Saxony tends to come to mind for most people when they think of carpet. It's the most traditional cut-pile carpet, with fibers standing straight up and cut into even lengths. It's generally not as long as frieze but stands higher than most berbers or cut-and-loops.
What Are the Characteristics of Saxony Carpet?
The term Saxony describes a carpet style characteristic with an elegant and soft look and feel. It adds a sense of elegance and lavishness, and a touch of class.
Saxony carpet consists of twisted carpet fibers that stand up straight, and is designed with a cut loop pile. The carpet has broadloom woven loops and is sheared to make an even surface. The pile is weaved very densely and closely packed from a soft carpet fiber. High quality Saxony carpets are made out of 100% nylon, and the pile is usually about half an inch or less. This structure provides a plush and soft feel to the carpet.
Types of Saxony Carpet
Straight Saxony
Straight Saxony carpets have a constant, uniform color; they achieve this by running each fiber in the same direction. They're also known as velvet Saxony carpets because they look similar to velvet, although they feel significantly different. Straight Saxony carpets are the more common kind of Saxony; you can easily recognize them by passing your hand over the fibers. When you do, the disturbed fibers will take on a different color due to being pushed their opposite direction. Although these carpets can look and feel calming, they're prone to displaying vacuum strokes and footprints due to the fiber alignment.
Textured Saxony
A more recently popular style of Saxony carpet is the textured Saxony, also known as a trackless. This style has the same general characteristics as a straight Saxony, but the key difference is that the fibers are kinked or twisted in different directions. They reflect the light differently, which means that when you brush your hand across the surface, you don't notice as much of a difference in color. Therefore, textured saxonies help to mask footprints and vacuum marks, making them a popular choice for busy households.
PROS
Color aside, a Saxony carpet is almost never out of style. It's a classic look that can work well for both formal and casual settings. When selected properly according to the usage conditions, it can be very durable.
It's perfect in living rooms and dining rooms and pairs great with traditional interiors by adding a distinctive elegance to a space. And of course, you can't beat it's luxurious soft and smooth surface!
CONS
The main disadvantages of Saxony carpet have to do with aesthetics and quality issues. Aesthetically, people who don't like saxonies don't like them because they consider them to be boring and lacking in personality. It's hard to argue with this; saxonies are designed to blend into the background, much like elevator music. If you're looking to stand out, you won't do it with this style.
Additionally, it does tend to show vacuum marks and footprints.
And lastly, it's hard to tell the quality of a Saxony carpet simply by looking at it unless you know what to look for. However, that's a common issue with any carpeting.
So, just like with any flooring material, there's pros and cons to help you decide if it's the right choice for you and your space. If you need any more information, make sure you stop by one of our locations to speak with one of our great design experts.
At Avalon Flooring, we want to make sure you're happy from your first step in our showroom to your first step on your new flooring—and as your partner in home design, we'll be there every step along the way. Consider us your "One-Stop Shopping" destination for all things flooring…(and window treatments)!
Our design consultants are equipped with the knowledge to guide you through the wide selection of products we offer, and our expert installation team is professionally trained to make sure everything gets installed the way you envision. We know your home is an expression of your sense of style, and we're here to make sure you'll be proud of it for years to come.
If you have any questions, please email us.
