Is Carpet Really Making a Comeback? The Surprising Trend, Explained

In recent years, no home renovation was complete without ripping up every inch of existing carpet and installing hardwoods or wood-look alternatives. Clean lines and minimalism were the preferred look for floors. But research home decor trends in 2024, and you’ll find that carpet is enjoying a resurgence in popularity—but that doesn’t mean that the carpet of today resembles the carpet styles of yesteryear. In fact, there’s a wealth of new colors, patterns, and materials that have entered the market and created new demand for this once much-maligned material. It’s not just about aesthetics: Carpet’s quiet comeback is due in part to how the material itself has caught up with the times. Homeowners who think that carpet isn’t for them may want to reassess—the upgraded version of this material is bound to surprise more than a few. 

Carpet, hardwood, vinyl, and tile flooring.

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With more colors, patterns, and materials available than ever, there are now stylish options to suit almost any aesthetic.

Carpet was once considered passé, and for many, what comes to mind is seas of beige plush. But that’s far from the only option available to homeowners shopping for carpet in 2024. Subtle patterns and textures can elevate neutral-colored carpets, providing visual interest and depth. If bold colors or jewel tones are more your style, there are plenty of choices to match your taste. “Manufacturers are continually introducing a wide variety of multi-yard texture and pattern carpets that will fit any decor preference,” adds Paul Carter, EVP, Strategic Initiatives at Empire Today.

Homeowners and designers are also getting creative with how they are installing carpet. While many assume that the only option is wall-to-wall installation of a single carpet material, another trendy option is to leave the borders of the room uncovered so that some tile or hardwood is still visible. Carter adds, “Carpet can be installed with contrasting or complementary borders or insets and the wide variety of colors and styles allow consumers to match or coordinate with nearly any setting.”  

Pet owners have stain- and odor-resistant carpet options to choose from.   

It’s easy to understand why pet owners tend to lean toward flooring choices like tile or laminate. When pets track in mud from the outdoors or have the occasional accident, it’s easy to wipe messes from a hard surface. Concerns about carpet trapping odors and stains have also played a role in the homeowner’s decision to opt against carpet. 

That being said, many carpet lines of today make it practical for pet owners to choose this material—even over hard surfaces. 

New lines of pet-friendly carpeting, like the one from Empire Today, are specially designed so that the fibers resist permanent staining. Some of these carpets even have added resistance to pet urine. And in many cases, carpet material technology has also evolved to neutralize odors. 

Pet-friendly carpet can even have an advantage over wood floors in terms of durability, in that it can’t be scratched or gouged by claws, and is resistant to snagging.

It still may not be advisable to install carpet in entryways or mudrooms, and pet stains will still need to be cleaned, but pet owners who desire carpet have more options available to them.

Carpet, hardwood, vinyl, and tile flooring.

Bob Vila has partnered with Empire Today to help you easily get beautiful new floors at a great price. Free In-Home Estimates

For allergy-sufferers wary of carpeting and those concerned about indoor air quality, there are hypoallergenic options available.

A popularly held belief is that carpet is irritating to those with allergies as it catches dirt, dust, and pollen. This is a misconception: carpet may actually be better at keeping indoor air clean than other flooring types. “A well-made carpet combined with a good vacuum cleaner that is regularly used is actually better at reducing airborne dust in the home as it tends to trap that dust where it can be collected by the vacuum,” Carter explains. By contrast, dust that falls on hard flooring surfaces continues being kicked up and circulated through the air until it can be swept up. 

What you may not know is that in addition to being allergic to particles trapped in carpet, many people are allergic to the carpet materials themselves. Fortunately, today’s flooring companies likely carry a variety of hypoallergenic options. According to Carter, “Empire has carpets available today that are made with hypo-allergenic yarn – ideal for homes where the residents have allergies.” These carpet materials are both free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that many people find irritating, as well as being designed to trap less dirt than their traditional counterparts. 

There are now more environmentally-friendly recycled carpet materials on the market. 

Sustainability may not be the first issue that comes to mind when choosing a carpet, but it’s one that has changed the way some materials are used. Many carpets are actually made of synthetic fibers such as raw nylon and polyester. The manufacturing of these carpets has a negative impact on the environment due to the use of crude oil and the production of greenhouse gases. But these types of carpet materials can also have a negative impact on the environment of your home, as they emit harmful VOCs into the air. 

Thankfully, homeowners concerned about the harmful effects of some more traditional carpeting also have options to choose from. Many lines of carpets are now made with recycled materials, such as plastic bottles. That means that waste that would typically be in a landfill can now be repurposed in a practical and beautiful way.

Carpet has some benefits that solid flooring can’t offer, such as noise reduction, warmth, and comfort.

Carpet has always had some advantages over solid floors, and that continues to be true with new lines and fiber types to choose from. 

1. Noise reduction. When it comes to sound, carpet has a muffling effect by controlling sound reverberation. This helps reduce noise levels both inside the carpeted room and in adjacent rooms: Impacts on the floor aren’t as loud, and sounds made within the carpeted room are better absorbed. 
2. Warmth. Carpets can help keep a room cozy. Carpet fibers trap heat better than most other flooring types, making this choice excellent for heat insulation. 
3. Comfort. Carpet is soft, making it more comfortable to walk and sit on than hard flooring options. It also acts as a cushion: “For customers with young children—carpet is softer for crawlers to crawl on—and less painful for new walkers to fall on,” says Carter.

A flooring expert can help homeowners choose the carpet that best suits their homes. 

In almost every way, carpet has improved. It can be environmentally-friendly, stain-resistant, and overall easier to maintain. It’s typically more durable than carpets of even 10 years ago. While it continues to be ideal for non-social areas of the house, it’s durable enough to go almost anywhere. It offers comfort, noise reduction, and warmth. There are many more colors, patterns, and even installation techniques to choose from, so carpet can feel like a modern addition to a room. 

What’s more, many carpet options have a relatively low cost per square foot, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious homeowners. 

All of these factors have combined to usher a new age of carpeting: it’s more desirable than ever before, and its comeback is warranted.

But with all the options available on the market, it can be overwhelming to know where to start the search for the right one. Hiring the right flooring contractor can be equally fraught with pitfalls: from falling for flooring scams to making common mistakes when redoing floors, homeowners won’t want to take on a project like this on their own. 

That’s when a reputable company can help. Companies like Empire Today have tools to help you get started on your flooring remodel. They employ experts who know how to help customers navigate the many choices they have and ultimately help them choose the right flooring for their needs—carpet or otherwise. And perhaps most importantly, they have a line of high-quality products that can make choosing flooring an easy and exciting experience. 

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Carpet, hardwood, vinyl, and tile flooring.

Bob Vila has partnered with Empire Today to help you easily get beautiful new floors at a great price. Free In-Home Estimates