Carpet matching the drapes - I mean paint?
January 13, 2012 3:21 AM   Subscribe

Choosing paint and carpet for my new apartment - with spilly, crawly kids - help!

Hi! We have the most awesome opportunity - we're moving into a new 1500 sqft place that is being completely painted and new carpet put in. We leased it before the bldng bought the stuff so we can choose - yay! We really want to stay here for awhile and would like it to look like a home.

Problem is, the person I'm renting with has awesome 6 month old twins who are just starting to crawl and spill. The landlord had picked out a brown berber carpet and said that we could go with a low plush if we like.

We would like a color, perhaps (apricoty??) and bright, light walls in the living room especially as it's a bit dark, but don't know where to begin! We have to pay the difference and aren't sure what makes sense with kids.

Re: paint - they're going to leave the doors, trim, etc. whitish and wanted to paint the walls a goldy brown, which is too dark for the living room - it doesn't get much sun and I work from home a lot and need that room to be as cheery as possible.

Re: carpet, berber seems like it would be hard on little knees and feet but will we ruin plush in two seconds? And can you think of a nice color scheme for the walls to make it not so dark? We unfortunately have very very dark brownish black leather overfilled furniture - comfort over style. :)

What are carpets that are pretty and affordable and more durable - and perhaps not basic beige with a bit of color and/or pattern???

Thanks! I hope this is clear!
posted by curiositykilledthelemur to Home & Garden (4 answers total)
 
Benjamin Moore makes a paint that's great for sponge cleaning. Maybe you can also suggest Their Aura paint. It has no fumes and requires one coat and no base coat. Better for everyone especially the babies.

As for the carpet, get what you like and the Bissell spot cleaner. Kids will spill the one color you don't expect!
posted by Yellow at 6:35 AM on January 13, 2012


Oh! I forgot to say the colors I suggest! Walls: Do the lighter colors like eggshell because when you clean, it won't leave a brighter spot which may occur with deeper colors. Carpet: grey or silver is great for hiding most stains but still cheery. I know, grape juice may be a problem, but unless you do black, anything will possibly show one color or another.
posted by Yellow at 6:39 AM on January 13, 2012


I was going to suggest berber. Go with a pattern so spills are less noticeable, and if you choose a color make it one that won't show obvious stains. I wouldn't worry about softness -- my kids survived on hardwood with no scars to show for it -- I'd worry more about damage to the carpet and ease of cleaning.

Not a color suggestion, but Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work wonders on walls with marks on them.
posted by chickenmagazine at 10:15 AM on January 13, 2012


We painted our walls with Benjamin Moore Aura and it's stood up very well to small kids. It goes on fast (our living room was one coat! - light blue paint over a depressing mocha), it dries fast, and it doesn't have that paint smell that gives you headaches. It's scrubbable (lightly) so marks they have made on the wall come right off.

For carpet, I personally would not go with brown carpet - that sounds dreary. I prefer no carpets at all really (we have hardwood with rugs in the main rooms and two bedrooms), but we have two bedrooms in our house with carpet: one is a light gray plush, and one is a light tan berber. I would recommend either. I find berber to hide dirt and wear better than plush (unless you get a snagged loop, which looks ratty). As for comfort to the babies I don't think it matters, babies crawl happily on any flooring - wood, tile - it doesn't hurt them!

For colors, I would not personally go beige or brown at all, and apricot is giving me a "meh" feeling trying to envision it. Landlords usually want something "neutral", so perhaps a pale yellow? That would be light and bright but not too dramatically colored. Yellow is cheerful.
posted by flex at 10:20 AM on January 13, 2012 [1 favorite]


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