer landing for children learning to walk and they limit the risk of slips and falls. You don’t need to worry about anyone slipping over and injuring themselves if you spill a drink on the carpet, all you need to do is concentrate on cleaning it, and luckily with plenty of carpets to choose from these days, you can find one which is easy to clean. Check out these carpets in Dulwich to find one to suit your needs. As well as this, carpets provide a safe and soft surface for children to play and sit on.

Carpets keep you warm

Okay, you can’t wrap them around you on a cold night, but a carpet will still keep your home far more insulated than it would be without one. Imagine a cold night with a hard cold floor – it would make the room feel far colder. Carpets not only keep you warmer, but they will help you to save energy too which can keep your bills down.

Carpets are good for you mentally

It might sound strange, but carpets are actually good for your general wellbeing. Not only do they provide the feeling of comfort and warmth, but they are welcoming when you come home. They make you feel good, they make you feel safe and not only that, but they also provide a good soundproofing system which helps create a feeling of calm. It also means that if you’re trying to work or concentrate, you’ll have less distraction and won’t have to suffer noisy neighbours or kids which can do wonders for your mental health.

Carpets are fun

With so many different patterns and colours to choose from, carpets add a sense of fun to your home which is far more beneficial to your health than having dull and miserable floors.

When it comes to choosing the right carpet, there can be a lot to consider and many carpets to choose from, but don’t let it overwhelm you. There are some easy ways to limit your choices from the very start so that you get the right carpet for both yours and your family’s needs.

What is your budget?

Like with any other big purchase you have in your life, you can start by deciding how much money you have to spend on it. This way you won’t even bother looking at carpets out of your price range and can just focus on the carpets you can afford and choose from those. You can start by looking at this range of carpets in Dulwich to see what your options are.

Which room will the carpet be going in?

The room that you’re buying the carpet for really matters and not just because of how it looks and what colour you’re after, but for who uses that room and how often. For example, if you’re getting a carpet for the hallway, then this is a busy area where lots of people will be walking, so you’ll need something hard-wearing. Do you have pets? Are they allowed in this room? Will they be clawing at this carpet? Think of all the people who will be using this carpet, how often it will be walked on and by whom, this will help you to decide what you need.

Look and feel

Make sure when you’re looking that you do have a feel of the carpet too. The colour of the carpet will undoubtedly be a huge factor in your decision, as it will need to suit the decor of the room. But make sure that you feel the carpets too as this is very important. Will your kids be running around on this carpet with bare feet? Or does this carpet need to be tough?

Educate yourself

Again, with other large purchases that are intended to last for years, you would educate yourself and learn about the product to ensure you get the right one. Buying a carpet is no different. Learn about the different materials that you can have for your carpets such as polypropylene which is stain-resistant and easy to clean but is also flammable and prone to flattening. Find out the pros and cons of polyester, nylon, wool natural fibre and sisal natural fibre and again you will be able to narrow down your choices to find the right carpet for you.

Take samples home 

The colour of your carpet might look different in different light settings so make sure you take samples home so that you can see how the different carpets will look like in the room or rooms you’re getting it for.

Get several quotes

Once you’ve decided on the carpet you like then look around at different retailers and get a couple of quotes to compare. Also, make sure that the price is inclusive of everything you need such as the installation and any other materials.