Carpets and hardwood floors are two of the main flooring options for living rooms and deciding which one is right for you can be a minefield! Both have their pros and cons and if you want to change your flooring, I dissect them below.
In this guide, I aim to show you whether carpet or hardwood in the living room is the best choice including the importance of getting your living room flooring right.
Why the Living Room Flooring Matters
First, let’s look at why we make such a fuss about our living room flooring. Simply put, in most households, the living room is the most used room! It’s where we watch TV, relax in the evening, and oftentimes eat meals. Aside from the kitchen, it’s the focal point of the household.
Due to its importance and usage, it’s therefore, more critical that you get the flooring right! No one wants to spend most of their home life in a room with uncomfortable, cold flooring that is difficult to clean!
Carpet Flooring Pros and Cons
Carpets for living rooms are classic – they have been used for hundreds of years and remain a fan favourite. But, let’s take a closer look and discuss their advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
- Sound dampening: It’s quite satisfying walking on a plush carpet and hardly hearing your footsteps! It makes me feel like a ninja! The same can’t be said for hardwood floors which have terrible noise amplification in contrast. If you want a quieter living room, carpet is the better choice with its natural sound dampening.
- Improved safety: Falling on a carpet doesn’t hurt half as much as a solid wood floor! If you have children, the carpet is more forgiving and can allow them to play safely.
- Style versatility: Just think of the hundreds of colours, styles, patterns, and shades of carpet available. You have virtually endless creative possibilities and can match your living room decor perfectly. Hardwood floors are more limited in terms of colour and style.
- Heat retention: Carpets have an underlay and are generally a more heat-efficient option compared to hardwood flooring. Have you ever walked on a hardwood floor during the winter? Carpets just help with heat retention and are the better choice if your living room is naturally colder.
Cons
- More maintenance: Carpets undoubtedly require more maintenance and can be difficult to clean. If you’ve ever spilt a drink on your carpet like I have, you know the pain of trying to scrub the carpet and remove the stain! Depending on the depth of your carpet pile, hoovering can also take more effort too.
Hardwood Flooring Pros and Cons
Wooden floors have been used since the 1600s in some capacity but the invention of carpets saw them decline in popularity. However, in recent decades they are back in fashion and many people have them in their homes.
Pros
- Easy to clean: Spilled a drink on your hardwood floor? No problem! Just wipe it up with a wet cloth! Wooden floors are much easier to clean for both dust and spills whereas carpets can be tough to maintain.
- Excellent longevity: Despite the scratches, hardwood floors are durable and don’t have to be replaced nearly as often as carpets. You can also replace individual boards as opposed to the entire flooring if needed.
- Unique appearance: Hardwood floors undoubtedly make a statement and have a unique appearance that can really accentuate and enhance a living room depending on the wood type and colour.
Cons
- Sound amplification: Have you ever listened to a dog walking on a hardwood floor?!? The sound amplification can be terrible and you simply don’t get this with carpet.
- Easier to damage: Due to the solid nature of wood, hardwood floors are much easier to damage. They can get scratched and dented easily which can diminish the overall appearance.
- Heat loss: Carpet or hardwood in your living room? Do you like to be warm? If so, carpets are the better choice. Hardwood floors can be cold and don’t really do much to insulate your living room.
Which Flooring Type is Right for You?
I hope you have found this guide useful and that you have an idea of whether carpet or hardwood in your living room is the better option.
If you have children, carpet is arguably the better choice as it is more comfortable for them to play on, helps with your living room temperature, and is more forgiving if they have a tumble. Similarly, if your living room is more difficult to heat, a carpet is preferable compared to colder hardwood flooring.
In contrast, if you prefer less maintenance and flooring that is easier to clean, hardwood is the better option as you can wipe spills, and hoover it far more effectively than a thick carpet.
