White, cream and beige carpets: using neutral tones in your carpet
In this guide:
- What are neutral colours?
- Benefits of white, cream and beige carpets
- Types of neutral carpet
- White, cream and beige carpet ideas
- Cleaning white, cream or beige carpets
Benefits of white, cream and beige carpets
Neutral colours are a popular style choice because of its versatility and aesthetic quality. In this section, you will find some of the main reasons why you should try a neutral carpet.
- Works with any colour palette – neutral coloured carpets can have both warm and cool tones, which offers a wide variety for any room.
- Suits any decorating style – whether traditional, modern, minimalist or intricate, neutral colours can suit any style.
- Visually restful – neutral carpets can create ‘neutral space’ for the eye, meaning they won’t cause distraction. This works well if you want to showcase other areas of the room such as an accent wall or stylish furniture.
- Easy for redecorating – due to its versatility, a neutral carpet will likely remain unaffected if you choose to repaint or replace a piece of furniture.
- Increase resale value – neutral colours offer mass appeal and unoffensive no matter your taste. This means your rooms will be more likely to attract more potential buyers than if they had a bright, garish carpet.
What are neutral colours?
Neutral means without colour and do not show up on the colour wheel. The only true neutrals are white and black. However, cream and beige are also considered neutral colours even though they may contain undertones of colour. They are often called earth tones. They bring a natural look to a room replicating sand, dirt and stone.
Neutral colours do not clash with other colours, meaning they are versatile in their uses. In the next section, you will find some of the main benefits of white, cream and beige carpets.
Types of neutral colour carpets
In this section, we will showcase the most popular types of neutral colour carpets:
White
White carpets can illuminate dark rooms, create a dramatic look and add a touch of class. The pure neutral colour will work with any colour scheme. Just be careful with small children or busy rooms. White carpets can show stains and dirt easier than any other colour. They’re best suited for quiet, luxurious rooms like master bedrooms and living rooms.
Best white carpets:
Black and white
Black and white carpets offer two neutral colours in one. As these are darker carpets, careful consideration will be needed. Darker carpets can make rooms feel smaller and you will need to ensure that enough natural light is in the room.
Grey and white
Grey and white carpets also combine two neutral colours. They are lighter than black and white carpets but not too white that they will easily show stains. This means grey and white carpets are excellent for young families as they will survive the mess.
Fluffy white
Fluffy white carpets are luxurious in both aesthetic and feel. Fluffy carpets are likely Saxony carpets as they offer a dense pile which provides excellent comfort underfoot. Saxony carpets are more expensive than loop carpets. We recommend fluffy white carpets are used in areas with low foot traffic and places unlikely to get stained (such as bedrooms).
Cream
Like white carpets, cream works well with almost any colour scheme. They go well with monochromatic colour schemes or brighter colours. The pale colours offer a luxurious look that offers slightly different tones than standard whites.
Best cream carpets:
- Light cream carpets
- Black, cream and grey pattern carpets
- Cream Berber carpets
- Cream wool carpets
- Luxury cream carpets
Light cream
A light cream carpet can create a cosy atmosphere. It can also help bring some lightness to rooms that have less daylight. They are not recommended in high traffic areas as they will show dirt and stains clearly.
Black, cream and grey pattern
Black, cream and grey patterned carpet will create a dramatic look in any room. Ensure your room gets enough light, as darker carpets can absorb light, creating a darker looking room.
Cream Berber carpet
Berber carpets are stain-resistant, hardwearing and cost effective. This means they’re great for young families as the carpet can take some damage. They are a loop carpet, which can snag so is not recommended for those with pets. You can find out more by visiting our guide: buying a Berber carpet.
Cream wool carpet
Wool carpets offer a luxurious feel underfoot. The strong, natural material is an excellent insulator and flame resistant. Wool carpets work best in rooms that require a little extra luxury such as living rooms and bedrooms. You can find out more by visiting: wool carpet FAQs.
Luxury cream carpet
Saxony carpets are the height of luxury. The deep pile creates the softest feeling underfoot and the textured style never looks dated. If you care for your Saxony carpet, it can have a long lifespan with excellent durability. Find out more by visiting our guide: Saxony carpets by colour, price and its advantages
Beige
Beige carpets may have a reputation for being bland, but that is far from the truth. Beige carpets can come in many tones and styles. Beige is a versatile colour that can match cool and warm colour schemes.
Best beige carpets:
- Grey beige carpets
- Dark beige carpets
- Light beige carpets
- Golden beige carpets
- Pebble beige carpets
- Fluffy beige carpets
- Berber beige carpets
Grey beige (greige)
Greige is a combination of beige and grey. Greige brings the best qualities of both colours to create a versatile neutral colour. Greige can vary depending on the different levels of grey and beige. The greyer the carpet, the cooler it looks and works well with blues and whites. The more beige in the carpet, the warmer it looks.
If you considering a grey carpet, our guide grey carpets: best products, colour schemes and ideas will give you all the information you need.
Dark beige
Beige is generally known for being light but darker tones are available. Dark beige resembles earthy browns. They should be used in rooms with enough natural sunlight to remain bright. Use other neutrals like cream and white on the walls/furniture to create an eye-catching contrast.
Light beige
Light beige can bring some light into darker rooms. Both our choices are twist pile carpets which offer a comfortable underfoot feeling. Lighter beige can show up stains and dirt more easily so it’s best to use them in low traffic areas.
Golden beige
Golden beige carpets can bring even more warmth into your room’s décor. Whites, blacks and greys will all work well in the colour scheme. Golden beige carpets can also be used to balance cooler tones like cool reds, greens and blues.
Pebble beige
Pebble beige gets its name from its stone-like colour. Pebble beige can have slightly cooler tones than normal beige. Pebble beige works well with other earthy tones like grey, black and brown.
Fluffy beige carpet
Fluffy beige carpets are likely to Saxony carpets. Saxony offers a textured quality giving a soft feeling underfoot.
Neutral carpet colour schemes
The benefit of neutral carpets is their flexibility. White, cream and beige carpets aren’t designed to draw a lot of attention so they can be incorporated into almost any colour scheme. In this section, we will look at three of the most common colour schemes for neutral rooms.
All neutral
An all neutral room is easy on the eye and understated, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
To create an all neutral room, we recommend layering your room with different hues of the same colour. Try using the lightest shade on your wall, the second lightest on your carpet and then the darkest shade on your furniture. This will make your furniture stand out from the rest of the room.
The all neutral colour scheme benefits room which has something to showcase – such as furniture, fireplaces, windows, or stairs. The eye will be drawn to them due to the understated style of the rest of the room.
Neutral as background
Neutral colours make for an easy-on-the-eye style which can draw attention to other elements of the room. Choose two neutral colours for the walls and carpet. Your choices should be dictated by your personal preference as well as the level of light your room receives. Darker tones can make a room feel smaller, whilst lighter tones create the opposite effect.
Lighter carpets can show stains meaning they aren’t suitable for young children. We recommend you choose a lighter wall such as cream or white and use a darker beige on your carpet. If you want to create a dramatic look, choose bold colours for your furniture/accessories to stand out.
Combined neutrals
Combining neutral colours such as white, cream, beige and greys will create a relaxed, natural look to your room. You can mix and match the neutral colours depending on your personal preference.
Cleaning white, cream and beige carpets
The level of cleaning your carpet requires will depend on the condition and the type of dirt you need to remove:
|
Type of dirt |
Recommended cleaning method |
|---|---|
|
Standard dirt (dust, pet hairs etc.) |
Vacuuming |
|
Moderately dirty or hasn’t been cleaned in a while |
DIY steam cleaning/deep cleaning |
|
Very dirty and/or stained |
Professional carpet cleaning |
|
Particular stains (red wine, dog mess etc) |
General cleaning with household products |
How to remove stains from white, cream and beige carpets
The main way to successfully remove a stain from your carpet is to act quickly. The faster you treat a stain, the more likely you are to be able to remove it.
For standard stains follow these 10 steps:
- Use an absorbent cloth or kitchen towel and blot up any liquid
- Remove any solid substances with a spoon (carefully)
- If you are fast enough, lukewarm water (around 40°C) is enough to lift most stains. If warm water does not work, use a specialised cleaning product for your specific stain
- Apply the cleaning product to the cloth. Do not apply it directly to the carpet.
- Test the product to an inconspicuous area first to ensure the product does not damage your carpet
- Dab the stain
- Start on the outside of the stain and work inwards to stop the stain from spreading
- Blot area dry with another absorbent cloth
- Cover the wet area with a pile of weighted-down paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible
- Leave the area long enough to dry. Then use your fingers to gently brush up the carpet to restore the texture.
You can find out more about how to clean your carpet and how to remove specific stains by visiting our guide: Cleaning your carpet – vacuuming, deep cleaning, professional carpet cleaning and tips for removing stains
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