Tartan carpets – this season’s hottest flooring trend

Tartan isn’t just for kilts – it’s also this autumn’s breaking trend in carpets, a must-have to see out 2016 in style. You won’t find a larger or better quality selection than at Sharon Leon – and while your brand new tartan carpet will look spectacular, it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Tartan is a survivor, with a history going back centuries – but it has a modern face, too, and buyers don’t need to stick to traditional patterns and colours to be part of the tartan trend. If you want your family tartan, or one for a particular district or regiment or even a royal family, your carpet can be a statement – not just of style, but of heritage. If you don’t want to go that route, carpet manufacturers all over Scotland are creating new designs in fresh, modern colours that can be as bright or subtle as you like. Sharon Leon will even make a bespoke tartan carpet to your colour and pattern specifications!

The great thing about a tartan carpet is its flexibility – it adds drama to large areas, and works effectively to enhance small spaces and staircases. Tartan carpets have long been a stalwart of home décor, but they’re also effective in business properties, especially hotels, B&Bs and guest houses, where a swathe of tartan carpet instantly creates a feel of dignified luxury.

In the old days, Highlanders used locally available natural dyes from a variety of berries, mosses and other plants to dye their wool, before spinning and weaving it into distinctive patterns that are still familiar. Today, you can choose a tartan carpet from Sharon Leon in anything from 100% wool for the bedroom and lounge, to a harder-wearing mix for busy areas like entrances and stairways, to a heavyweight Stain Clear for the kitchen, and areas that see a lot of activity from kids and the family pets.

The key to a really successful tartan carpet experience is to match it with plain furnishings. If you’re going all out with tartan flooring, don’t complement it with tartan fabrics and soft furnishings, or the visual impact will be overwhelming. If you’re sparing with your tartan flooring, you can add dashes of tartan on your sofas, chairs and curtains; either way, the addition of a tartan carpet is a gift of warmth, style and distinction to any space – and Sharon Leon will be delighted to help you choose the tartan that’s right for you!