Selecting rugs with kids or pets

We often hear customers express concerns about putting a beautiful carpet in a home that includes kids or pets.  Rest assured that a properly selected carpet is VERY easy to maintain and can put up with a lot!  We have a toddler and a big Boxer, both of whom eat, play and rest on our rugs.  In fact, a good rug cleans so easily and wears so well it’s about the best flooring choice you can have when your dog decides his marrow bone would taste better on the antique rug in the living room!

The key is to select the right type of carpet.  We would never suggest a pure silk in the family room with sippy cups and Fido. Or a kilim for Fluffy to stretch her claws into.  But there are many options for very durable and forgiving carpets that clean like a dream and seem to never wear.  For really high traffic (or abuse) areas, you generally want a village carpet in darker colours.  It’s just the most practical choice for a variety of reasons.  First, the denser pile on most village rugs (as compared to typical tribal pieces) means less stuff penetrates the surface of the rug.  A regular vacuum and perhaps a damp rag to pick up any other “bits” and the rug looks like new. And, second, while any colour can be cleaned (Sarah once spilled an entire 16oz raspberry smoothie on an ivory Kirman and it cleaned up with no trouble), darker hues are more forgiving if the rug is likely to get snacks squished into it.  

We always ask about how a room is used, and by whom, before showing customers carpets.  This allows us to point out rugs we know will hold-up well under those conditions and caution customers against any that might not.