i dont believe i can put 'happy mess' and 'carpet' in the same sentence.

go for a mid tone neutral that suits your furnishings and have a shoes off policy in the house. keep the happy mess in the kitchen : )

Look at carpets you love! The fabrics are treated to avoid stains and hold up beautifully.....you will be impressed. A taupe or a salt and pepper speckled design is timeless and hides messes.

Mid-Century Modern Suite, Hampstead · More Info

But if you have little ones then a tweed low shag works well, hides dirt, doesn't leave track marks from vacuuming or foot prints.

We have a vacation home we rent out and a spray on carpet spot clean has removed everything; carpets these days are amazing.....we used Lowe's or Home Depot and have been very pleased with price, installation, and wear during the last 8 years!

Good luck.

We like speckled Berber. Had a very light color multi Berber in my living room for 15 years. Held up very well.

There's a reason hotels and casinos use those hideously crazy designs - they hide stains! You'll probably want something a little more pleasant on the eyes. But we can learn something from those busy carpets.

Any solid dark or very light
carpet is going to show dirt. It's better to have something with flecks or
multiple colors to hide dirt. A very low level loop or plush will hide
foot traffic well.

And when it comes to cleaning, man-made materials are easier to clean up - nylon and polyester. Wool is also stain resistant to spills and it repels oils; a great natural option...but pricey.

Polyester is great at spills of liquids but actually attracts oils. Nylon, on the other hand, is great at repelling both, just like wool, but there is a lot of variety in how well they repel - it's all based on the coating the manufacturer uses.

A nice short flecked nylon carpet- see these few:

http://www.dixie-home.com/web/forms/productdetail.aspx?sId=40220&cId=342

http://www.tuftexcarpets.com/carpet/details/the_next_move_z6855-dunes

https://shawfloors.com/flooring/carpet/details/satin-treasures-e0419/harbor-beige

All great styles!

If you are stuck on a more monotone color option-Dixie Hearts Content :

http://www.dixie-home.com/web/forms/productdetail.aspx?sId=G5221&cId=61297

Is a really nice cleanable style.

Good luck!

I do a verigated light tan, and I've never seen any dirt/mess/hair on it...except when I vacuum!

You could do a dark colored carpet or one that has "flecks" in it to hide any spills/dirt that may occur

Dark colors work the best at hiding the dirt from the carpets.

Solid dark colors show every little piece of lint, thread, crumb, etc. It will need vacuuming every day. That's probably not what you are looking to do.

I recently put in a speckled chocolate/cream/black carpet in bedrooms to replace builder installed cream (which soiled sooo easy). . i love it. Not sure why others pointed you away from dark chocolate, but with the right speckled tones I am finding it amazing.

Yes to the choc/cream/black speckled or tweed. I have it in my camp. Hides everything. Even dropped screws and nails. Lol I like nylon carpet. It cleans easily. Spot removal is just warm water. It is more expensive than poly, but well worth it.