How to choose a carpet for the kids room –buyers guide and examples

When choosing the interior for the room of a child, many parents face an important question: do we need a carpet in the nursery, and if so, how to choose one? Most parents understand that a carpet in a child’s room is not only a decor, but also a functional element. Carpets and other soft flooring create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, serve as a sound insulating layer and protect children’s feet from the cold, allowing the child to play on the floor even in winter. In this article we will explain a carpet for the kids room, we shall look at the different materials, shapes, size, function, etc.

Before going into detail, let’s list the most important criteria that a carpet in children’s room should meet. The carpet should be environmentally friendly. Materials that can cause unwanted reactions should be minimized. It is advisable to select carpets made of artificial or mixed fibers with hypoallergenic properties. Such products do not accumulate static electricity, are easy to clean, resistant to dirt, moisture and mold and are not affected by bacteria and insects. It is better to choose a soft carpet of medium that does not accumulate dust and dirt. Of course, size matters as well as style, design, ease of maintenance and last, but not least, the carpet should be appropriate for the age and gender of the child.

How to choose a carpet for the kids room – where to start from?

From the moment the child begins to crawl, the carpet in the nursery becomes the necessities, not a luxury. A child at the age of 6 months is just beginning to learn the world, he learns to sit, crawl, walk, play with his toys, and he just needs a carpet on the floor in the nursery. A properly chosen area rug or a wall-to-wall carpet does not allow bare feet to freeze while the child is playing, softens accidental falls, creates additional heat and sound insulation, decorates the interior, and also does not allow dust to rise into the air. A warm and soft rug is much nicer and safer than a hard, cool and slippery floor, right? So, how to choose a carpet for the kids room? Here is a step by step guide for all the parents who have faced this challenge!

How to choose the right size of the carpet? The market offers a wide variety of children’s carpets of various sizes, and parents often wonder which one will be more practical. There are several rules that must be observed. Before choosing, it is necessary to take into account that when laying the carpet, you should leave a free space between the rug and the furniture. Usually this is approximately 20-30 cm. Obviously, the size of the room itself is essential. To make it easier to estimate the width and length, you can mark the borders with masking tape and then measure them. Carpets are divided into three groups:

• small size – up to 2.5 square meters. Small rugs can be laid in front of the crib, in the play area or in front of the wardrobe.
• medium size – from 2.5 to 6 square meters. These can be used either as an accent r as a neutral decor. You can lay a medium sized carpet in the center of the room, between the beds, in front of a sofa.
• large size – from 6 square meters and more. Large carpets are significant in size so quality and design must be impeccable. This is a large element in the room interior and you need to choose carefully, keeping in mind the overall color scheme, style and decoration theme.

In a large room you can use two or three small rugs but they should be of the same type, for example, one shape or one color. This will allow you to zone the space effectively and set sleeping area, play area, activity zone, etc. With a good choice of pattern and size, this combination can be a highlight of the children’s room design. Make sure that you do not put furniture on the carpet. This will make maintenance and cleaning more difficult and with time furniture legs will deform the rug.

How to choose a carpet for the kids room in accordance with the age?

Understanding that there is no universal carpet is important. With the growth of the child, the design of the carpet also changes – from fairy tales to teenage topics. Children’s room should be consistent with the age and interests of its little owner and therefore – to change as the child grows up. You may need to change the carpet three or four times. Based on age criterion, carpets for children’s room can be grouped in different categories.

Carpets for development – this group includes area rugs suitable for nursery room and for children up to three years old. Babies get acquainted with the outside world every day, they first crawl, then walk and run. Instead of closing the child in a cot you can lay your baby on a soft rug and the little one will be able to freely watch what is happening around and move freely. Special educational playmats help to improve the child’s sensory and motor skills. Many models have safe bumpers and arches on which bright toys are hung. Step by step, the baby will learn to lift the head, focus on the objects of interest, try to reach them, crawl to get to the toys, and then stand, holding on to the arc. Usually, these carpets are made of natural and synthetic fabrics that are easily washable. The surface of a quality product is not slippery and is pleasant to the touch. The typical size of such rugs varies from 60 to 120 cm and they come in a huge variety of adorable patterns and colors. Psychologists believe that up to three years it is desirable to use muted and soft tones.

Game themed area rugs or interactive carpets are suitable for preschoolers between three and seven years of age. When your child becomes a preschooler, this is a time of rapid physical, emotional and mental development. The children’s room becomes a playroom, and when choosing a carpet, one should begin to take into account the level of activity and the character of the kid. With growth, the child needs more space as well as educational games, such as mats, puzzles, etc. Carpets suitable for preschoolers come in a variety of interesting and original patterns and prints. For example, the kid can learn the letters of the alphabet while playing. Images of butterflies, fish, sea and terrestrial animals will acquaint him with the fauna species. How about a carpet with road signs or street images? As you probably know, manufacturers produce carpets for children’s rooms with different themes. Some are designed like a puzzle and you can combine the individual pieces into a rug of any shape and size.

Carpets for children between seven and eleven years old need to reflect that the kids are growing up which means that new responsibilities appear and their interests expand. Younger schoolchildren begin to get acquainted with the “big world” and they will appreciate an original carpet design which also adds bright spots to the interior. It will be a good idea to choose the carpet together with the child. From charming floral prints for girls to geometrical shapes for boys, the options are numerous. Usually boys choose images of cars, airplanes, locomotives, the marine theme is presented by  islands, pirates, ships, sports theme varies from football to baseball, cycling and ski, starry sky; cartoon characters, etc. Girls love the pink color and shades that create an airy mood in the room. Typical images for girls are flowers, butterflies and birds, fairy tale characters, magic castles.

Carpets for teen rooms are something very different. Noise insulation properties of the carpet are very important so that the occupants of the home and of neighboring rooms will not suffer from noises and sounds. The carpet should create a comfortable acoustic environment, muffling noises and of course, perform its main function – keep the floor warm. Parents should not forget that teens value respect for personal space and their interests, which are no less diverse than those of adults. This is a period when the teenager is keen on sports, music, games, fashion, etc. Hobby themed interiors, including carpets are always a good idea for teenager’s room. The best thing that parents can do is ask the opinion of the child. There is a wide variety of carpets with trendy patterns and texture, with abstract and strict lines, with interesting colors, but the most important is that the teen will have a word and will learn to take decisions.

How to choose a carpet for the kids room – color and design ideas

The answer of the question how to choose a carpet for the kids room is not simple. Carpets vary in type of material and the market offers many options – : natural materials like wool and cotton and  synthetic materials like polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, viscose, etc. It is up to the parent to decide on the material. As we already mentioned, when choosing a pattern, density and texture of the material it is better to ask the child when it is old enough.

Choosing the right palette and pattern for carpet in the child’s room creates a good mood for both parent and child. It is interesting for kids to play on a bright carpet with their favorite characters from fairy tales or cartoons. Bright colors or familiar characters stimulate interest in looking at and remembering images on the carpet.

The shape of the carpet is also important. We are used to rectangular carpets but nowadays you can choose round or oval shape as well. Round carpets visually smooth the corners and give the room a more refined and harmonious look. They are an ideal option when you want to crate different functionality areas in the child’s room. An oval rug can occupy almost the entire space of the floor in a room. The oval shape adds softness and home comfort. Children’s carpets with large round shapes are also suitable to zone a room. Parents clearly distinguish a place for playing, resting and studying. It is good when there are other items with rounded outlines in the decor – an arched doorway, an oval central part of the suspended ceiling, a tabletop and other pieces of furniture.

When choosing a product design, we must try to blend it into the overall style of the room and furniture. A rug can be a central or accent detail or can remain inconspicuous, although an important part of the interior. For example, in a room with blue walls a marine style carpet will look great. If you need a neutral option, then buy a model in beige or gray. Universal patterns are geometric stripes, polka dots, intricate patterns in oriental style, etc.

How to choose the color of the carpet for the children’s room? As we already said, keep to the the overall color scheme of the interior. Another criterion is the temperament of the child. If your child is very active, then choose calm and soothing tones like beige, light gray, sandy, light brown, olive green. Natural light is hugely important. If the nursery’s windows face north, pay attention to the colors from the warm palettes as they will add visual warmth to the room. Avoid bright warm shades like red, purple, fuchsia, coral, orange in rooms facing west as the setting sun will make them too annoying. As you can see, there are many nuances, and the right decision depends on a number of factors. Look at the gallery below for inspiration!