Our Teeny Tiny Theatre room is well under way and looking more finished everyday. Painting the space for week 2 immediately made a huge difference, and we knew the carpet being laid would have the same effect. While I am an avid DIYer, there are some things that are best left to the professionals and I felt that carpet installation landed on that list.
Carpet vs. Hardwood or Laminate
Since getting married 11 years ago, we have owned 2 homes. Both have been new builds, and we upgraded the entire house to hardwood both times. It was something that was a non-negotiable for us and that was worked into our budget when considering which house model to purchase. I prefer how easy hardwood is to clean compared to carpet and anything that eases my anxiety and OCD is worth it’s weight in gold for me.
All this to say, I’ve never gone through the process of choosing carpet before so this was a very new experience for us both. Since we are only finishing this one very small area of the basement right now with no immediate plans to finish the remainder of it, we thought that doing laminate right now would be a mistake. What if the one we chose is discontinued before finishing the rest of the basement? What if there’s a much more affordable option years from now but we’re stuck with something we chose now? For these reasons we decided to go with carpet for now. We have zero plans to continue carpet through the rest of the space. So when the time comes we‘ll tear it up and put the same flooring throughout. Not to mention a carpet is super cozy and way better acoustically for a theatre room.
Choosing a Carpet
Our carpet was being provided by the builder, so luckily, our options were limited. I say luckily because there are so. many. types. It was during lockdowns so going around to look at a bunch of carpet samples wasn’t an option, and honestly having one less thing to research was something that I welcomed with open arms. The flooring centre was kind enough to send me the options via email, and while this isn’t always the best way to choose finishes for your home it worked out this time. (Usually I suggest having samples in your home as finishes look different in every space).
The two options were a very low pile carpet and one that was softer but a higher pile.
Low Pile Carpet Samples
Medium Pile Carpet Samples
We went with option 1 because it is a low pile carpet. It’s not as soft as option 2, but is easier to clean and holds up better to wear and tear.
Choosing a Carpet Colour
As you can see here, the theatre room is painted all black. Ceiling, walls and baseboards are nice and dark, making a great ambiance for a theatre, even if it is a teeny tiny one! So I knew I wanted a dark floor as well. I just wasn’t sure if that would be an option. So I held my breathe as I waited for the email to come through with photos of our options. I was thrilled to see that there was, in fact, a dark carpet! However, the weren’t names below the samples, and I wasn’t sure if it was a dark brown, or a charcoal grey colour. A quick call to the store and they confirmed that it was in fact charcoal.
Charcoal Carpet Sample
A couple weeks after sending someone to measure the space the installer arrived and took a couple hours to get it all installed. We are so thrilled with the outcome!
The Carpet all Installed in the Theatre Room and Hallway
That’s it for this week! I’m very happy with our progress so far and am so happy to see my vision coming to life, even if it’s just with some paint on the walls (and ceiling and trim). Next up is carpet and painting the hallway and stairwell.
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