Design Hot Take: Wall-to-Wall Carpet Makes a Comeback

Lately we’ve been tracking an unlikely trend: Wood floors have reigned for years, but carpet is making appearances in sophisticated living rooms and cool hotels, particularly in rich, saturated colors—and somehow, though we never thought we’d say it, it’s looking fresh and innovative, not musty and high-maintenance. Today, writer and design scout Nicole Najafi makes the case for the comeback we didn’t see coming. Consider us intrigued.

For many of us, the thought of wall-to-wall carpet conjures memories of 1990s-era carpets made from apocalypse-proof nylon in drab hues of hospital beige or anemic salmon. Perhaps you remember the 1980s-era fascination with carpeted bathrooms, with carpet installed right up to the edge of a pink vinyl bathtub? Or 1970s-era thick pile shag carpets, walking on which felt like wading through a swamp?

If this is you, I’m here with an invitation to reconsider carpet, because wall-to-wall is back in a big way. When I told my mother-in-law that I was writing a story about this, she nearly howled with joy. As a baby boomer who perfectly embodies the coastal grandmother aesthetic, she finds the cold minimalism of bare wood floors unpalatable. The truth is that wall-to-wall is cozy, really cozy. And in times like these, we need all the cozy comforts we can get.

I’ve always loved a big area rug and feel on edge in any room where a rug is too small for the space (when in doubt or between sizes, get the bigger one!). But there’s something particularly snug about having no white space between a rug and wall. It feels grounding. There’s no cold tile or wood to greet your feet when you step from one area to another. And carpet makes a space look bigger. By maximizing all of a floor’s square footage, wall-to-wall carpet visually expands a room into one unbroken and inviting space.

Beyond the visual coziness, I’d say there’s an emotional coziness to the design choice. What could be more of a throwback? In the same way that we’ve seen a resurgence of a wide range of design styles, wall-to-wall carpet is part of a wider retro revival movement.

In today’s iterations of wall-to-wall carpet, I’ve noticed a unifying theme: opting for a low pile carpet, as low pile as possible, almost to the point that it feels painted. Modern carpeting washes a room with color, much like a painted wall or ceiling, only more tactile.

Of course, there’s the age-old question. How do you keep carpet clean? But the maintenance is not dissimilar to an area rug. For many of us, the hassle and cost of sending rugs out is prohibitive—I personally have never sent a rug out to be cleaned, so it might as well be attached to the floor. In that sense, carpet requires the same vigilance and upkeep as anything else in your home. (The low-pile options help with upkeep, too.)

Curious about the wall-to-wall comeback? Here are a few more flawlessly executed examples to inspire you.

“We had this image in mind of those very cozy 1970s interiors with wall-to-wall carpeting, and it was somewhat of a fantasy of ours to live in that kind of environment,” says Kim. “We wanted that sense of softness and the feeling of being enveloped by the wall-to-wall carpet to make the space feel warm and comfortable. We wanted to live barefoot, almost to be able to lie down on the floor whenever we felt like it.”

White wall-to-wall carpet in a kitchen is a bold choice, and certainly one we don’t see often. But it has worked out well for Kim and Florent.

“I don’t think we would have dared to suggest to clients to put white carpet in their kitchen or dining area,” adds Kim. “We told ourselves this was something we could only do for us, so we took the risk! And since we don’t have children or pets, that certainly makes maintenance easier. It’s been three years since we installed it, and so far there hasn’t been a single major stain we couldn’t remove. It’s like wearing a beautiful all-white outfit to a restaurant. You just need to be a little careful, but it’s absolutely doable.”

For designer Alan Eckstein, wall-to-wall carpet offers an opportunity to maximize space. “With an area rug, your major design elements typically have to touch the rug or sit entirely on top of it, which ends up dictating the setup,” he says. “I love wall-to-wall because the setup possibilities are endless. You’re not beholden to the constraints of trying to fit everything on an area rug. With wall-to-wall, you can stretch out your vignette to use the entire surface of the room.”

What do you think—would you reconsider wall-to-wall carpet? Let us know your take in the comments.