Carpet - Tips on picking the right carpet

Think your pad needs a new look? A new vibe? Decorating just not getting you there? The answer might be in your flooring. If you haven't replaced your carpet in a decade--or it's just looking a bit, well, bland--the best solution comes in the form of a quick upgrade that will also boost your property value considerably. Stainmaster has all the latest and greatest styles when it come to carpeting. Choose from berber-style carpet or if you're looking for high-impact, try a funky color or an unusual pattern. We chose their modern and sleek berber loop style in 'Tanami Sand Castle'.

Stainmaster showed us how to redecorate by ripping up our old grey carpeting and replacing it with swanky new berber-style carpet. The best part? It's made out of nylon which means that it not only repels stains and static electricity, but it will last for much longer than the, ahem, 'a-bit-worse-for-wear' carpet you have now.

We found that the new carpet made a big difference in the look of the room -- it instantly upscaled the look and we got many compliments (our favorite: "Wow guys - the Stainmaster's lookin' very swanky and stylin'!") from both new visitors and writers who had seen the previous carpeting. It made an even bigger difference on stairs where the old carpet had buckled and hadn't been tacked down under each stair properly. The Stainmaster installation was flawless and left the hallway looking like it belonged in the Trump Tower.

Not sure what look you want to go for? Here are some tips:
Pick two accent colors and one main color (such as white as the main color and blue and yellow as accents) and base your decor around that.
Don't match you carpet and wall color - it will look too rigid. Similar is okay, identical is not.
Highlight things you like and conceal things you don't. Put carpet over ugly tile and curtains over an ugly window. Clear away clutter and streamline the room. Less is more!
Keep a scrapbook of interior decor pictures you like and want to take inspiration from. Leave some samples of colors you're already using in your car in case you come upon a great piece of furniture and want to see if the color matches your decor.

These are some of our other favorite colors:

VANILLA - This nearly-white neutral will look right at home in clean, contemporary interiors, used with black and/or other shades of off-white and cream. It also makes a good foundation for rooms where you want a feeling of spaciousness and light.

STEEL - This cool, silvery shade will work well in a contemporary setting surrounded by glass and chrome or as a foundation for a cool color scheme featuring blues, lavenders, and/or teals.

MOSS - Not too light or too dark, this "just right" environmental green will lend an air of calm to your interior. Use with other environmental colors, such as various shades of green and golden-cast neutrals, for a look that brings the outside in.

SAPHIRE - This rich blue will work well with other jewel tones to create an elegant traditional decor. Or, use it with more whimsical motifs, e.g. country checks and prints, and accents such as soft yellows and roses, for a more casual look.

That's all fine-and-dandy, but how does it repel stains?? Well, it's all very technical, but Stainmaster carpet is specially engineered so that the stain molecules don't adhere to the fiber. Stainmaster uses Tactesse, which is made from a unique type 6,6 nylon which provides resiliency and strength for years of carpet durability. Oh, and BCF (Bulked Continuous Filament) eliminates carpet fuzzing and shedding. Er, just trust us -- it works!

Okay - so you're in the middle of a wild party... an someone tracked mud onto your gorgeous new Stainmaster berber. Yikes! Is that a spot of wine? Here's how to remove the stain -- without breaking a sweat in your new DVF dress.

1. No need to alarm your guests... Gingerly make your way to the kitchen, grab a spoon or paper towel, stuff it in your Kate Spade purse and make your way through the crowd back to the "problem area". Bend down (this might be a good time to try the "Bend and Snap" a la Legally Blonde) and scoop or soak up as much of the spill as you can manage.
2. Here's where being calm and collected comes into play. You know you want to, but don't rub or scrub the spot -- blot it. Still freaking out? Just gently press clean cloths into the stained area to remove moisture as you try to figure out the lyrics to that Outcast song that keeps playing. (FYI -- Scrubbing can damage the fiber and set the stain into the carpet -- and we don't want that now, do we?)
3. Apply warm, not hot, water (vodka doesn't count) over the offending area and blot until the stain stops transferring to the cloth.

   

4. If you can still see the stain, this is when to freak out. Just kidding! If you've got a Stainmaster carpet, chances are the stain's already gone. If not, make a Detergent Solution by adding 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid to one cup warm water. Don't use too much soap (no matter how good it smells next to the doggy poop someone tracked in), because it's difficult to rinse out of the carpet.
5. Apply the detergent solution, let it sit on the stain for five minutes, then rinse it out with clear warm water. Repeat until all the detergent is removed. You may want to put a little stool over it so your guests don't trample on it...
6. Place layers of white paper towels on the spill to absorb the liquid. Weight down the towels with a nearby glass, ceramic object, or bottle of liquor (just make sure the cap's on). If you're too tired (or distracted) by this point to do any more, don't worry -- you can let them sit overnight.
7. When the carpet is dry, vacuum to restore the texture.
8. If when you wake up the next morning, your hangover seems worse because you can still see the stain after all this, have a coffee, make an appointment to get a Stainmaster carpet installed so you won't have this headache next time, and repeat steps 3 through 7. (FYI -- If the stain is still there it means the stain penetrated deep into the pile and has wicked up to the surface.)