How floors can give your room new life

With our lives becoming busier and busier, quite often my clients prefer the serenity of neutral walls.

 But add neutral walls to neutral furnishings and your room

can begin to resemble the local furniture showroom.

How to add some interest?

Boldy patterned/colored area rugs offer up a perfect solution.

This dining room is one of my all-time favourites,

comfortable and welcoming, a tough of whimsy, nothing too precious -

a place to relax and spend an evening.

traditional carpets add a more subtle layer of pattern...

but the overdyed versions are spectacular!

bold florals and patterns working their magic

Stripes: one of a designer's secret weapons!

Stripes lead the eye wherever you like -

on the floor they are great for adding width to a narrow space, or defining a focal point.

I even like a spot of plush outdoors, although this would never survive our climate.

What if you like the look but don't have room in the budget, or don't want to make a major investment because of kids, dogs, etc...?

Carissa of The Fabulous Design File has a fab diy addressing this.

She painted a regular carpet - 

something I've just recommended to another client who needs some pattern on the floor,

but has a large dog and has to replace carpeting fairly frequently.

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I'm going to attempt this for my own office -

(show you when I'm done)

where two chocolate labs are always lounging at my feet :)

what about you?

Would you use a bold carpet?