Trends for Carpet runners in Westchester NY

By
Home Builder with The Flooring Girl

Carpet Runner Trends - Westchester New York

carpet runners for stairs in Westchester countyLately, we've been getting a lot of requests for Carpet runners on stairs in Westchester County. Runners on the stairs serve 2 purposes: 1) safety (less likely to trip, easier on your feet and easier for pets to go up/down the stairs) and 2) decorative (this is especially important if steps can be viewed from the entryway - afterall, it's the first impression of your home).

Here are trends I'm seeing in Westchester County for Carpet runners:

1) Simpler styles are in and "less is more." Regardless of whether it's a higher quality/fancier runner, simpler designs seem to be winning out. These have both an upscale appearance and importantly don't compete with the area rugs and decor in other adjoining rooms (usually the living room and dining room). For example, this pin dot runner is upscale and versatile...and timeless.  


2) Contrast the color of the runner vs. the hardwood. Blending on the steps does not work. If you going to add a runner, make it work visually so you celebrate a wonderful duet between the carpet and the steps.  


carpet runner for stairs diamonds westchester county3) Tuck the carpet under the treads for a neat tailored look; avoid waterfall style which looks less upscale and tends to collect more dust. Less skilled installers will sometimes do waterfall style as it is easier, but this style doesn't look as nice and sometime causes a bit more slipping.  


4) Avoid using stair rods. Back in the olden days, stair rods were functional - they literally attached the runners and held them in place. Nowadays, the rods are just decorative (and add to the cost). Most feel they are outdated and pretentious. Also, young kids have a tendency to trip on them, so they are not the safest. And, they can permanently damage your steps.  


5) Colors and styles that help hide the dirt. Steps are heavy trafficked areas, so it's important to be practical here. Avoid light colors as these show every bit of dirt. And, interestingly enough, very dark colors show the dirt/dust, too, so usually a mid color is best. Also, when there are multiple colors, this will usually help hide the dirt.


Related posts:

Hardwood flooring stain color trends

Carpet color Trends

Everything you ever wanted to know about runners


When you're ready to explore carpet runners for your stairs in Westchester County, give The Flooring Girl a call at 914-937-2950 and we'd be happy to "bring the store to your door."

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Originally posted: Carpet Runner trends in Westchester County

Trends for carpet runner in Westchester NY

Comments (13)

Eileen Hsu
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Manhattan, NY
LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

I like the look of tucking the carpet underneath the trends, so many options to choose from, love the information.

Oct 12, 2012 10:47 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Eileen - Me, too.  I really dislike the waterfall style - it looks very cheap and gets very dirty.

Oct 12, 2012 10:48 PM
Winston Heverly
Winston Realty, Inc. - Atlantis, FL
GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA

I like the old fashion look without carpet, but it does lend itself to an elegant look or can.

Oct 12, 2012 10:55 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Winston - Thanks.  yes, some people prefer that, but there are many safety and ease of walking reasons.  This decision is a personal one and whatever is right for you, is the right answer.

Oct 12, 2012 10:57 PM
Alisa McKeel Willson
Appraisal Pros in Texas - Huntsville, TX
Certified Res. Appraiser

I saw an old farm house with individual treads made  like the old rag carpet...those were cute but I didn't think they were very safe as far as trip hazards go.  

Oct 12, 2012 11:12 PM
Rob D. Shepherd
Windermere/lane county - Florence, OR
Principal Broker GRI, SRES

Less in really a more look in this case. I like it!

Oct 13, 2012 12:11 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Alisa - I think you may be referring to floating steps, and they are not as safe, esp if you have kids.

Rob - Glad to hear that.

Oct 13, 2012 01:17 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Debbie carpet runners seem to make a lot of sense, but for some reason I don't see many homes with them around here.

Oct 13, 2012 07:37 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

George - They really do make a lot of sense.  I'm really amazed at how many requests we are getting for them in Westchester.  (and, now that you mention it, not as many in Fairfield county).  I'm doing them more in mid-higher end homes.

Oct 13, 2012 08:10 AM
Shannon Milligan, Richmond VA Real Estate Agent/Associate Broker
RVA Home Team - Richmond, VA
RVA Home Team - Winning with Integrity.

I personally love a carpet runner but was in a home today with the bare wooded stairs and it was also beautiful. You are in such a wonderful business to see it all!

Oct 13, 2012 08:58 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Shannnon - Thx.  Yes, I'm very lucky.

Oct 13, 2012 09:24 AM
Kathy Streib
Room Service Home Staging - Delray Beach, FL
Home Stager - Palm Beach County,FL -561-914-6224

Debbie- in our last home in VA, our front stairs had runners but the back ones didn't.  I have to vote for the runners if only for safety.  I could tell a big difference when I used the stairs. 

Oct 13, 2012 10:34 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Kathy - Yes, it does feel much better when you are walking a runner.

Oct 13, 2012 11:17 AM

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