How to Choose the Right Carpet Color in 2025 (With Pro Tips)

The right carpet colors can really make a difference in the look and feel of a room. Whether you want a peaceful escape or a lively gathering space, the color of your carpet plays a crucial role. To begin with, knowing a little about color psychology can help point you in the direction of a shade you won’t regret.

How Carpet Colors Can Affect Mood

Dozens of scientific studies have revealed a strong association between color and mood. Home decor colors can affect a number of things — including brain chemistry, which influences our emotions. Colors can bring on feelings ranging from calm, happiness or excitement, to anxiety, sadness, or anger.

To choose the right carpet color, think about how you use the room and what feelings you’d like it to inspire. If you tend to have trouble sleeping, opt for a tranquil color rather than an energizing hue in the bedroom. But in a room meant for entertaining, an energizing tone might make more sense.

Carpet colors can even shape how we see the space and lighting around us. Deeper colors can ground a room and absorb light. They can also make an oversized room feel cozier, while lighter carpet colors can soften a space and make it feel brighter.

Neutral Tones: Versatile and Elegant

Neutrals have always topped the list of preferred carpet colors, and for good reason. They offer the ultimate in versatility, complementing any decor. And if you like to change your style every now and then, neutral carpet lets you transform the ambiance of an entire room.

Beige and taupe carpets have timeless appeal and will never go out of style, but, in recent years, gray and greige carpets have become the favored neutrals. Grays can be cool or warm and are often chosen to mirror a color scheme, like pairing cool gray carpet with a room of blues and greens. However, there are no hard and fast rules. A beige carpet could be used to warm up an otherwise cool space, for example.

If you’re looking for a more refined neutral, think lighter. Off-white and cream carpets lend a sophisticated and airy ambiance to a room. They are not the best at hiding dirt and spills, however, so it’s important to be realistic. Lighter neutrals may not be the optimal hoice for a family with young children and pets.

Warm Colors: A Cozy Retreat

When you picture a cozy indoor scene, you probably envision warm colors. Natural earthy tones like terracotta and warm browns ground a room with their inviting warmth. Soft, creamy yellows can also warm up a room, but not all warm colors are calming.

Reds are associated with passion and confidence, so a red or burgundy carpet is sure to energize any space. These bold, exciting colors naturally draw attention and can even stimulate appetite.

Blues and Greens: Cool and Serene

For a more tranquil atmosphere, escape to a cooler color palette. Blue carpets for bedrooms and living spaces infuse a feeling of calm, perfect for lounging on the sofa or getting a good night’s sleep.

You can transform any room into a peaceful oasis with a carpet in just the right green. Look to nature for soothing shades that feel fresh and easy.

Be careful not to overdo it, though — too many cool tones can make a space feel cold. In a room with a cool-toned carpet, look for other ways to incorporate touches of warmth for the ultimate tranquility.

Dark Colors: Drama and Glamour

Deep jewel tones like amethyst, emerald, or sapphire are trending in interior design, and carpet in one of these hues will inject your space with regal flair. Paired with the glimmer and sheen of metal accessories, dark carpets provide a sense of luxury.

Contrasting dark carpets with paint or furnishings in white or barely-there colors can create a striking effect, while layering deep, moody colors throughout the carpet, furnishings, and paint can help quiet a space.

If jewel tones seem too daring for your taste, consider the mystique of a dark gray or charcoal carpet, especially for modern interiors. These saturated neutral colors still offer drama while also allowing art and other home decor to shine.

Tips for Choosing the Right Carpet Colors

When selecting carpet, start with what’s already in the room. The carpet color should speak to your furniture and accessories. If you’re decorating the room from scratch, pick an inspiration piece such as a curtain, pillow, or comforter that you love. Or find a room in a magazine or on Pinterest to jumpstart the creative process.

Be sure to ask for carpet samples and look at them in your space at various times of the day, in different lighting, with the shades open and closed. It’s amazing how a color that looks perfect in a showroom can come off completely different in your home.

Carpet is an investment, so don’t be afraid to reach out to a pro. Your flooring retailer likely has a designer on staff who can help you. Also, interior decorators often consult with clients by the hour to help select the perfect color palette.

To see how a new carpet color will look in your room before you buy it, use our Room Visualizer Tool. You can upload a photo of your space or try out flooring options using our demo rooms. Either way, this tool will help you choose the best carpet color for a look and feel you’ll love.