If you’ve ever walked into a flooring store I’ll bet you were surprised by the many types of carpet to choose from. Who knew there were so many options?! Beyond the look, how do you know what carpet pile style is best for your home?

In a previous post, we looked at pile heights and their functionality. This post expands on that idea, but with a twist! (Frieze rug pun anyone? 🙂) Take a look below to get a quick guide on pile styles and where they shine best in your home!

LET’S EXPLORE PILE STYLES!

The type of pile or weave in your carpeting significantly influences the texture, feel, care and overall cleanliness of your space. Below are some of the most common pile styles and their durability. We’ll cover loop styles (including berber), cut styles (including shag and plush), and cut-loops styles.

1) Loop pile carpet is best in high traffic areas – it has a low profile that is both durable and hides traffic patterns well. This is a perfect pile type for stairs and lasts longer than carpets with cut fibers. Some people don’t think of it as soft or inviting, but remember that the fiber and the pad used under the carpet will both affect how soft (or how industrial) the carpet feels. I promise there are loop carpets out there that you won’t be able to keep your hands off of!

2) Berber is a common type of loop pile carpet that has a chunky weave and is famous for its flecks of color. These flecks can be seen evenly spread throughout or combined to create specific patterns, like this berber carpet from Shaw. It’s extremely durable, usually hides stains pretty well, and another great choice for high traffic areas and stairs! Some folks call all loop carpet “berber” but classically berber carpet was distinguished by those little flecks of color.

3) Cut-pile carpet (also called textured, plush, or Saxony carpet) is the style that a lot of people think of when they think carpets. Plush carpets can appear to be darker or lighter shades depending on which direction you brush the yarn (which also means it can show footprints and vacuuming patterns). It comes in various pile lengths, and it can either be perfectly flat like a Saxony with its more formal, luxurious feel, or with slight height variation for a more casual feel. This is a great carpet to sink your feet into in your bedroom or living room, but not the best for high traffic like your entryway or stairs.

4) Shag (also called cable) is a high pile carpet type with thicker, longer pieces of yarn that create a deep, shaggy pile height. It adds a ton of depth and softness to a room, but be warned – it can also be very difficult to clean and maintain, so only install it in low-traffic rooms. If you want the look of shag carpet but with somewhat lower maintenance, try an area rug instead of wall-to-wall shag carpet, like this one from Overstock. This works especially well for rugs 5×8 or smaller where you can take them outside and give them a good shake every once and while, since they don’t stand up to standard vacuuming very well.

5) Frieze (pronounced like “frizz-AY”) is the sister to shag, but extra-twisted. Each piece of yarn is twisted so much that each twist falls back on itself, creating a highly durable surface that feels good on your feet like a plush but that hides dirt and traffic pattern better than plush carpet. This style can go pretty much anywhere in your home where you want a casual, durable surface, and it does a great job hiding dirt and footprints. It’s common to see it on stairs, but we prefer loop of cut loop carpet on stairs because even through the twisted yarns are more durable than the less-twisty yarns of plush or shag carpet, over time the leading edge of the step will still go bald as the yarns wear down.

6) Cut-Loop carpet (aka “pattern” or “cut-and-loop”) can give you the best of both the cut and uncut pile worlds (ie, the durability of loop, with the softness of plush). It has a combo of loops and yarn ends that create fun patterns (anything from geometrics to florals) that can add wonderful depth and interest to a room. Honestly, it’s our favorite kind of wall to wall carpet because it’s so versatile. It’s great for high traffic areas, perfect for stairs, and a pretty good option for spaces that need to feel as open as possible (but where wood-look floors aren’t an option).

No matter what you need from your carpet or rug, there’s a style out there for every room in your home, from the luxurious softness of a Saxony for a master bedroom, to the casual friendliness of a frieze, to the durability of a patterned cut-loop! Want help choosing the perfect carpet for your home? Schedule a virtual Design Helpline and we’ll talk you through these options and how they tie into the other design elements of your space! 

May your home (and your carpets) always be happy!