Learn about designing with carpet and the extraordinary benefits it offers your home.

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Throughout this past year and beyond, I’ve realized that our home and its atmosphere are so important for our well-being. With stay-at-home recommendations, it’s ultra necessary to feel safe, comfortable, and happy in your own home! A sanctuary, you might call it. After the start of fostering our two sweet daughters and getting to know them more, we wanted to update their rooms to match their personalities more. With back to school also coming up quickly, we thought it would be great to spruce up the rooms and get them ready for after-school relaxation! My hope is that you can use some of these to spruce up your own child’s room, as well! 

Here are some tips for sprucing up your child’s room: 

Keep your carpets fresh, beautiful, and clean by vacuuming and spot treating, if needed. 

Soft, plush carpet in children’s rooms is a must-have for me. In fact, I love the carpet in our bedroom and the guest bedroom as well! I don’t remember if I told you, but when we moved into our new home, the previous owners JUST replaced the upstairs carpet to exactly the style that I wanted with an ultra-plush carpet pad! We felt so blessed to not have to update ONE MORE thing. Truly, there is a carpet style, color, and pattern for every room AND everyone, but we were so happy they picked the one we also liked! 

In addition, the warmth and comfort that carpet provides is perfect for bedrooms, especially children’s rooms. Kids seem to gravitate towards carpeted areas when they play so they have a soft cushion underfoot or under their tush!

[Side note: Did you know it’s a myth that if you have asthma or allergies you need to remove carpet? Updated asthma/allergy guidelines from the National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) do NOT include recommendations to remove carpet as a way to treat asthma and allergies.]

Lastly, and definitely not least, we love how carpet helps dampen the sound of toys and the patter of little feet and reduces slips and falls. I can’t even imagine how loud our home would be if we didn’t have carpet upstairs! 

We like to vacuum upstairs at least once a week. Sometimes more. Good as new in no time! 

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Learn more about why carpet is the best option for your work in the video.

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Being at home more often has inspired many people to make changes in their favorite spaces that focus on health and comfort. You might be surprised to learn that carpeting a room supports both these goals, plus offers near-endless style possibilities.

Carpet is a popular flooring option, accounting for 48% of the total U.S. flooring market, according to the Carpet and Rug Institute. Adding carpet or refreshing the carpet you already have in your home has many benefits, from helping you breathe easier to keeping loved ones safe. Here are the top reasons people are opting for carpet:

Health and Indoor Air Quality

Carpet can help support a healthy home, even for people with asthma and allergies. The updated asthma management guidelines from the National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute do not include recommendations to remove carpet as a way to treat asthma and allergies.

“Scientific research shows that carpet does not negatively impact allergies or asthma. In fact, carpet can improve your home’s air quality by trapping allergens, keeping them out of the breathing zone, and making them easy to vacuum,” said Dr. Michael Halwig, allergy specialist on the clinical faculty of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. “All too often patients have been advised to remove carpeting in the home to deal with environmental allergies. This is often expensive and impractical for many families. Current knowledge shows that the use of vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters and other environmental control measures are much more effective in reducing allergens in the home.”

Many people are installing additional carpet in their homes to help improve air quality. Fortunately, the vast majority of carpet sold in the U.S. is certified through CRI’s Green Label Plus program, a third-party certification that demonstrates products are among the lowest emission emitting carpet, adhesive, and cushion products on the market.

Safety and Noise Reduction

With people spending more time at home, indoor noise pollution is becoming a big problem. Carpet and carpet pads help absorb excessive sounds to soften noises within a room while serving as a sound barrier between floors. This is especially important in rooms with large TVs, sound systems, or speakerphones, as well as in hallways and on stairs to soften foot traffic. Whether you’re working, studying, or relaxing, carpet reduces noise so you can focus.

Carpet is also a safe choice, particularly in multigenerational homes. In addition to added comfort in cushioning footsteps, carpet can help reduce slips and falls that may occur more easily on hard surface flooring. Carpet is safe for the whole family, but especially for toddlers and older individuals who are more prone to falls. If a fall does happen, carpet can help minimize injury.

Fashion and Functionality

Carpet can serve as a neutral foundation, in popular tones of gray, cream, or beige, or it can be a focal point featuring vibrant colors and bold patterns. With thousands of carpet styles, colors, textures, and designs, you can select an option that suits your personal taste and complements your home’s aesthetic.

Beyond beauty, carpet provides a great place to sit and is comfortable underfoot. Because carpet provides thermal insulation, it helps maintain a room’s optimum temperature; for example, in cooler months it retains warm air for longer. It feels good and looks good, helping create an inviting feeling in any room.

“With two toddlers, a dog, and two cats, carpet was a must-have throughout our home. Carpet provides comfort, warmth, and style — and we also love that it improves indoor air quality,” said Chelsee Hood, mother and blogger. “Many families are choosing to install carpet for these reasons and more, making it a great feature in the modern home.”

To learn more about the research and benefits of carpet, visit www.beautyofcarpet.com.

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This post from Love Your Abode is part of the 2021 Beauty of Carpet Spring campaign.

Now that Spring is here, I was itching to change up a few things in our living room. Naturally, our family room is the ultimate cozy space for hanging out, reading, and watching shows. I switched out a few things for the season and thought I’d share my 3 tips to refresh your living room for spring. 

TIP 1: SWITCH OUT THE TEXTILES

A simple way to change the look and feel of your living room is by switching up the pillows. You don’t need to always buy new pillows since they can take up space. Just order new pillow covers and switch them out with the changing seasons. I stored away my darker Fall-colored pillow covers and added some white, blue, and pink pillows I had on hand. 

In our family room, I like to add things to help create a cozy and relaxing space. I get cold easily so we always have multiple pillows and blankets available. Textiles add layers of depth and warmth. One of the main ways we keep it feeling cozy is by having carpet and a rug on the floor. My husband loves nothing more than digging his feet into the carpet after a long day of work. I know. What a weirdo. ? 

Contrary to what you may think, carpet acts as a trap for allergens.  When dust settles onto it, your vacuum can easily pick it up. Improving the air quality in our house is pretty important especially since we have 3 kids and we all suffer from seasonal allergies. Carpet can actually support healthier spaces including people with asthma and allergies. 

CRI is a leader on carpets and carpet trends and they recommend regular vacuuming as well as having it professionally cleaned when necessary. Since we don’t wear shoes in our home, it’s another way our carpet stays fairly clean through all the natural wear and tear. By improving indoor air quality, carpet supports healthier spaces for living, working, and learning for everyone. 

The updated asthma/allergy guidelines from the National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute do not include recommendations to remove carpet as a way to treat asthma and allergies. 

The fresh pillows add brightness to the space and are perfect for Spring don’t you think? You can even layer a pretty throw against the couch for some added color as I did here. 

Adding a rug on top adds another layer of coziness. Rugs also help to anchor your furniture and create an intimate area.  Our neutral rug works for every season. Having both carpet and rug help with noise reduction and provides ample cushion underfoot. 

TIP 2: STYLE YOUR MANTLE AND COFFEE TABLE 

A great way to add some Spring accents is by changing up your mantel. I added pretty colors through artwork, vintage frames and some faux greenery.

TIP 3: ADD LOTS OF FRESH GREENERY 

There’s nothing like adding real plants to your home. Real plants are in every space of our home and taking care of them is such a joy! If you have a black thumb, try growing pothos or a snake plant. They are low maintenance and actually quite difficult to kill! 

Plants help with air quality and they add color and life to any space. I can’t decorate without them!

Read the full post at Love Your Abode.

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This post from Modern Day Moguls is part of the 2021 Beauty of Carpet Spring campaign.

Springtime is the time for new beginnings as well as room refreshes! This go-around we are working on my youngest daughter’s room. She would describe her current room as “not my style” or “too mom-ish.” She says these like it’s a bad thing. A few years ago we ended up ditching our guest bedroom for my office and in turn, made her room suitable for guests.

When doing a room refresh, especially for those with finicky taste, I like to keep things as simple and budget-friendly as possible. Keeping with the same furniture and floor coverings really helps make this possible. Also, letting little ones feel like they are part of the process helps so much.

• There is a preconceived notion that carpet is too vanilla but there are so many styles, colors, and patterns available that there is literally something for everyone. A soft, warm cushion underneath little feet in the morning is always in style. If you want to spice it up a bit, I love adding a throw rug to the top of a carpet for a bit of color without a huge expense.
• When the girls get going and bouncing off the walls it really helps dampen the sound of gymnastics tumbles while keeping them safe from slips and falls.
• After doing a bit of research on Carpet & Rug Institute, turns out new carpet is the lowest VOC-emitting flooring choice available. CRI’s Green Label Plus program is a third-party certification that demonstrates which products are among the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive, and cushion products on the market. The vast majority of carpet sold in the US is certified Green Label Plus. It acts as a passive air filter, trapping dust, pollen, and particles- which removes them from the breathing zone. Which is so important in our littles’ spaces.
• Since our air quality is so bad outside right now, we are always trying to improve indoor air quality and carpet supports healthier spaces – including people with asthma and allergies. I am forever trying to figure out ways to help my girls keep their rooms clean and manageable and carpet really helps keep the dust down. Updated asthma/allergy guidelines from the National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) do not include recommendations to remove carpet as a way to treat asthma and allergies

Read the entire post at Modern Day Moguls.

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In December 2020, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, an organization under the National Institutes of Health, released new guidelines for the treatment of asthma and allergies. The guidelines are comprehensive in their content and are used by numerous organizations in government and the medical community.

For CRI, the updated guidance is neutral concerning carpet removal and does not include any recommendations regarding removing carpet as a way to treat asthma and allergies. 

“The process to update these guidelines has been a long-term project, but represents a positive development for our industry,” CRI President Joe Yarbrough said. “We’re glad to see these findings published that recognize the most up-to-date science on carpet and indoor air quality.”

The Carpet and Rug Institute has long held that carpet is the best flooring for improving indoor air quality in homes, commercial spaces, and all other indoor areas.

Our research has consistently shown how carpet keeps allergens, dirt, and debris out of the breathing zone. By trapping these particles in the fiber, carpet acts as a passive filter until the particulate can be removed through regular cleaning.

It is simple science: Carpet improves air quality by trapping particles, dirt, and debris in carpet which keeps them out of the air you breathe. Regular cleaning then removes the particles for good.

The EPA highlights how most people spend a major amount of time indoors making the air quality of these environments paramount. By using carpet, consumers can create a space with positive indoor air quality and breathe easier.

Learn more about carpet and indoor air quality.

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The Importance of Vacuuming

Vacuuming adds to the life and look of carpet. Learn about other benefits regular vacuuming has on carpet in your home.

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Design Inspired by Heritage and Family

This post from Black Southern Belle is part of the 2021 Beauty of Carpet Spring campaign.

My husband and I both work from home and have been fortunate to spend time with my parents and with their grandchildren. Our weekdays are often spent at their home, and I’ve been looking to do something extra special for them. I decided to surprise my parents by transforming their upstairs suite into a multifunctional, multigenerational one inspired by our families Gullah Culture and Black Veterans; my dad is a Navy Veteran. 

Designing with Carpet

As a gift to my parents who have so generously been taking care of the kids last year and this year, I decided to update their guest suite for them to enjoy with the kids. I designed the suite from the floor up, and I turned to the Carpet and Rug Institute for tips and ideas. They offer great advice and expertise for using carpets in the home that allow you to appreciate and learn more about The Beauty of Carpet and be sure to look up the hashtag #beautyofcarpet on social media for more inspiration.  As for the beauty of carpet in my parent’s home, their suite has a cozy tan-colored carpet, ideal for our little ones to play around on and comfortable for my parents. Carpets improve air quality and help to reduce noise, which is useful in an older house.

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This post is part of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Beauty of Carpet campaign. Read the full post at Black Southern Belle!

Enter the #BeautyofCarpet sweepstakes here.

I have a toddler and a baby who spend most of their time playing and crawling on the floor. The kids play all throughout the house with their toys and books strewn everywhere. Our two year old is very active and our baby will be walking soon, so I wanted to create a dedicated play space just for them. The playroom needed to be safe, cozy, healthy, and inviting to two little ones. 

We have a historic home with hardwood floors throughout the house, so the first step to designing this room was choosing a carpet that made sense for us, we settled on a stylish, textured tile carpet. We complemented the carpet with a brown leather daybed, a tent, and creative storage. 

We wanted the space to be gender neutral for both Jackson and Savannah, but also to flow with the rest of our home with the Black Art collection and plaid (a favorite of mine). I hope our playroom helps to inspire your playroom or children’s rooms and how best to incorporate carpet into your home. There is a carpet style, color, and pattern for any and every room. 

Carpet Tiles

Tiled carpet gives our playroom a soft cushion underfoot and helps to reduce noise from our little ones feet or toys.

Breathe Easy

Carpets support healthy living, by improving indoor air quality. 

Read the full post at Black Southern Belle.

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