One of the most interesting shifts over the past decade of interior design lies in the steady decline of carpeting and linoleum in modern houses. In every renovation of a beautiful old home, it is practically guaranteed that whatever musty, old, faded carpet lines the upstairs halls gets ripped up to expose beautiful hardwood flooring.
On a purely aesthetic front, this shift away from carpeting makes sense. The rise of minimalism calls for clean lines and crisp colors, something that hits a hard wall when all of the carpeting in a home has been trampled over, barefoot and shod, for the past fifteen years until what might once have been a simple off-white base is now covered in the stains inherent to a lifetime of existence. Even in minimalism’s antithesis, cluttercore and cottagecore, most designers lean towards either an excess of color or a naturalistic finish, both of which are more easily achieved without carpeting.
On a practical footing, if a host intends to keep a clean environment then there’s no reason for them to expose potential flaws. If a host’s last guests were a rambunctious bachelorette party who spilled wine in the living room, the stains are exceptionally easier to either negate or avoid entirely if there isn’t any fabric on the floor to be stained in the first place. Not to mention that if a guest spills their wine or even just a glass of water and cleans it up poorly, mold can start growing between the fibers of the carpet and leave the entire environment smelling musty and old, at least until a dedicated cleaner breaks out the carpet steamer.
No, instead a clean hardwood or tiled floor lends itself to mopping for a clear shine and the good impression of a well kept home. Come wintertime, if you want to add a touch of coziness you can add a rug or two so your guests have something cozy to step into when they climb out of bed in the morning. Worst case scenario, a rug is far easier to replace than a floor of carpeting.