Colour & Design

The floor is the starting point of every room - and the backdrop for everything else! It is like a fifth wall in terms of the area it covers and a new carpet can change a room's whole appearance, not to mention the choice of fabrics and furniture. The same basic rules apply to carpet colours as to those for soft furnishings: light carpet will make a room look bigger while dark colours will make your room look smaller but won't show up the dirt.

Your choice of colour makes a personal statement and with such a wide spectrum of colours available, let your carpet make a fashion statement. That said, variations of beige are the most popular colour in carpets!

If you have pale neutral furniture, you can go for a patterned carpet as a focal point of the room. If your furniture is bold and colourful, it is probably better to stick with a plain carpet.

You can create a bigger sense of space and create a better flow between rooms by sticking to one colour and design. You can then give each bedroom an individual look.

Different textures are a useful way of adding interest to otherwise pale schemes.

As for colour, warm, earthy colours that are fiery and passionate and create a sense of intimacy and luxury are particularly suited to large rooms and those that are north facing.

Neutral shades continue to be the most popular as they are easier to build schemes around - both now and in the future. A plain natural colour is clean and simple but neutral shades do tend to show stains and marks. Non traditionalists like to blend these passive shades with bright wallpaper and soft furnishings. Those who want to be calm without being dull, cool but not cold, use soft neutrals, gentle greens and natural shades, particularly where you want to give a feeling of space.

Blue is a popular choice, being practical and stylish and subtle yet evocative of feelings of peace, tranquility and relaxation. Navy is common in traditional schemes giving a sense of tranquillity and harmony while light blue creates a calming and relaxing environment. The natural aquatic associations of the sea make blue the ideal choice for a bathroom.

Plain or patterned carpet? Or both?

Plain carpet is 'safe', timeless and ageless. It will suit any room or decorating style. It gives you greater flexibility with wallpaper and fabrics and is easier to build schemes around - both now and in the future. It also opens up a room and using the same colour throughout, either upstairs or downstairs, does give a feeling of space and link rooms. If you want a surface texture, such as the popular 'natural look' that replicates coir and sisal, then it has to be plain carpet.

Patterned carpet is, however, staging a comeback with fashion-led designs that really do make the floor a focal point. Patterned carpet does not mean big swirly traditional designs! There are some beautiful feminine designs like toiles or florals through to the traditional or trellis designs. On a practical level, it can also hide a multitude of sins! Whether its contemporary designs, classic florals or small motifs, pattern does provide visual interest on the floor but remember that a large pattern will work better in a large room. If you are mixing patterned carpet with pattern on walls or soft furnishings, ensure that both have one common colour for a harmonious overall look.

Particularly striking and individual are borders which can either run round the edge of a room or make a feature of an area or item. Runners look stunning on stairs and in hallways.

A current trend is to co-ordinate plain and patterned carpet.