MAKING YOUR CHOICE

Many people have difficulty deciding whether to choose a patterned or plain carpet. This section will give you some basic tips to help you decide.

Patterned carpet gives you more flexibility when matching up other furnishings materials. You can add accents to your colour scheme by picking out colours from the pattern, as well as the background colour. Large dominant patterns can act as a focal point for the room. However, large patterns are not suitable for smaller rooms, as they can make them appear cluttered and even smaller.

Mid-scale patterns provide a degree of visual interest, while small scale patterns add an overall texture to your room.

Plain carpets will give you more scope when designing your room, as they blend easily with a wide range of colour schemes. However, plain carpets can sometimes make a large room look empty and uninteresting. Highly fashionable at the moment is a clean simple natural look using textured loop pile carpet.

If you are thinking of using patterns on your walls, here are four useful tips:

-Busy and large patterns advance

-Smaller, subtle patterns recede

-Vertical stripes add height to a room

-Horizontal lines around a room reduce height

If you are going to mix patterns in a room - don't ever try and mix the same scale of style of pattern. If you are mixing lots of patterns, you should be fine if you maintain a common colour theme. Be aware that using patterned walls and patterned carpets together can create a confusing effect..

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