Striped Carpet for stairs - Good idea or Bad?!?!?!?!? Advice

[Choccakelass27]

Last year we had our staircase renovated - replacing a 1950 white painted staircase with a oak and glass staircase (like this www.jamesgrace.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ContwGlass3.jpg) and we really want a bold statement carpet rather than plain, see link(www.floormasteryorkshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/P1060584.jpg)

We have seen a carpet we really like but can't make a decision if we should go for it! My worry is that over time the stripes will merge together (we have been warned by one retailer this will happen with a Twist stripe carpet - however 4 others have said it won't)

Does anyone have a stripe carpet on their stairs? Any advice (good or bad) would be really appreciated. I really want to get a carpet fitted ASAP - sick of looking at unsightly bare wood!!! But don't want to make an expensive mistake!!!!

[ouryve]

It says page not found, but striped carpets really hurt my eyes.

[Choccakelass27]

www.floormasteryorkshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/P1060584.jpg

[Choccakelass27]

The staircase is now similar to this www.santerjoinery.co.uk/staircase33.html

[TooOldForThisNow]

I have striped stairs and landing carpet. Had it for 10 years and still looks great. It's 100% wool and described as suitable for heavy domestic and medium contract use. The stripes haven't blended together at all.

[PollyannaWhittier]

I would say bad idea, unless you want all your guests to fall head first down the stairs ...

[TooOldForThisNow]

I have louis de poortere color net 6830 take a look on Google images. Sorry I don't know how to do links.

[ihatethecold]

Great idea.
I love a striped runner.
We have a grey stair carpet with a line in the pattern.
I wasn't brave enough to go proper stripy!

[iwantavuvezela]

We have striped carpets, personally I love them, quite similar to the pic you linked. But we have them covering about 80%... So there is a gap on either side showing the white painter floorboards, and carpet covering in the middle if that makes sense.
We have had them for about 3 years, show no sign of wear, and no colours bleeding into each other.

[Eatsleepwork]

We have striped carpets on our stairs and top landing. Been there for over a year and still looks perfect

[Choccakelass27]

Thanks TooOldForThisNow - I think your carpet is a loop pile rather than the twist pile we are looking at - iwantavuvezela is yours a loop or twist pile?

We only want the stripe on the stairs, with coordinating plain carpets in the hall and on the landing.

[Penguinsaresmall]

I think the problem with striped stair carpets is that they are very 'in' ATM. Which means in a few years they could look very dated.

So, assuming you don't want to be changing your carpet every few years, I would just go for something plain - or maybe I'm just boring

[wowfudge]

I'm with Penguin on this. Whatever you have 80:20 wool and polyamide will give the best wear for a stair carpet. Wool on its own isn't particularly robust.

[IssyStark]

Striped stair carpets have been very in for many years now, so i can't see them dating anytime soon. I'd definitely go for it.

[Twrch62]

The colours shouldn't bleed, but the lines will distort fairly quickly on any twist pile carpet, so stripes will look wobbly, if your stair case has kite winders, as in the picture, the pattern won't match where the tread meets the riser either.
I also think stripe carpets are just starting to go out of fashion, I am a carpet retailer and rarely get asked for them any more, I alway warn customers about line distortion as well, if you do go for a stripe I would stongly suggest a corded one.

[Misty9]

We've put striped carpet on our hallway stairs and landing, 80/20 kasbah stripe in cashew I think. Very stripey and looks great. Also wearing well. We have a corner and stripes don't exactly match but it doesn't matter and looks fine.

[adora1985]

We have striped carpet up our stairs only, it was put in by the developers, but I really liked it when I looked round NDN's house and wanted it for ours. So far the lines haven't distorted at all and it looks just as good as it did a year ago when we moved in.

[sophie150]

We have 'wool pinstripe moon' from the alternative flooring co and it looks fab. Have it on our stairs and landing. The stripes haven't merged. We love it! Go for it!

[minipie]

We are pondering this at the moment. Got a plain colour loop pile carpet on upper stairs and bedrooms, but wondering about a coordinating stripe for the lower stairs.

I think a bold stripe would only look ok if in a runner - full width would hurt my eyes and be a bit too officey or chain hotelly I think.

However a subtle stripe like the "wool pinstripe moon" that sophie mentions is a good compromise. Stripey enough to be in fashion and a bit smarter/more interesting than plain, but not so stripy it will look odd in a few years, and loop pile not twist so the stripes won't distort.

I like the look of this one

[puffylovett]

My stripy runner looks amazing and cost me £60 off an eBay carpet seller. Dp laid it with his staple gun and trimmed down grippers!

[MrsGuyGarvey]

Stripes aren't very 'in' any more, notice the poster who said she's had hers for ten years. I wouldn't get one now, like all things that have been very fashionable once that trend passes they look very dated.

[Chlobee]

I work in a store that sells carpet and have worked on the department quite a lot...
Stripes are great if your stairs go straight up and are even and level. If you have a turn or twist in your staircase you start to get issues with stripes running off centre or in different directions. Also if your house is like mine and uneven you may find that you have more stripes in some places than others (does that make sense). A good carpet fitter will do his best to compensate but not always possible. Also yes twist pile carpets can loose definition..loop pile can be tricky if you have pets (claws can get caught and pull the loop, recks your carpet).

My parents however have a stripe in their hall,stairs, landing and although it makes my eyes go a little funny, it looks good and does make a statement as all their other carpets are plain.

It can be a difficult choice. I suggest having a good person from a store to come out to measure, quote and advise. He should not be there to get you to sign anything or sell you anything, just to measure up.
Hope that helps a little x

[Pigleychez]

We had our 80% wool stripy stairs and landing carpet fitted in September and I love it. Its beige with thin black and brown stripes.

I too wanted a bold statement but eventually went for a more subtle stripe which is more classic and works much better as we have a turn in the stairs. As Chlobee said, a turn means the stripes don't line up 100% but having a thinner stripe means you don't really notice it.

[Pigleychez]

Our stairs

[ggirl]

I quite fancy a pattern other than stripes ..like this but in blue

[Ohanarama]

We've got stripes on a staircase with a turn and I think it was quite difficult for the fitter to line it up but it turned out fine. We get loads of compliments about it and haven't had any problems with the stripes merging. We have wood flooring in the hallway though - think the same stripes on the stairs and on the hall floor would have been overkill. Go for it!