Carpeting Trends Through The Years

050520 American Flooring Stainmaster Carpet Living 02
050520 American Flooring Stainmaster Carpet Living 02

Remember the red shag carpet your grandparents used to have in their living room? Yes, some home decor trends are hard to forget. We’re taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of our favorite, and least favorite, carpeting trends through the decades.

But first, a quick history lesson. Before to WWII, wall-to-wall carpet was considered a luxury for most American families. Carpet was made of wool, which needed to be woven on a loom, similar to woven cloth. It wasn’t until the early 1950s, when new carpet fiber technologies emerged, that the residential carpet boom began. Tufted nylon replaced woven wool carpet, which was more durable and affordable to the middle class.

And so 80 years of carpeting trends began.

1950s – 1960s

These decades gave us a variety of fun carpet colors and textures. Saxonomy was a very popular option for its smooth style and versatility. Home decorating was a relatively new idea to many homeowners so many people chose bold colors and intricate patterns.

1970s

During this time, carpet manufacturers experiment with new styles, yarn types, and color combinations. The world is introduced to multi-colored, layered, imprinted, and of course – shag carpeting. These textures created unique visuals that are synonymous with the decade. America was embracing a new color palette that included avocado green, burnt orange, and brown.

1980 – 1990s

The next wave of homeowners took a more subtle approach to home decorating. The shag was ripped up and replaced with textures like berber and cut pile. Hardwood flooring with area rugs was also a popular option.

Another popular trend during these decades, especially in the 1980s, was choosing teal and pink carpeting. Homeowners also tended to carpet their bathrooms, a trend that we don’t recommend.

Today

Today most homeowners prefer neutral, conservative carpeting colors in their homes like beige, off white, taupe, light brown, and grey. Similar to fashion trends, home decor trends tend to circle back around. You know what that means? There may be more shag in our future.