Buying the right carpet for a room in your home involves more than finding a style in the color you like. You first need to consider your lifestyle—what you typically do in that room— and location. Carpet has a way of framing the furnishings in a room, which makes them look more important and distinctive. Carpet manufacturers have responded to homeowners' desire for great looks, value, and easy maintenance with many innovations and options in recent years.

There are a variety of carpet styles and surface texture options available, all of which affect the appearance, feel and performance of your carpet. Normally the more luxurious the surface, the more care it will need. Shorter pile usually wears better than long pile carpet, but is not as luxurious. It all comes down to personal taste and room usage.

It's easy to get overwhelmed with choices. If you don't know the right questions to ask, you might get talked into something you didn't really want. Always be sure to use a reputable business you can trust and will stand behind your purchase.

The most common styles are:

Twist Pile Carpet – These carpets have a coarse, rugged finish.

Velvet Pile Carpet – Has a smooth luxurious appearance, rather like suede. (On a like-for-like basis the only difference between Twist and Velvet is aesthetic)

Loop Pile Carpet – These replicate the look of natural flooring such as coir and sisal. Cats and anything with long claws are not a good idea with loop pile carpet.

Saxony Carpet – Has a deep pile with a pronounced sensuous feel. Though popular in bedrooms, they do flatten so are not recommended in heavy traffic areas.

Patterned Carpet – Usually has a smooth velvet surface with excellent appearance retention.