Any suggestions for carpetting LR minus any foyer?
Answers: There is little you can do to keep hearth rug at the exterior door from getting dirty. Outside mats help out, but can't prevent soil from being tracked contained by. This is my reason for disliking runner in the chief areas of the house. Some people put tile within the 3'x3' area where on earth the door opens to mitigate this. And, you could run a tile esplanade from the entry to the kitchen, but that could end up looking awkward, especially within a long room.
Since you don't want area rugs, I deduce you should choose a color and style of carpet that will hold up in good health in large traffic. A tweed or multishade will hide dirt between cleanings. A dense loop, or a cut-and-loop will hold up better than a plush pile. Carpet beside a durability rating of 4 out of 5 has outstanding aspect. Those with a rating below 3 should be used within bedrooms only. Below are some sites that address these issues.
If the living, dining, and stairwell are adjectives connected visually it makes sense to cover everything beside the same hearth rug. Although the stairwell could remain uncarpeted without sticking out, if it is already carpeted it may be best to go back over it with unmarked carpet as in that could be refinishing issues.
My mother had a square screened-off area by the front door restored to the hard wood underneath, and next she just placed a mat down on that. The door be right next to a wall near the closet, so it didn't look odd. I interpret if your front door is right in the center of the room, this might not be the best solution.
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