The Alternative Guide to the ‘Pleasures and Practicalities’ of choosing carpet.
If you want to make a statement, consider your floor the fifth wall. Get the flooring right and everything else will fall into place. Add instant character by designing a bespoke rug. Opt for enduring comfort by celebrating the wonders of wool. Nature lovers can explore textures and weaves with natural grasses. With Alternative, choosing carpet and rugs is a pleasure.
Pleasures
Statement Floor
To make an impact, go with wall to wall carpet in your living and entrance spaces and roll out a vibrant floral or classic stripe, which can visually lengthen hallways and stairs. Pattern is a practical and forgiving choice, especially for those everyday stains and spills.
Above, Carpet: Quirky B Liberty Fabrics Flowers of Thorpe Summer Garden and Wool stair runner: Margot Selby Stripe Frolic Westbrook 1921.
Make Me A Rug
Rugs have the ability to transform a room. ‘Make Me A Rug’, Alternative’s online service is a fun and inspiring way to design your own rugs with countless flooring and border combinations. For insider design ideas, see the award-winning ‘Rug Stars’ section to see how interior tastemakers have each designed a unique rug for their homes.
Alternative’s Make Me A Rug service allows for rugs to be personalised to compliment your unique interior style.
Wool Matters
Flooring is where wool excels; its softness adds comfort to the home and a luxurious texture underfoot. The natural properties of sound proofing and insulating bring peace, quiet and cosiness to interiors. Wool is a true wonder fibre; it is sustainable, durable, stain-resistant and easy to care for. Due to its strength and flexibility, wool has a bounce-back factor and it also holds colour brilliantly.
Wool the wonder fibre; naturally resilient, soft yet strong.
Practicalities:
Footfall
Determine how much footfall there will be for the area in question. Certain carpets perform better in high traffic areas than others. For example, jute is a soft fibre, so would wear away quickly in hallways or on stairs. A better option would be wool, tightly woven sisal or Alternative’s ‘Anywhere’ collection (see more under Kitchen and Bathroom Solutions below).
Best for Bedroom
‘Wool Milkshake’ is a wool carpet containing Tencel, a sustainable fibre which gives the carpet a gentle lustre and makes it soft yet hardwearing underfoot. This makes it the perfect choice for a bedroom carpet.
The muted pastel colours of Wool Milkshake are set to become the new neutrals.
Kitchen and Bathroom Solutions
‘Anywhere’ is a new indoor-outdoor collection of contemporary sisal–style carpets and rugs that look like woven natural fibre flooring but are completely man-made! Ideal for just about anywhere and the perfect solution for bathrooms and kitchens.
The versatile Anywhere collection is a great substitute for natural fibre flooring.
Go Local and Talk to the Experts
A good local flooring retailer can advise on the practicalities of carpets and they can answer specific questions on underlay, installation and underfloor heating. If you need support with choosing carpet and rugs, they can provide samples to help you make the right decision. They will also measure for you, place your order, move the furniture for you on the day and install. It is worth noting that good fitters are worth their weight in gold; they take all the hassle out of fitting new flooring.
Keep your Flooring Looking Beautiful – Tips for Maintenance.
‘Intec’ is a environmentally friendly solution which coats the fibres of the carpet and reduces the impact of liquid spillages, prolonging the life of a carpet. All Alternative’s tips including information on Intec can be found here.
For more fabulous flooring and interior inspiration visit Alternative Flooring.