Carpeting

Carpet is the flooring choice for wall-to-wall comfort. Modern designs offer an amazing array of styles, fibers and colors to fit your interior and family life. At Urban 57, our lifelong association with rugs and carpets makes our advice extremely valuable for the success of your interior design when carpet is selected.

Carpet Styles

First it is important to identify the style of carpet — how the fibers are worked together to provide a comfortable and warm living environment. Here are the most common types of carpeting:

Loop carpeting comes in two types. If all the loops are cut to the same level, this is level loop or Berber carpet. It holds up well to traffic. Multi-level loop carpet is used to create textures or patterns in the carpet as an additional aspect of the design.

Cut pile carpets take the loops and cut off their tops, creating two carpet fibers from every loop. The result tends to be softer to the touch, a plus if you like to walk through your house barefoot or in stocking feet. Cut pile carpet also comes in various styles:

  • Cable features long, thick fibers.
  • Frieze or shag carpet features the longest fibers in flooring.
  • Textured cut is essentially multi-level loop without the loops.
  • Plush is the famously soft and cushioned carpet that provides even, smooth flooring.
  • Saxony is smooth like plush, but features twisted fibers for extra body.

Cut and loop carpet combines the two concepts into one carpet design.

Carpet Fibers

After you choose the style you want, next you should choose your fibers. Carpet is primarily made from synthetic fibers, due to ease of manufacturing and the greater options for color. Natural fibers are still available, however, for those who prefer the inherent qualities of biological products.

Nylon — the number one fiber in carpets due to its durability. High traffic areas are best covered with nylon carpet.

Wool is the primary choice for clients that want a natural fiber. Durable and stain-resistant, wool requires special treatment for cleaning, but rewards the owner with its ecofriendly qualities.

Olefin is extremely durable and colorfast, since the dyes are added to the fibers while they are being made. Another synthetic fiber, it is very stain resistant, but not as soft as other materials. Excels where outdoor carpet is needed.

Acrylic is the closest synthetic to wool in texture and appearance. It is also much easier to clean.

There are also additional styles and fibers available from select manufacturers, if you have a specific need for your interior design. Custom carpeting is also possible through vendors that create flooring based on your preferred fibers, style, color and design. For more information about the world of choices available for carpeted flooring, visit Urban 57!