what about laying nice area rugs over it?

just get it professionally washed/steamed/cleaned/what have you... and it'll look a lot nicer. hang things on those bare walls and you won't notice the bland looking carpet if it's cleaned.

rugs rugs rugs

i think it is funny people assume you should not use rugs on carpets.

rugs. that really is the only thing you could do to spruce it up, besides cleaning i guess.

There are some really great, fun rugs out there - try mansourmodern.com for designs you won't find anywhere else :)

I've lived in rentals for years with that same gross beige carpet. I've always tried to have a big bold area rug.

I'd put a nice,long rug down too, to draw the eye into the rest of the living area...maybe a nice striped one, or something with a large pattern, and then, definitely put some bigger artwork on the walls. One long,rectangular piece of artwork on the small wall, and two large{but smaller than the rectangular piece!} square framed pieces on the bigger wall.

Lots of rugs!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50294796@N03/5916383589/in/set-72157627149031044/

Another vote for area rugs!

I'm hesitant to post this because it sounds demented--but here goes. I rent--and the carpet looks just like yours in the photo. Although it was steam cleaned, it still had heavy wear patterns. I vacuumed regularly--but it was still depressingly bad. Then, while grooming my dog one day -- with a wire cat brush -- some fur got on the carpet. Without thinking, I just reached down and brushed it up. You should have seen the difference in the carpet! So now, every few weeks, I "brush" places in the carpet and vacuum. It doesn't hurt the old carpet--in fact, it looks better than it has in years!

rugs, d'uh.

Act2, see today's post on Re-Nest about carpet brushing! You're not so crazy. :P

Professional cleaning is a good idea..get rid of the previous tenant's odors, body hair, dead skin cells, nail clippings, sweat, etc. and if they walked in their home with street shoes...probably street filth, doggy doo, pee, garbage, etc at the bottom of their shoes. Steam clean!

ghostfish88 you must live in NYC too bc that was my first thought-CLEAN IT.

After that I probably would be one of those people that make everyone take off their shoes to enter. You also might want to keep some of those disposable booties on hand for those who would prefer not to remove shoes. (A cable guy once told me he will never take off his shoes, but if the customer has booties he will oblige...fyi)
Also as everyone else said , I think some area rugs would do the trick.

Side note-Ive notice that people w rugs & the no shoes rule often have dogs....and Im sure their paws pick up way more than my shoes AND they let the dog lounge on the bed & couch....Im just saying....

Steam cleaning!!! And rugs. I have the same problem....and don't even get me started on old nasty laminate which for some reason landlords are deeply attached to even when you offer to pay for the change yourself...

How about Flor Tiles? It looks like you have enough room for your door to clear them. And you can take them with you when you go. I'd like a dark border with an pattern center.

Can't put FLOR tiles on carpet. :(

I've got FLOR tiles on the carpet in our entryway. The stickies that came with the tiles didn't work. I had to use double sided carpet tape I got at Lowes to get them to stick. I'm afraid what it will look like underneath the tiles when we move, but for now it looks great.

I don't remember what brand of double stick tape I used, but I had to try a couple different brands before I got one that worked. I put the tape down on the carpet first in a grid pattern and laid the tiles down on that. Haven't had any lift off the carpet for over a year now.

I live in an apartment with carpet like that. I just bought a great rug last month and it made the most amazing difference. Check it out: http://simplysjostedt.com/2011/06/13/busy-bees/

If you buy an area rug you like (which can be flor carpet tiles) you can always take it with you. I bought a rug to cover a stain on a large, nearly wall-to-wall carpet. Today, I still have the rug even though the old carpet has been replaced with hard wood.

Rugs, rugs, rugs.

FYI RE: RUGS - I found it easier at my last place to go for rugs that have a stiff quality or even outdoor-grade material - seagrass, polypropelene, wood blocks, bamboo. They were easier to clean and didn't "buckle" as much with the carpet underneath. I suspect you could also put together stronger wooden style bathmats in some spots - although you would want to avoid creating a tripping hazard.

If youre allowed to -- I'd paint the walls. Right now, the walls are essentially the same color as the carpet which is just beige overload (i was in the same position with my rental). Luckily, after I painted the walls a crisp white, the entire place brightened up and I'm less bothered by the blah wall-to-wall carpet now. You dont need to paint the walls white if you prefer color -- but just ANY color that's not a similar shade to the carpet.

Oh, and yes, I also use tons of area rugs. Just make sure you also use a good rug pad too. Good luck :)

I went to a carpet store and bought different carpet remnants. They weren't horribly expensive and it was an easy way to create an aesthetically pleasing floor. The best part is when I am ready to move, I just pick up the remnants and the original carpet underneath is in the same condition as it was when I moved in.

@toomanytchotchkes is right. If you apply a runner that's too soft, you'll be constantly straightening it or tripping over it.

i'm in the same position, mollie.

i plan on steam cleaning and covering everything i can with rugs. i'm thinking color and pattern will distract the eye.

what's really pisses me off about my carpet: there's hardwood flooring underneath. if i could, i'd just rip the carpet out, but i rent, and i'm uncertain if the hardwood runs throughout the entire space.

also, paint your walls. maybe it's the light fixture/photo that makes everything look monochromatic. could you install a different fixture that puts out a brighter/cleaner light? might help.

Perfect timing on this post! I'm about to move into a similar situation, and have been debating putting my nice Moroccan rugs on top. I'll do it, even though I KNOW that there are wood floors underneath that would make me so much happier!

The good news is that it's like having double fluffly rug pads and your rugs will suffer minimal wear. They'll be that much fresher for your eventual dream home with wood floors.

We had horrible, stained beige carpet, too. We had professionally cleaned and it looked good for about 2 days, then the spots came right back.

Now, we spray spots with a mixture of peroxide and vinegar and sprinkle handfuls of baking soda over it while still wet. Let it dry. The baking soda will pull up stains and actually turn brown. It's pretty gross. Once it's dry, just brush the dried baking soda loose and vacuum it up.

That's worked best for us.

Rugs are an option. We don't use them because we have a puppy who still likes to chew everything.

Re: taking off shoes -- not my business whether you do or don't in your own house, but the person who refuses to do it in other people's houses is being really disrespectful of people whose culture is that you never wear shoes inside.

Unfortunately mishka, it's a rental so I'm thinking the carpet is staying.

I do like the idea of outdoor rugs on he carpet.

The problem here is that you have nothing in this space; it's all neutral background. Some art on the walls would draw the eye away from the carpet.

Everyone's already said it: why not lay rugs on top of it?

My suggestions:

1. Pay to have the place re-carpeted in a color you want.

2. Pay to have the existing carpet professionally dyed to a shade you want.

3. Bitch to the landlord this crappy carpet is
over due for replacement as per your area's renter's rights law (hopefully there are some in your area.)

4. Rip it out and risk loosing your deposit.

Steam clean it and lay rugs!

you need to use a rug pad that's made to go btw rugs and carpets. otherwise the friction of the rug rubbing the carpet will wear both of them.

this would probably help with flor tiles too.

How long are you going to be there? Because if it's a year or so, I'd say "suck it up and deal - once you get furniture in, you won't notice it as much." But if you'll be there longer than that... that beige carpet will start to eat at your soul.
I've compensated for mine with a couple of rugs, LOTS of furniture, tons of stuff on the walls, and a bunch of throw blankets for when I want to lay on the floor.

Hi,

What about some other types of carpets? http://www.primerainteriors.com/carpet/categories/carpet-types

and some nice handmade area rugs http://www.alyshaan.com?

I think these two links will illustrate your concern.