Sink Your Toes into Something Wonderful

Close your eyes for a moment, and imagine the feeling that you get from the soft, velvety grass of a putting green under bare feet on a beautiful summer day.  Now, think about your warmest, most comfortable sweater wrapping its arms around you when it's cold outside.  Lastly, envision the feeling of sinking down onto a luxurious feather bed at the end of a long, hard day.
The sensations you've just imagined can be similarly evoked by a seemingly unlikely element in your home: your carpet.  When we cover our floors with carpet, we should be able to expect that it will provide us with the same softness, warmth and cushion underfoot as what we get from that putting green, sweater and feather bed,.
In addition, however, our carpets have to wear like iron and resist soiling, even though they are subjected to the harshest wear of anything in our homes.  Now, picture that warm fuzzy sweater, being trod on dozens of times each day!
Today's carpets are softer, have more variety of style, and are more durable than ever before.  They offer not only tactile comfort underfoot, but important visual warmth, texture and style to your rooms as well.
New technologies in the manufacturing process have enabled the creation of carpeting that has an unbelievable "hand", the design term referring to the actual feel of carpet or textiles.  In the past, such a soft hand was attainable only with fibers which were either exorbitantly expensive or which didn't hold up to normal wear.  Look for carpet fibers with the trade names of Tactesse, Caress, or EveryTouch, and you will be amazed at the difference in softness from those that don't use this new technology.
The style of carpet that you choose for your home is a critical factor in achieving the look you're going for, but also in performing the way you need it to. 
Traditional cut pile carpeting has always been and always will be a good standard style.  It works with every decorating style, from casual to formal, and is available in the widest variety of colors.  If you are bothered by seeing foot prints, traffic patterns, or vacuum marks, however, be aware that cut pile may not be your best choice.
Freize ("free-zay") is a style of carpet that debuted about 12 years ago.  It offers a cut pile construction, but with more tightly twisted, somewhat curlier yarns, which lend a more casual appearance and less showing of traffic patterns or vacuum marks than traditional cut piles.
For those of us who lived through the seventies, freize carpets initially may remind us of the shag style from that era, but don't let that dissuade you from choosing them!  Freizes look great, feel great and perform great in almost any style of room.
Another exciting development in the carpet industry has been the recent explosion in variety of loop piles, commonly referred to as berbers. For years, berber carpets have provided us with a great option in carpeting that is casual, durable, and resistant to showing traffic patterns.  However, its downside has been that it was not very soft, and its casualness didn't always translate well from room to room.
With today's newer styles in loop pile, berbers can go from ultra-casual to refined, and with the softness of the latest fibers they offer almost as plush of a feel as a cut pile.  Do be aware, however, that carpet seams will be more detectable with loop piles than with cut.
Once you've decided upon a carpet style for your home, pay attention to fiber content.  Polyesters are economical, olefins wear like iron, and wool is awesome, if your budget allows it.  The most commonly chosen fiber, however, is 100% continuous filament nylon, which will give you great wear and great value for your money.
Nearly every client that I work with on a floor covering project asks the question: "Which carpet will be most durable, and won't mat down in high traffic areas?".
What most of us refer to as "matting" or "crushing" of carpet is similar to what happens to our hair if we go several days without shampooing.  It's important to remember that carpet is made up of fibers, just like our clothing is.  When subjected to soil accumulation and constant pressure from being walked upon in the same spots, those carpet fibers simply lay down and stay there!
So, there are three factors which will go a long ways toward having your carpet look fresh and new for as long as possible.  First, purchase the best quality product that you can.  Look for specifications which reflect high face weight and high density.  These are indications of how much yarn is used per yard of carpet, and how densely it is woven.
Secondly, choose the highest quality carpet pad you can.  Your pad is to your carpet as shock absorbers are to your car, and it will pay for itself in the long run.  Do not just settle for the "free pad with purchase," as those won't be of a quality which will enhance the life of your carpet.
Lastly, regular vacuuming, at least once a week, will go a long ways toward maintaining that like-new appearance, just as shampooing our hair or laundering our clothes does, by removing the soil and fluffing the fibers.