Helping a customer select a carpet runner in Westchester NY - Larchmont 10538

Helping a customer select a carpet runner in Westchester NY - Larchmont 10538.

One of the more challenging parts of my job is finding carpet runners for steps.  When choosing a runner, there are many things to consider visually.  I mean you also need to make sure it's well constructed, will hold up well and is installed well, but that's the easy part.  The hard part is finding something you like visually and that works with your budget.  Oh, below picture is from Kane carpet.  I love their carpets.

Things to consider when selecting a carpet runner:

1)  What style do you like?  Traditional, modern contemporary or "not sure" (which I get a lot)...or "I'll know it when I see it." (this is also lovely as I'm lugging these big sample boards in my car and only so many fit.

2)  What color(s) do you want?  This is actually often more complex than it seems as you need to coordinate a lot of things such as a) what do you like? b) what contrasts properly with the color of the wood on your steps, c) what other colors are near it...and this is where it gets really challenging...since many runners are on the main flight of steps in the entryway where they open up into a living and/or dining room and/or entry foyer all of which may already have area rugs with multiple colors.  So getting all these colors to work together is often a challenge.  And, sometimes there is a paint color to consider too, and sometimes multiple colors pending on how the area is done.

3)  What is the visual role of your runner - do you want it to stand out or to blend in?  Often, if it's the front steps that you see first thing when you enter, you want to make a dramatic statement.  But, other times, based on decor of adjoining rooms, sometimes, this is a mistake as it detracts from your other rooms and having a competing design is not the best idea.

All of this is made a bit more challenging given that there aren't too many runners and they don't often come in many colors (many will only have 5-6 options vs. regular carpet may have 40-50 color options).  So, sometimes what I get is, well can I get this pattern in this color?  Of course the answer is almost always no and the customer gets a bit frustrated.

I wish I could explain to you exactly how to do this (or even how I do it), but the truth is, I'm not sure.  I try to ask a lot of questions before going to my customer's home and then just use judgment when I'm there.

So, last week, I got a request for runner for a home in Larchmont NY.  She didn't know what she wanted, but she sent me a picture of 2 area rugs she had from Pottery Barn that were next to the steps and said, "Can you please help me figure out what to do?"

This was really helpful because I new the color scheme and style I was working with.  I knew right away that I thought the runner pictured above would probably work.  I wanted to pull out the green (green & red are complements so they work well together and pop...unless you have green/red color blindness).  It looked like the style would work well too - they go together and work together...without the runner being too overpowering.  My only question was whether the greens would match and the color of her steps and whether she would like it.

Well, when I got there, it was a perfect fit!.  The greens & golds were perfect with the area rugs and the steps and importantly, my customer loved it!  Love it when that happens.