The 88th Academy Awards ceremony was recently held in Los Angeles, California, drawing viewers from around the world. For many of those tuning in, however, the most interesting part of the evening is the red carpet coverage of stars and celebrities in the latest fashions. While the red carpet has been rolled out for kings, queens, and their invited guests for centuries, the term these days has become synonymous with glitz and glamour. But flooring choices don’t just project a certain tone, they can actually influence and aid the human decision making process. Here are some examples:
Cruise Ships
Cruise ships are design marvels, but even veteran passengers can find the inside hallways a bit disorienting. In response, cruise companies have used carpet color and design to help guests find their way. For instance, the Princess fleet guides patrons to their staterooms by lining the hallways on the left side of their ships with a red bordered carpet while the right side has carpet with a blue border. Not sure if you’re heading towards the front or back of the boat? Norwegian has helpfully installed carpet with a swimming fish design. If you’re swimming with the fish, you’re headed towards the front; swimming against the current will take you to the rear.
Casinos
Casinos have always been exciting venues, filled with sounds and colors that stimulate the senses. What has changed significantly, though, is the flooring. In fact, Las Vegas casinos were originally full of hardwood surfaces which were covered in sawdust. Why sawdust? Well, a soft layer of sawdust protected the flooring, muffled sounds, and, most importantly, made for easy cleanup after an action packed night.
These days, not only is every casino carpeted, they all seem to have chosen designs that are heavy on patterns and garish colors. Casino operators are characteristically tight lipped about why they have chosen these styles, prompting speculation that the prints and hues are intended to divert the eye away from the floor and towards the blinking lights of the slot machines or green felt of the tables. However, given that people naturally tend to be attracted to objects at eye level, this may not be accurate. It could be that, since casino are enormous spaces, designers have avoided solid colors, which tend to accentuate the feelings of size and expansiveness. Instead, they’ve opted for patterns and colors which “close” the space and promote a more inviting, intimate environment; one that makes you want to hang around and open your wallet.
Retail Stores
If you’ve ever noticed that the floors of your local big box retailer are a blend of hard and carpeted surfaces, you’re onto something: carpeted floors signal to customers to linger and look around while hard flooring is for moving quickly about the store. That’s why clothing and other products that require an investment of time to find the right size and color are generally located in carpeted areas.
Whether you have a red carpet or just a regular one, Aquamist is the company to take care of your carpets, and we are here when you need us.