Whether you choose a room-size loose-laid or wall to wall permanently installed over a cushion, this soft floor covering, offers many practical advantages. Broadloom's sweep of color and underfoot comfort gives any room-even sparely set ones-a more "furnished" feeling. Colors can work magic, too. For example, a light hue visually expands a small space, and a dark one cozies up a large room. Carpet in a sunny color can visually warm a room short on natural light. Before you buy carpets, study samples at home, and remember that the color of a room-size carpet will be more intense than the samples.

Advantages of Carpeting

Materials and construction give carpeting inherent virtues that may suit your decorating needs.

• Broadloom absorbs sound, an appealing feature for condominiums, town houses, and homes with high ceilings.
• Yarn construction and surface texture add soft contrast to a room's angular architecture.
• As versatile camouflage, broadloom goes over any existing floor, with no need for a new sub-floor, and it hides uneven surfaces and existing floor damage.
• Today, carpet is available with soil, stain, odor, and static-resistant features, and manufacturing techniques have increased its durability and cleanability.