Turn One Room Into Two With Pet-Friendly Carpet

The art of maximizing space often requires a bit of ingenuity. Influencer Tay Nakamoto cleverly used pet-friendly carpet to transform a drab basement room into a multifunctional haven, complete with a cozy guest room and separate office area. Read on for details of her innovative split-room project and learn how you can achieve similar design magic.

Creating Visual Separation

At the core of Tay’s project was the strategic use of two colors of carpet and paint to visually divide the guest room from the office area rather than a physical separation. A wall or even a partition like a screen or bookshelf would’ve made the spaces feel tight and blocked light from the single window. To preserve the open, airy feel, Tay opted to visually split the space instead.

Choosing Carpet

Tay knew she needed pet-friendly carpet since she lives with a cat, Jeff, who “makes things dirty,” she says. SmartStrand® carpet from Mohawk was a great choice. It’s among the best carpet for pets since it comes with All Pet® Stain Warranty & Protection, covering all pets and all their accidents. SmartStrand also comes in nearly 300 colors, it was easy to find the perfect hues for the project.

Designing the Guest Room

For the bedroom half, Tay created a serene vibe for her guests with a subtle beach theme. She chose SmartStrand carpet in Aloe, a deep teal carpet, to help ground the space. Then she painted the bedroom area in a coordinating aqua, another sea color, scalloped with white at the top to suggest waves.

Designing the Office

For the office half, she opted for SmartStrand carpet in Blonde Oak, a sandy white color. The contrast in color clearly defines the two spaces, but both colors coordinate perfectly with the beach theme. For the walls, she chose a crisp white, preferring a bright, clean look to help her focus while working.

More Ideas

Color is not the only way to use carpet to split a room, however. For a more subtle delineation, you could choose two different textures of carpet, going with a loop carpet on one side and a cut pile on the other, for example. Even in the same exact color, these two differing textures will create a clear visual separation.

For a more striking division, you could use patterned carpet. SmartStrand comes in a multitude of patterns — including check, trellis, harlequin, and stripes to name only a few. A single pattern in two colors could split the room, or if you really want to go all out, choose two distinct patterns in separate colors.

Carpet Installation

Most people hire a pro, but Tay is a seasoned DIYer. She learned how to install carpet with the help of online tutorials.

Before laying the carpet, she covered her cement subfloor with carpet pad, also called cushion. Smart move! The cushion will make the carpet feel plusher underfoot and add insulation, making the floor feel warmer. Plus the pad will extend the life of the carpet, helping it look better for longer. It’s a win-win-win.

Next she laid the two pieces of carpet, using tack strips and a carpet stretcher. To secure the seam where the two pieces meet, she used double-sided tape.

If you prefer to hire a pro, find a carpet installer near you on the Mohawk website. Whether you try it yourself or not, using Tay’s split-carpet idea may be the perfect way to maximize your limited space. You’ll get double duty and double the style from a single room.