IT'S one of the key decisions you'll make when you move into a new home – what type of flooring to choose. For many years from around the mid-1990s, laminate and wooden flooring became almost the default setting for trendy interiors. But today, other options are becoming much more popular.
Vinyl and tiles offer a practical but versatile alternative to the bare appearance of floorboards, with the chance to experiment with colour and pattern, while carpet is also making a massive comeback.
Now, Nottingham-based Hillarys, the UK's largest supplier of made-to-measure blinds, shutters and curtains, is expanding its product range with the introduction of carpets and vinyls.
Initially available only for customers in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, the service will be based around home visits.
"These are exciting times for Hillarys," says Sarah Quilliam, head of product design.
"Introducing floor coverings to our wide range of products is a natural step for us. It makes complete sense to bring our 40 years' experience of in-home design to carpets."
Sarah says she thinks that, as with window dressings, choosing carpets in the comfort of their own home will appeal to customers.
"People generally want to see how a fabric or carpet will look against other furnishings and in both natural and artificial light," she says. "With our service, there's no need to visit a carpet showroom, we'll bring our 'store' to the customer's home. We'll measure up and then return to fit. We'll even remove any furniture, take away your old floor covering and vacuum your new one for a flawless finish."
Sarah thinks carpets, in particular, are about to make a huge comeback this year.
"It's soft and comforting underfoot, it's also a fabulous way to bring in texture, colour and even pattern," she says.
"A carpet can help keep heat in, reduce noise and provide the perfect update to any room. Even better, a carpet feels especially cosy on colder nights.
"Across all generations, family is more important than ever, and people are placing more emphasis on making their homes a safe and cocooning retreat and base for entertaining."
Gone are the days of stark minimalism, magnolia walls and "keeping up with the Joneses", she says. Today's home is all about comfortable, relaxing, snug and personal rooms.
"There are no hard and fast rules to follow in order to achieve this. While we may never entirely tire of neutrals, interior styles have become much more individual, mismatched and quirky. Hard times call for high hopes and we want colour, pattern and texture around us. Carpets add a cosy comfort that can help provide that."
Here are Sarah's tips on carpet trends and styles:
Listen to the God of Trends and you may hear that bold colour and geometric patterns are the big emerging carpet trends. That's fine for those mega homes we see in "aspirational" magazines but a little hard to live with for the vast majority of us. If you do want to shake things up a bit but flinch at the idea of wall-to-wall orange, then try introducing something other than neutral in smaller portions.
Hallways and stairways are perfect areas for strong pattern and colour, as they can add character to an otherwise unremarkable space. Because you don't spend any length of time there, the bold statement is easier to live with. Stripes look especially attractive.
Whereas it used to be routine to opt for the same carpet throughout, more people are choosing to mix styles, albeit in a complementary colour palette.
Carpets come in an array of styles and textures that can add an extra dimension to your colour or pattern choice. There are essentially two types – cut pile and loop pile. Loop pile is where the fibre is threaded through the backing and back through the front again, forming a series of loops. Cut pile carpet has had the tops of the loops cut so that the fibre stands upright.
The type of carpets offered by Hillarys include:
Twist –made from yarn that has been tightly twisted and set to form a pile with a textured surface. Twists are available in a rich palette of plain colours and heather options. Heathers are made using a blend of complementary coloured fibres to create a subtle, tonal effect.
Best rooms: These are an excellent choice for busy areas, from living and dining rooms to hall, stairs and landings. The dense pile bounces back from being walked on and furniture marks, so you can enjoy a luxurious carpet with looks that will last.
Saxony – luxurious and beautifully soft, these carpets add an air of understated elegance to any room. They can be rich, dense and velvet-like or, where the twisted yarn is longer, they can have a luxurious, tumble-down appearance that looks and feels gorgeous. If you're going to go barefoot, this is the carpet to have underfoot.
Best rooms: bedrooms
Berber – carpets with a tufted appearance that bring texture and a rustic appearance to any room. It's a classic look that will never date, which is just as well as Berber carpets are renowned for their durability.
Best rooms: any.
Loop – a loop pile carpet has a rich and varied texture that's hard-wearing and will hide footprints and marks.
Best rooms: busy areas of your home.
Guide to materials:
Wool is a common carpet fibre. It has a soft feel and doesn't flatten easily.
Nylon is strong and doesn't flatten easily.
Polyester is easy to clean and wears well.
Polypropylene is stain-resistant but can flatten easily.
80:20 is a mixture of 80% wool and 20% synthetic fibre such as nylon or polyester. Fibres are blended together to produce yarns with stronger characteristics than if they were on their own.
Prices for carpets range from £11.98 to £40.34 per square metre, including fitting. For more information, contact Hillarys on 0800 587 6427 or visit hillarys.co.uk.