This appears to be in a large room, the lighter color will make it appear larger. I would suggest going with the 'green leaf' carpet and cream walls, or your green walls with green/cream carpet. You already mentioned this room gets lots of action, that in itself would steer me away from the cream carpeting. Hope this helps or at least give you something to ponder.

I think carpet is a mistake alltogether for a high traffic room. If your budget allows for another, non-fabric material, go for that instead.

Thanks for the feedback.

We're deliberately choosing carpet for this room not for budget reasons but because we prefer it here. Well aware that a different flooring would be more attractive to most, but we're not selling any time soon. The rest of the house has hardwood.

We have beige carpet (LR, Dining room, staircase, hallways and bedrooms). We do not wear shoes in the house. It is clearly showing wear and the high traffic areas are obvious. Stains/spots have been treated, but I haven’t been able to keep up with them. So, depending on how you expect the carpet to look, and how long you expect it to be pristine...would answer the question of if that color is a mistake or not. Looks like the area with the sliding door will have outdoor traffic. ETA: if it’s feasible, a heated floor (tile, stone, etc.) with a nice rug in the areas you will lounge/sit could be very nice,

Agree with other posters. Carpeting in a high traffic area is a disaster in the making, particularly in the living room with a slider to the outside.

If you like carpet, then go for it! I deliberately chose carpet for my family room and bedrooms as well, because I like the warmth and softness under foot in rooms where we’re more likely to be barefoot. Good for you that you know what you like and have the courage to go for it even though it bucks the current trend. A carpet can wear very well for many years. That being said, a white or cream carpet will be hard to maintain. I had a cream carpet, and it showed wear and stains much more than my current tan carpet. So if your other choice is green, go for that one. You will also get some extra durability if you choose one that is relatively low pile (and definitely not shag!), and anything that has a little bit of pattern or multicolor in it will also camouflage any stains or marks.

A good quality ALL LOOP can look like a sisal carpet installed wall to wall which is an attractive look. Something sandy beige that works with your wall tone would be fine. Anything lighter you are just asking for trouble with that patio door.

i have had off white carpet in all of my houses, two kids and two golden retrievers. I don't think I have had to replace it any sooner than normal, but I did clean it a bunch. That said, I like to know when my carpet is dirty-- in other words, the idea of having darker carpet that "doesn't show dirt" makes me feel a little gross. I'd rather know it's dirty, and clean it! in my last house, I bought the "pet" carpet which was literally some plastic derivative. it did clean VERY easily, but did not wear as well as regular carpet. I have never regretted the white carpet-- go for it!

p.s. if you use that door, you might consider a tile area right by the door, or an area rug over the carpet in the entry only.

Wow that room is crying out for hardwood and a really nice area rug

Back to the original question, a cream-colored carpet is perfectly fine, but it will show wear and tear fairly quickly, so if that is something you care about then maybe consider a different color

Here's a link to a blog post this morning on just this subject by Amy of Home Glow Design:

http://homeglowdesign.com/2018/09/01/everything-broadloom-carpet-favorite-ways-use-sources/

Diana, I'll have to read the article later, but it looks like a great read on construction of carpets.

In our last house, we had off-white carpet in our family room and it looked good for years. However, we never wore shoes in the house and the kids could only have clear drinks in there. We also had the carpet professional cleaned once a year.

We didn't have a door to the outside, though. That area will take a beating. The only solutions I can think of are an area rug, which won't work very well, or tile, and you will still need to take your shoes off.

If you want a lighter carpet consider something with a slight pattern. Its a little more forgiving visually. Smartstrand is a good choice.

I don't have cream carpet, but we have a couple of cream rugs. Oxiclean is our friend.

I have had two completely different experiences with off-white carpeting in high-traffic areas. When we moved into our current home in 2000, the large family room was carpeted with 100% wool loop carpet that had been installed in 1993. The family we bought the house from had 3 children and two dogs. It looked clean, but we had it cleaned again before moving in. The traffic areas were not evident - in other words, the carpet looked great. We kept the carpet until 2015, and had it cleaned about once a year. The high traffic paths (into and out of the entrances to the room, around chairs and sofa, etc.) began to show (graying that didn't disappear with cleaning) in about 2008 or so (as the carpet's fibers began to wear) - so the carpet looked pretty much snowy white for about 15 years!

We had our upstairs carpeted with an off-white Karastan loop carpet, a wool and synthetic blend (maybe all synthetic, I can't recall for sure) three years ago...and I have been sorry! It looks beautiful in little-used rooms, but there is a gray path from the top of the stairs to and into our master BR, to the MBA, etc. I have had it cleaned about 4 times, and vacuum it every few days, but can't get rid of the graying effect.

Sooo...love the look, had great experience with wool carpet in one high-traffic area for about 15 years...but am a bit sorry I chose off-white for another high-traffic area. I don't know whether it's the carpet's composition or what...

Good luck!

I had to google Mohawk's Smartstrand triexta to see what it is. I've only had nylon so can't compare.

I’ve had very light off white carpet in my homes , usually just in the bedrooms, I like the look, however, I think something a little darker would be more practical in a high traffic room. I just ( last year ) replaced my very light colored sisal looking carpet with something more in the taupe range with striated pattern ( or texture, don’t know the correct term) in my bedrooms & upstairs hallway. It’s been very forgiving of wear & looks just like the day it was installed.

Our home had very light creamy CHEAPO resale carpet when we moved in. Have been unable to get it clean the last few years so we're redoing with hardwood. That said, go with the carpet you love that is the best quality you can afford.

Be sure to purchase a steam cleaner.

We have a very light cream colored carpet in our house. It's been in for 8 years and has held up very well with a good bit of traffic and 2 dark brown dogs. I can't remember what brand/type it is, but it was expensive and supposed to be uber stain resistant. I do have it cleaned about every 18 months or so if needed. We keep a small rug at the back deck/yard entry and don't wear shoes once we're in the house. All of that being said, I can't wait for the day we get hard wood! The color looks a bit darker in the pics than it actually is.

Thanks all! Looks like I should rethink the cream carpet.

We're barefoot inside, but I'm actually afraid that that may bring its own issues (natural oils, etc) - probably another reason not to do off-white.

My first instinct was to get a nice plush carpet with a lovely pattern. But as noted by some here, the higher the pile, the less dense and durable - never mind harder to vaccuum - it is. And the pattern would probably drive me crazy after a couple of years. So we ended up choosing two high quality carpets that are medium pile, and of appropriate density, softness, etc. Issue is one is Smartstrand (derivative of polyester - great stain resistance, untested durability), and tried and tested nylon (durable, but not as stain resistant). Looks like if I'm not doing cream, I can go nylon.

I'm sad about not being able to do green walls now :(

I think you still can go with green.

@celerygirl - thanks, that's very helpful! :) Don't think a tan carpet will work, seeing that. But I should probably be open to other colours on the wall... maybe a shade of blue or yellow.

BTW, the popcorn ceiling is coming off, and the fan has already been replaced...

following

Just make sure that the shade of beige/cream carpet that you choose has NO pink undertones. Unless you like pink of course. :)

The house we bought this spring came with a lot of light beige almost off-white carpet and I just wanted to mention that you'll need to make sure you're regularly vacuuming and probably having the carpets cleaned. The previous owners in the house didn't seem to have cared very well for the carpet in the main living area and it was really obvious when they moved out their furniture and we had the carpets cleaned. They didn't have pets but did have some older children.

So far the carpet has done ok since we've lived here with our dog, except in a place where she threw up (even though we cleaned it up quickly).

Any light color is going to show spills, food crumbs etc. Any dark color is going to show dust and lint etc. All colors of wall to wall will eventually show traffic patterns. What you need is texture to alleviate some of those problems. Get what you love

ok, here are blue and yellow.

Once we saw a townhouse(in our community where we used to live) with pristine white carpets installed in '91 when community was built.

I don't know how the owners maintained it that way (it was exceptionally clean house allover). I think it was elderly pair no kids..obviously no shoes policy..I still can't forget this place in terms of "how the hell you did it?"

we had light tan installed-and it had traffic lines within a year..

this house? still blows my mind. It's like the folks there flew above that carpet like elves or something.

I saw some pristine properties-once bought one even-the lady of the house had what everybody calls spring cleaning once a week..I'm not joking. but white carpets after twenty plus years? Mental image stayed with me, like, forever.

i have an issue with green paint.... its never the color you think it is.... anything the slightest bit light colored is either veering towards seafoam or BabyPoop. for that reason i'd go green on the floor... as textiles seem to be better at staying the color you think they are, and cream on the walls.

all that said, i'd not do wall to wall when you have a door to the outside. every time we come in from our 'protected' porch we still have pine needles or leaf litter or environmental dust on our feet.

WOOL is a whole 'nother thing! Any wool carpet will wear well, in my experience.

*I* would lay a hard surface and use area rugs and furniture groupings. It's a big expanse to cover in one featureless swath of carpeting. (Won't be cheap either.)

Think of white carpet as a blank canvas and you are Jackson Pollack.

Had off white/cream in our last home in family room . We didn’t wear shows but boy it did show wear after a while. And we washed it pretty often. Finally I gave up and installed wood like rest of house. I thought mine was decent quality too.

If you like carpet go for it. I am not sure why some people on here always feel need to tell those who clearly say they want carpet to get hard floors and rugs; it is not the same look or feel at all. I love the coziness of carpet for certain rooms, and have it in my bedrooms and own family room.

I recommend whatever colour, you pick one with loop and short cut pile, the texture will help reduce signs of wear patterns. And get a robot vac and run it every 1-2 days :)

I have Mohawk Sculptured Touch (in Yearling) and am pleased but I think it is their Everstrand, not Smartstrand:

https://www.mohawkflooring.com/carpet/detail/5683-79146/Sculptured-Touch-Sand-Pebble

The patterning is quite subtle (it looks quite grey in my photo for some reason - it isn’t - more of a cream and light brown; second photo is more accurate).

" I am not sure why people always feel need on here to tell those who want carpet to get hard floors and rugs; it is not the same. "

no, they are not the same. they are a compromise. you get comfy in seating areas, and no tracks across traffic areas.

people suggest what they know, what they like, and what works for them. no sense in giving advice, otherwise.

Yes, but point is OP has said they *want* carpet for that room. They have specifically asked for advice on the colour of carpet, not whether they should get carpet or hard floors. And even followed up to say they are *not interested* in hard floors for the room when someone suggested it. OP has said she has hardwood elsewhere, so I assume she is familiar with pros and cons of hard flooring and knows enough to know why she does not want it in this room.

Some people want the comfy all over the room, not just in traditional “seating areas” - maybe they like to lounge on the floor, or play with their kids on the floor, or just don’t want the look of rugs. Some people like to walk around barefoot or in socks in certain rooms in comfort and without risk of slipping, and don’t like to wear shoes or house slippers inside. It is not a compromise to that individual if it is what works best for that person and it is what they *want*. It is only a compromise to the person who sees hard floors as the superior and “only” option. I have hard floors in other parts of my house, but prefer carpets for other spaces. It does not have to be an all or nothing thing.

I think it's just tough for folks to not say something when they think they can improve things :) I know for instance exactly what needs to be done to make the room look like a picture out of a magazine (eg. would do hardwood and area rugs in a heart beat if I were selling) but it's just not what I want - which is the convenience of cleaning one type of flooring rather than two, the cosyness and unpretentiousness of wall-to-wall carpet, its help in defining a space that is separate from others, for the kiddo to be able to run around without worrying about area rugs slipping, etc.

@celerygirl, you're fantastic, and made me want green walls again! I might just end up with a light tan and green walls like the pic below. Possibly with a two-tone textured finish as someone suggested.

I know the drapes look a bit drab in the pictures... they're a bit fresher in real life, with green and tan stripes. Maybe I can pick out a shade from there to begin with. Although they may eventually get replaced with billowy, tiered ivory drapes...

I think whatever carpet you choose should be coffee coloured...because coffee. :)

When I was a kid, my grandparents had a high quality wool carpet in white. When they replaced it, my mom took it (because it was still perfect) and had it installed in our family room. We destroyed it quickly.

I do love green walls. What about a very low pile white/cream carpet with strategically placed area rugs on top? Possibly even plush ones...

We have fairly high-end solid off-white/cream berber carpet in the family room. I hate it. It shows dirt and I clean it constantly and we don't wear shoes in there and have a large area rug covering most of it. It looks dingy and had only been in two years. My dad chose it right before he moved out of our house because he thought it would be good for resale, make the room look brighter (it doesn't). Not a good idea.

On the flip side, this past weekend we rented a summer cottage that had off-white carpet flecked with beiges and browns to look a bit like a sandy beach, and we loved it. Showed nothing! And we had guests who complimented how nice it looked. And obviously was subjected to high traffic. If I had to do it over again, that's the direction I would go, with a flecked carpet, they really don't show the dirt. And then pick a light color for the same effect.

I know what you mean about Berber carpet, and definitely agree it’s bad news. It looks like it would be practical, but it doesn’t wear or look good over time. And then we can talk about the HUGE runs when a dog or cat catches a thread in their toenails and pulls a massive chunk of rug out. Yuck. I enjoy wall to wall rugs in some places, but would never do Berber again nor recommend it to anyone in any circumstance.

Honestly, I think a solid color, of any kind, would make the large expanse of space seem like a “dead space.” Using a textured carpet or one with slight variation (as mentioned above) would result in a more visually pleasing effect. We have a solid dark brown carpet in our basement and it has a texture variation that results (in our case) in different sized squares. I like the subtle interest it provides.

I've used Krud Cutter to successfully bring up bizarre, mystery stains that no other carpet cleaner could touch. Still have no idea what they were, just glad they’re gone. Just a handy tip.

In our last house we put Mohawk carpet in our walkout basement similar in style to the photos Rai Kai posted but in a soft white color. We have kids and dogs so we do cork/hardwood/tile everywhere else, but because we had moved to Minnesota we felt like maybe carpet would be better in a basement for warmth. It worked for us in our family/tv room fine because we do not allow our kids to eat in front of the tv (young kids are allowed sippy cups with water or milk), the dog did not go in and out from the basement, and we had a tiled area near the slider for when we went outside from the carpeted area. I personally think white textured carpet would look much better with green walls than vice versa.

Have you considered FLOR tiles? At least the squares can be replaced (buy extra) if areas become unbearably soiled.

So many options with FLOR https://www.flor.com/carpet-tiles/all-tiles/coming-along1111