Lose the wall-to-wall carpet

After having several debates, chats and arguments about wall-to-wall carpeting vs. floor tiling I have decided to put pen to paper on this subject in the hope that I seal this matter once and for all.

I have met a number of people who have in no uncertain terms informed me of their decision to furnish their new homes with wall to wall carpets. My first reaction has been to cringe, ask the location of the property, then ask why?
The answers I have gotten are have ranged from it being an obvious display of their high social status to their having always seen it in a movies and it looked good!

Do you really need that wall-to-wall covering
One of the theories of the origin of the carpet is that they were thickly knotted and made to protect nomadic populations from adverse climatic conditions by preventing direct contact with the ground.

So here is the deal; we live in a tropical country what we should be looking for is ways to make our habitats feel much cooler and airy. Carpets are often used in cold places such as Europe as heat retainers thereby saving bills on energy.

They are also used in recording studios and flats to minimise noise pollution because they have the ability to absorb sound. Take, for instance, a spoon dropping on a ceramic tile or hard wood floor, you will definitely hear a clinging sound. But if it dropped on the carpet you would hear little or no sound.

Can you afford it
The other thing is that carpets are rather high maintenance. If you think about it, most households have dark-coloured carpets or carpet rugs which can conceal dirt and spills, which makes me wonder why one would want something that hides dirt in their house.
More so, they are a breeding grounds for a lot of nastiness.

They keep a lot of odours from spills and if not cleaned thoroughly, can be an embarrassment.
Tiny particles like sand, bread or biscuit crumbs have found permanent refuge in them, one wonders what else is lurking between those threads.
However, on the flip side if you sweep and mop a tiled or hardboard floor, it is possible for you to run your finger across the floor and come up with no residue.

Having said all that, carpets are undoubtedly quite comfy and non-slip thereby reducing the risk of injury. Nevertheless, hard wood or tile flooring complimented with a carpet rug, in my opinion, is superior to wall-to-wall carpeting.

-Gloria Kawuma is an interior designer.