Choosing carpet
Which carpet type suits the room?
The name on the sample matters less than how the carpet is built. These are the constructions we walk people through on the Southport floor.
People often arrive asking for a colour. The more useful question is how the yarn is finished, because that decides how the carpet feels, how it marks, and where it belongs. Everything below is what we talk through in the showroom. Bring the room with you — photos are enough to start — or book a free measure and we will stand in it.
Cut pile and plush
The yarn is cut, so the surface feels soft and the colour reads deep. A plush is the quiet, formal end of that family. It looks beautiful in a bedroom or a room that is not the main traffic route. It also shows vacuum marks and footprints more than a twist does. That is not a fault. It is the nature of a smooth surface. If you want that soft look in a room people cross all day, we will usually steer you to a twist instead.
Twist
A twist is still a cut pile, but the yarn is twisted so the surface breaks up footprints and shading. It is the construction we come back to for family living rooms, rentals and stairs. On a flight of stairs, a heavier twist hides the wear that a very soft plush shows on the nose of each tread.
Loop pile
The yarn is left in loops. Loops are tough and the texture is obvious, which is why chunky wool loops — including the Bremworth Galet, Marlo, Poraka and Samurai ranges on our floor — suit coastal and contemporary rooms. A loop can snag if something pulls a yarn, so it is a poor match for pets that claw.
Cut and loop
Some yarns are cut and some are left looped, which makes a pattern from the texture itself. It is a good way to have a design that still feels like carpet rather than a printed picture. See the patterned carpet page for herringbone, Axminster and runners.
Pets, stairs and wet rooms
Pets do better on a cut pile or a twist than on a loop. Stairs want a construction that can take the nose of the tread — we measure the flight and talk that through on the stair runners page. Kitchens, laundries and muddy entries are usually happier in vinyl plank than in wool. Carpet in a bedroom next to those rooms is a different decision, and we will say which is which.
Wool is the fibre we have always preferred for living areas. The short version is on why wool. How to look after whatever you choose is on caring for carpet.
Questions we hear in the showroom
Which pile is best for a busy family room?
A twist or a level loop usually hides footprints and everyday traffic better than a plain plush. The right choice still depends on the room, so we look at it with you in Southport or at the measure.
Will loop pile catch pet claws?
A loop can snag if a claw pulls a yarn. Homes with pets often do better with a cut pile or a twist. We will say so if a loop is the wrong carpet for the way you live.
Can one carpet do the whole house?
It can, but it rarely should. Bedrooms, stairs and living rooms wear differently. Many Gold Coast homes use a softer wool in the bedrooms and a tougher construction on the stairs and in the living room.
See the ranges we actually recommend on the carpet page, then come and feel them at 4 Brolga Avenue, Southport.
Ready to talk about your floors?
Call us, drop into the Southport showroom, or book a free in-home measure & quote.