The Effects of Lighting on your Carpet

The carpet you opt for can make or break the feel of any room and, as our homes are our havens, choosing carpet is usually a big decision.

Avoiding making a mistake is crucial because there’s nothing worse than discovering your newly laid carpet doesn’t quite meet your expectations.

So, what do you need to know to master carpet shopping?

#1 Lighting

Once installed, carpet can appear to look different. One reason for this is lighting, as it can impact how our eyes perceive colour.

This means the lighting conditions you’re viewing a particular carpet sample in need to be factored in. It’s wise to consider how carpets look under both natural and different types of artificial light. Typically, fluorescent lighting creates a cooling effect and adds blue tinges, while incandescent lighting brings a golden tone to materials.

Light strength can also have an impact. Some parts of a room may receive more light and some parts can be in shadow, meaning the same carpet can look very different even within the same space.

Parrys has placed bright white lights in most of its stores to give the truest colours of the flooring you are looking at.

Top tip: Look carefully at the type of lighting in the room/s you’re selecting carpet for.

#2 Room décor

The colour scheme of the area you’re carpeting can influence how carpet looks once in situ in your home because of the concept of contrast.

When your room décor is lighter, the carpet you choose may look darker than expected and when your room has a darker colour scheme, the tone can appear lighter.

Also be aware of the effects that shadowing has on colours of your floor from the furniture placed in the room.

Top tip: Ensure any samples you take home are large enough to accurately determine the impact of decor.

#3 Carpet pile

Many materials can look darker or lighter depending on how fibres are angled – and carpet can be impacted by this phenomenon, too.

Generally, when fibres are flattened, they look different to when they’re plumped up. The direction of the fibres – or pile – can change how a carpet’s colour looks and is often most noticeable after vacuuming or walking on. Carpets with pile that goes in the same direction tend to look lighter. With pile that goes in numerous directions, the colour can look either lighter or darker.

Top tip: Get educated about carpet pile direction before deciding on your carpet and test it out yourself.

The take home

At Parrys, we understand the many aspects to be considered before committing to fresh carpet – and we’re happy to help you make the right decision.

---

Read More Blogs