Since approximately 27,000 BC (Before Carpet), when our prehistoric ancestors used animal skins to cushion and warm their cave floors, carpet has been a basic feature of human domestic existence. What would our lives be without carpet crawlers, play vacuums, rug burns and the proverbial brown ring where the potted plant once sat?
The evolution of carpeting through the years has been affected by social, economical and fashion developments. (Can you say, “shag?”) Many ingenious and important advances in manufacturing technology have been made in the pursuit of better forms of the soft stuff.
For example, in 6000 BC, goats and sheep were sheared for wool and hair, which was then spun and woven. In 1000 AD, Marco Polo discovered rug making in Central Asia using a technique that traders spread to Persia, India, China and North Africa. And in 1946 AD, the first Las Vegas casino opened its doors, giving way to dizzying patterns and color combinations never before imagined.
Today, carpet is the most popular choice for floor covering. It’s inexpensive. It’s quiet. It’s comfortable. It’s easy to install and replace. It can hide subfloor irregularities. It can be installed over almost any surface. Carpet offers more options for color, texture, tone and hue than any other floor covering.
From casual to formal, solids to patterns, plush to prickly, there are carpets available today to compliment any interior (or exterior!) and provide years of performance and beauty for your home.
If our ancestors could see all the choices we enjoy today, they’d be . . . cutting a rug!