Appeal of 3D carpets grows

Carpets are generally seen as two dimensional and flat, but several carpet manufacturers have started to add a third dimension – depth.

Many owners of carpets in Chester and Wrexham like deep pile carpets. As they are walked on, people can feel their depth, the third dimension. For more depth, there are carpets with various pile lengths that add texture.

An Italian carpet studio is handmaking carpets with elevated textures and what looks like carvings. These have different pile lengths in different areas to form swirling, three-dimensional patterns. They are made for the specialised high-end yacht market, with people having bespoke sculpted carpets fitted in their yachts.

Talk Carpet, based in the United States, has a three-dimensional carpet range of commercial carpets for bars and restaurants. These are plain-coloured carpets with curved lines cut into the pile in shades of grey, white or black. They reference prehistoric animal skeletons and create a sense of movement and dimension.

Another way to create a three-dimensional effect is by using rugs that have a two-dimensional pattern on them that forms a visual illusion of depth. Some find these illusions disorientating, however. For example, there is vortex trap illusion rug looks as if there is a deep hole in the centre of the rug that people could fall down.

Depth can be added to a room without special carpets by placing a deep-pile rug on top of a plain carpet, putting floor vases containing colourful plants on the carpet and by placing small tables with cushions on the floor.