Pile in: carpet makes a comeback in the maximalist backlash

For the past ten years or so, it's been out of fashion, but now carpet is becoming popular once again. People are now eager to cover their chilly and draughty floorboards and would like to have their feet feel warmer and more comfortable on something with a bit more depth. From builders' pile to shag, plain colours to swirling patterns, floor-to-wall carpeting is once again heavily covering wooden floors. As for renters, a fantastic carpet renaissance is now in full swing.

As it happens, wall-to-wall carpets have had a bit of a resurgence in popularity, if Elizabeth Metcalfe, author of New English Interiors: At Home with Today’s Creatives, is anything to go by. "There's a nostalgic charm, but I think they also bring a sense of cosiness and warmth to a room - a very appealing prospect, to be honest, when our heating bills continue to rise like they are."

Liza Laserow Berglund, the co-founder of Stockholm-based rug company Nordic Knots, comments on rooms saying a rug is the "fourth wall".

she says it creates an atmosphere for a room, people often consider curtains but the floor needs texture and warmth too

On this occasion, parts of the Resolute Desk had to be dismantled so that the rug could be positioned underneath it.

Lorna Haigh, creative director for Alternative Flooring, a UK company that provides a vast range of options from sisal to chunky wool carpets, believes that carpeting will "take preference over hard flooring" this year. Meanwhile, Ruggable, which produces washable tufted and shaggy-style rugs using machinery, has seen a significant 67% increase in website traffic. Its most sought-after model has dimensions of 185cm by 275cm in total.

Even high-end fashion designers are now getting on board with this trend. During recent men's fashion shows in Milan and Paris, the typically minimalist catwalks were fined with plush coverings. At Prada, a massive scaffolding structure contrasted sharply with a tactile, blue art deco-style carpet. This was provided by Catherine Martin, who owns a homeware brand and has collaborated with her husband, Baz Luhrmann, on various film projects including Elvis - a man who is known for his fondness for carpets, having covered Graceland with a thick pile in the past.

Prada's co-creative director, Raf Simons, described the carpet as "alive" and "a reaction to what a set usually is." Meanwhile, Brioni models walked along a burnt orange shag-pile rug, while Amiri's runway featured an 80s-style plush fawn-coloured carpet.

Interior designs, reports suggest, have started to become indistinguishable from one another on Rightmove listings, prompting a maximalist backlash. Expressive floor coverings in vibrant hues and bold patterns have become common features of social media posts. At Ruggable, consumers are drawn to bold, colour-blocking patterns, nature-inspired designs, and "AI-generated visuals" that blur the boundaries between the real and the imagined. Sustainable rug choices, including favouring rug combing – where rugs are layered or placed side by side to achieve a visually layered effect – are gaining attention as an emerging interior style.

has featured floral Art Deco rugs. On Instagram, Alexa Chung described feeling "sick about how much I like this carpet" alongside a photo of a floral Heartsease-patterned carpet at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire.

Martin believes the fact that fashion goes through regular phases is driving the trend. "Every aspect of life is cyclical ... it's natural that the demand for a distinct decorating style, specifically carpeting, is making a comeback."

Berglund, who has a rich, honey-coloured "Leo" rug in her bedroom, complemented by matching headboard and curtains, finds it to be very calming. "Your home is your most personal sanctuary. It's your secure retreat. Given the state of the world, it's even more crucial to create a space you adore returning to."

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