Over recent years we've seen the rise of maximalism and colour, and both of these key interior design elements can be seen in the carpet colour trends for 2023. Naturally, neutrals still have a place in home decor trends for 2023, but colour is back for those who love it!
'We are definitely seeing a move towards colour, texture and pattern,' says Rupert Anton, spokesperson for the Carpet Foundation, the UK association that promotes carpet and independent retailers to consumers. 'Why? Because there is so much gloom and doom in the world that in their homes, consumers want optimism and so are injecting colour.'
From pink to red, teal to neutrals, there's something for everyone this year whether you're looking for living room carpet ideas, bedroom or hallway.
Carpet colour trends for 2023
The exciting news, is that if you're a colour lover be it for a plain, pattern or stripe our carpet colour trends for 2023 will be dreamy for you! But don't worry if you prefer a more muted floor, as Charlotte Coop, marketing manager at Abingdon Flooring shares below:
'There’s still a demand for neutral-toned floors, from grey, beige and creams, but we’ve seen a demand for carpets that allow homeowners to keep walls light but add impact through colour and patterns.'
1. Yellow
Are you wanting to create a sunny space in your home? Yellow will do the trick perfectly, and if your room is north facing it will warm it up nicely, just keep the rest of the scheme more muted so you have balance.
'Many of us are now looking for ways to transform our homes and create inspirational, stimulating living spaces,' says Punam Chada, carpet buyer at Carpetright. 'Floor-to-ceiling neutral schemes can begin to feel a little too subdued over time so adding embellishments of optimistic primary colours, such as yellow, through decorating or flooring is a relatively simple way of lifting the look and feel of a room.
'Alternatively, add bright pops of colour to one key piece of furniture or a few accessories to get this look without jumping in feet first.'
2. Naturals
If the thought of full-on colour brings you out in hives then you'll be pleased to hear that one of the carpet colour trends for 2023 is good old grounding shades like oatmeal, stone and taupe. These are especially great for bedroom carpet ideas.
'The emerging carpet colours this year are warm neutrals and earth tones,' says Andrew Gicquel, retail sales manager at Ulster Carpets. 'These perfectly match the current trend of homeowners wanting to bring the feeling of outside in. The biophilic trend of recent years was a lot bolder, but this move towards calmer colours reflects the feelings of safe, warm spaces that people want in their homes.
Neutrals are extremely versatile and offer more of a blank canvas than any other colour. 'The beauty of these warm neutrals and earth tones is that it gives homeowners the freedom to easily add a splash of colour or pattern to their living room,' adds Andrew.
3. Pink
You might prefer this colour in your bedroom ideas, though we think it looks pretty perfect in a living room with matching walls, yes really! For an all-encompassing feel match a minimum of one wall to your carpet, it's on-trend and contemporary.
'Pairing a pale carpet with light or blush shades helps to create an atmosphere and ambience, especially if you use one colour across your walls and ceilings,' says Jemma Dayman, hard flooring buyer at Carpetright. This approach helps trick the eye into seeing a much bigger room and a continuous colour from skirting to the ceiling helps to deliver a feeling of extra height.
Top tip from Jemma: 'Remember darker coloured flooring and carpets will be more forgiving to everyday stains so if family life is action-packed then a darker floor could be for you.'
4. Teal
Deep and dramatic, teal is a vibrant blue/green that will lift a dark room to new colour heights, or add a statement to a light and airy room.
Keep accessories minimal and consider metallics instead of adding a secondary colour. Rupert Anton adds:
'Sitting between green and blue on the colour spectrum, teal is a highly versatile colour which fits with many schemes. Cool and calming, it gives a feeling of serenity.'
5. Checks
Grey is a great safe bet that goes with pretty much any colour scheme. If you want to jazz it up then consider a check – a wider design will create the illusion of space, whereas a narrow check will make a large room feel cosier and more compact.
Choose a couple of other colours to accessorise it with, sage green works particularly well as does jet black. Keep it minimal as the check carpet will be the focal point.
6. Red
Want to make an entrance? Red will certainly set the scene in any room and in a hallway it will create a statement welcome. Bold and beautiful consider keeping the walls neutral in either white or grey.
'It does take courage to step away from neutral colours in favour of a bright colour – but it can pay off,' says Rupert. 'This red is really vibrant and makes a statement on the floor. A pop of colour really can create the ‘wow’ factor.'
7. Textured whites
If you prefer more of a texture in a neutral then this carpet colour trend's for you. Carpet can have a bad press as we tend to only think of plains but technology has improved no end and you can now have graphic textures that look striking in off-whites.
'There is a lot of interest in having a ‘textured’ look on the floor like this hexagonal Plato Cloud design from Brintons,' says Rupert. 'It gives subtle character to the floor and paired with ‘off white’ is ideal to create the ‘modern country’ look or ‘understated minimalism’ or ‘timeless elegance’.'
This carpet colour and texture looks great in both contemporary and traditional settings making it a versatile choice if you want a new look.
8. Aubergine
Warm and cosy, purple or aubergine is a grounding shade that may seem off the wall, but one we feel is going to be a key colour this year. Choose a shade that has more of a red element than blue, you don't want it to be on the cooler side or you won't feel the benefits.
A small home office or a snug is the ideal space for a colour like this. It's rich and inviting and invokes an instant cosiness. Team it with other jewel shades like navy, emerald and ruby.
9. Stripes
Can't decide on one particular shade? Then opt for stripes. Striped carpets add a decorative element that's fun and colourful. Choose a design in your favourite two or three shades and accessorise using them for a cohesive scheme.
'Is it a stripe or can I describe it as a series of curated colour companions?' asks Claire Kimble, senior design manager for Crucial Trading. 'If I were to talk to you about colour companions, tonal sequences or thoughtful placement, then we step into a whole new design aesthetic. I love a swathe of colours that are carefully chosen and sing with their order and next-door neighbours. Beautiful colour companions, take thought, balance and need to look effortlessly composed.
'Within our interiors, the stripe can become a statement or I believe a subtle hint to the occupier’s personality. Our Mississippi, Gingko Green, is a palette of sophisticated green tonal colour that bring nature and wellbeing into our interiors.'
10. Cream
More than an off-white, a cream should be creamy, like the top of full fat milk – warm and inviting but still fabulously neutral and easy on the eye. A good cream will give a room a luxurious feel.
'For Alternative Flooring, carpets and colour are in perfect step,' says Lorna Haigh, creative director at Alternative Flooring. 'We seeing sage greens as nature continues to inspire, softer pinks used as neutrals and even a move towards red that we’ve captured in our Quirky Tartan Red Red Rose.
The red trend proves that classic colours are back in style, and it makes a clear statement as carpet. At the same time, modern pastels bring hints of colour keeping our floors fresh yet contemporary, but naturals which remain our most popular palette are becoming much warmer.'
What is the most popular carpet colour in 2023?
Although the colours mentioned are carpet colour trends for 2023 the emphasis is still on greys and natural colours.
'It’s still grey, albeit with a subtle change in tone towards a stoney grey,' says Rupert. 'More noticeable is the return to wool over man-made fibres. This is largely due to the price hikes for man-made so there is far less of a price premium for wool. There is also the environmental/sustainability angle as well with wool.
This view is confirmed by Becky Cash of leading UK manufacturer Victoria Carpets who says: '2023 has seen a resurgence in raw and natural materials with wooden furniture and wool carpets taking precedence in homes. Adventure for flooring colour remains safe however, with greys, taupes and beiges being our best-sellers.'
Should carpet be lighter or darker than the wall colour?
In the past, carpets were generally always darker than the walls, but these days either way is perfectly acceptable, as Rupert confirms:
'There are no hard and fast rules here. It really depends on the room and most importantly, whether it is north facing or south facing. North facing rooms tend to be colder and darker by nature, so will probably need warmer colours on the floor like reds and yellows. South facing rooms are light and airy so lend themselves to cool shades such as blues and greens – as well as the ubiquitous beige!!
In general, lighter carpets can make a room seem larger while patterned carpet can make a room seem smaller. That said, patterned carpet certainly gives you more option to match with your wall colour. Equally, a dark carpet hides a multitude of sins! Runners on stairs are very popular – striking and a focal point.'
'There's no steadfast rule on combining carpets with wall colours, and we have seen more examples pop up on social media that show that people are bucking previous trends and are not afraid of going for maximum impact by matching dark interiors with dark or bold colours,' says Charlotte Coop, marketing manager, Abingdon Flooring
'If you want to create a calm interior style with colour-blocked walls, then a light neutral floor helps balance the overall look.'
