Are Boldly Colored Carpets A Mistake? Design Pros Weigh In

When it comes to carpet, there are hundreds of options to choose from that include color, style, and texture varieties. You can pick whatever combination you want, in any room you want, but it doesn't hurt to consider the opinion of a design expert. After all, many of them have seen dozens of décor styles in dozens of different homes. They know what works well and what doesn't. So do bold carpet colors, like blood red or cobalt blue, work well in a room or are they a mistake? Some design pros advise against boldly colored carpeting. 

Brad Smith, an interior designer at Omni Homes Ideas, is one of them. In an exclusive June 2023 interview with House Digest, he said loud colors "can quickly overwhelm a space and limit your choices for future décor changes." This means if you purchase a royal purple carpet to make your room pop against the light gray walls, you won't have many options for new wall colors that won't clash with the carpet. The good news is that there are plenty of other ways to liven up a space in your home using elements that can be easily removed or relocated, unlike carpeting.

There's nothing wrong with liking bold, vibrant colors. If they make you happy, by all means, include them in your home. But if you know you'll want to update your décor regularly, and you want things to match, it's best to be mindful of where you include those loud colors. Artem Kropovinsky, interior designer and Arsight founder, weighed in on the conversation of carpet color in an exclusive interview with House Digest. Instead of having boldly colored carpet, "opting for a neutral carpet with bold accent pieces is often a more sustainable choice," he said.

This means you can incorporate that royal purple or bright orange, or whatever other color tickles your fancy, on pretty much any non-carpet piece in your home. In the bedroom, this could mean having boho bed sheets with sprinkles of orange, or you can purchase a solid-colored blanket. In the living room, try adding some decorative pillows or an accent chair with your favorite color. You can also throw down an area rug.

Unlike bold carpet colors, having a neutral-colored carpet will give you dozens of decorating options for everything else in the room. Neutral colors (think beige, gray, cream, taupe, etc.) are known for their ability to "match" or blend in with other colors. So you can have gray carpeting and decorate the room pretty much however you want, with whatever colors you want, without worrying about how it will make the carpet look.

A second benefit is one that involves both you and the future owner of your home, should you decide to sell down the road. The color of your carpet might be the factor that pushes a prospective buyer to purchase your home over another. If that buyer is torn between buying your house with beige carpet and the house down the street with the jarring red carpet (which may cost hundreds to replace), they may be more inclined to buy your house.

At the end of the day, the color of your carpet is, of course, entirely up to you. On the other hand, you may find it more beneficial later to avoid bold colors later down the road, so choose your carpet wisely.