The Floor Room guide to choosing a carpet
Need a little help choosing your dream carpet? You’ve come to the right place. The Floor Room carpet buying guide is designed to help you understand your carpet options and introduce you to our huge choice of carpet styles, patterns, textures and colours.
Not sure what extras your new carpet needs? Our underlay and flooring accessories buying guide is for you.
Keeping an open mind on the type of flooring you want? Take a look at all our flooring buying guides.
Why choose carpet for your floor?
If you’ve decided on carpet as your flooring of choice for your home, congratulations. It’s a decision you likely won’t regret and for plenty of very good reasons.
10 reasons to love carpet
- Carpet always feels lovely underfoot.
- Carpet comes in a huge range of styles, patterns and colours to suit any decor look.
- Carpet can be a sustainable flooring choice, especially if you choose one made from renewable fibres.
- Carpet can significantly reduce a room’s noise level.
- Carpet gives any room a warm and cosy look.
- Carpet can help insulate a room – and even lower your energy bills.
- Carpets are generally easy to care for, and many are stain resistant.
- Carpet provides a soft, safe surface for small children and anyone who might trip and fall.
- Carpet is available at all price points and can actually be a very budget-friendly flooring option.
- Carpet can even trap allergy-causing particles that might otherwise be breathed in.
How to choose your carpet by material
The carpet material – or carpet fibre – that's right for you and your home depends on a few factors. To find the right one, have a quick run through these questions.
The top 4 questions to ask yourself when choosing carpet fibre
Question 1. How do you want your carpet to feel underfoot? Some people love the softness of a thick pile carpet, and some don’t.
Question 2. How hardwearing does your carpet material need to be? Think about the room you’ll be carpeting and how much foot traffic it gets.
Question 3. What carpet look are you going for? If you have a specific colour, pattern or texture in mind, you might find that some carpet fibres are more suitable than others.
Question 4. What’s your carpet budget? At The Floor Room you’ll find a huge selection of carpets at all prices.
Let’s take a look at different types of carpet fibres and what they're best for.
Carpets made from natural fibres
From top-end wool loop pile carpets to rugged sisal carpets, there’s a natural fibre carpet that’ll transform just about any space.
Natural fibre carpets look good, will keep your place cosy, muffle noise and stand up to plenty of foot traffic. Natural fibre carpets also come from renewable sources, so they’re a more sustainable choice.
Wool carpets
Wool carpets hold warmth and look great in any style of room. Wool is also a resilient and hardy fibre that’s resistant to spills and stains and has a natural spring that bounces back from footfall.
For an even more robust alternative – especially for homes with kids or pets – take a look at our wool-blend carpets. These are made from real wool mixed with man-made fibres and are designed to offer all the advantages of wool carpets along with extra durability and a lower price point.
Sisal carpets
Sisal is a sustainably sourced and biodegradable plant-derived fibre that’s woven into a rugged textured carpet. This high-performance carpet is ideal for busy rooms and areas like hallways and staircases.
Sisal carpets might not be the softest on bare feet, but they need minimal maintenance and offer a natural organic look that many people love. Sisal doesn’t do well with lots of moisture, though, so keep it clear of wet areas.
Carpets made from man-made fibres
Synthetic carpets have come a long way. Today’s man-made fibre carpets match the benefits of natural carpets – and have some very useful extra advantages. And there’s really no limit to the range of colours and patterns that they offer.
Polypropylene carpets
Behind this scientific-sounding name you’ll find an impressive all-rounder. Polypropylene carpets are exceptionally hardwearing. They can take almost any kind of stain – even cleaning products containing bleach – and still come clean.
Polypropylene carpets are resistant to moisture and mildew, so they can cope with bathrooms, basements or kitchens. And they offer a wool carpet-like appearance at a fraction of the cost.
Polyamide carpets
Another word for nylon, Polyamide is used to make carpets that have a premium look and feel but come in at a more affordable price. Polyamide carpet fibres are soft but durable, and spring back after being flattened by foot traffic or heavy furniture. They’re a great choice for hallways, living rooms and kids’ bedrooms.
While Polyamide carpets are made out of petroleum, not itself a renewable resource, they are usually recyclable.
How to choose your carpet by type
All carpets are made with their fibres looped over. They’re either left this way for a firm, textured finish – these are called loop pile carpets. Or the loops are cut so the ends stand upwards for an overall softer, smoother finish – these are called cut pile carpets.
Berber carpets
Replicating the look and feel of traditional handwoven Berber carpets, modern Berber carpets feel great underfoot and are fairly family friendly.
Berber carpet pros:
- Soft
- Robust
- Resists stains
- Something for every budget
Berber carpet cons:
- Irresistible to claws so not ideal for homes with pets
- May unravel over time and with wear
Loop pile carpets
Standard loop pile carpets have a texture that can stand up to almost anything.
Loop pile carpet pros:
- Firm underfoot
- Resists stains
- Long-lasting good looks
Loop pile carpet cons:
- Looser loops can snag
- They’re not the best for sinking toes into
- Not ideal if you have cats
Cut pile carpets have a dense and durable pile and come in a wide range of pile heights.
Twist carpets
Twist carpets – so called because the fibres are twisted tightly during manufacturing – are an attractive all-rounder.
Twist carpet pros:
- Firm underfoot
- Resists wear and tear
- Easy to look after
Twist carpet cons:
- The greater the number of twists, the more they cost
- They’re not the softest underfoot
Saxony carpets
If you’re looking for an all-out glamour carpet look, then a Saxony carpet might be right for you.
Saxony carpet pros:
- Super soft
- Very warm
- Looks expensive
Saxony carpet cons:
- Shows footprints
- Will flatten over time
- Not for tight budgets
Velvet carpets
Velvet carpets look fabulous and are surprisingly low fuss.
Velvet carpet pros:
- Incredibly smooth
- Offer a low-cost luxury look
- Quick and easy to vacuum
Velvet carpet cons:
- Spills can stain
- Flattens under furniture
Cut and loop pile carpets
Cut and loop pile carpets have patterns that are created by the difference in texture between the cut pile fibres and the looped fibres. Cut and loop carpets are an excellent choice if you’re looking for a patterned carpet.
Cut and loop pile carpet pros:
- Offered in a wide choice of bold, bright looks
- Very soft and plush underfoot
Cut and loop pile carpet cons:
- Quicker to show wear
How to choose your carpet by room
Different kinds of carpets are better for different types of rooms. Let’s take a walk through the average home to see what carpet goes where best.
Best carpets for living rooms
Your living room is likely the social centre of your home as well as being one of your most-used rooms. It needs a carpet that delivers on both style and practicality.
Consider a dense, plush Saxony carpet for a luxury living room look. Or, if your living room has plenty of foot traffic or it’s a place where furniture tends to get moved around to accommodate guests, consider a carpet that holds its shape better like a Berber carpet.
Lighter coloured carpets look beautiful in a living room, but a darker carpet is more forgiving if you’ve got kids or pets.
Best carpets for dining rooms
Dining room carpets can get a surprising amount of wear and tear for a room that you might not use every day. Just think about all that heavy dining room furniture, dining chairs being pushed in and pulled out, and the very real possibility of food and drink spillages.
Opt for a resilient, easy-clean carpet and consider a pattern that can quickly camouflage any stains.
Designer pro tip: consider laying the same stylish but hardwearing carpet in both your living room and dining room to visually connect the two rooms.
Best carpets for bedrooms
Turn your bedroom into your sanctuary with a luxurious deep-pile carpet that feels amazing underfoot.
Carpet is also a good idea for younger children's bedrooms as it provides a safe surface for falls and can help with noise reduction.
As bedrooms tend to be lower-traffic – or at least shoe-free – you might want to choose a lighter coloured carpet. Equally, a dark carpet paired with deep-toned walls can create a cocooning, boutique hotel-like space.
A good carpet underlay will enhance the warm cushioned feel you’re after and it’ll extend the life of your new carpet too.
Best carpets for hallways and stairs
As hallways, stairs and landings are some of the most walked-on areas of your home, they demand hardwearing carpet made from a robust natural fibre like wool or a strong man-made fibre like nylon.
A twist carpet or a dense loop carpet are good choices for heavy foot traffic as both retain their shape helping you avoid temporary footprints or more permanent indentations and pile crushing.
Carpet colour is an especially important consideration for a hallway or entryway. A light colour carpet might feel bright and welcoming but will inevitably show dirt
How to choose the colour of your carpet
Even if you’re drawn to the colour red, for example, in all other aspects of your life – clothing, cars, trainers – a red carpet might not be what your home needs. Instead, ask yourself these three simple questions to find the right colour of carpet for your room.
The top 3 questions to ask yourself when choosing carpet colour
Question 1. How do you want your room to feel?
Colour can transform the mood of a room. Warm tones of red, brown, orange and yellow will make your space feel lively and cosy, while cooler colours like blues, greys and greens will keep things feeling calm and relaxing.
Question 2. How much will you use the room?
Think practically. Light carpet colours are lovely for a low-use room, but a darker carpet is going to be a lot more forgiving in a space that gets lots of activity.
Question 3. What other colours are in the room?
A plain carpet will set off a bright interior colour scheme, while a neutral room can take a bolder carpet. For a cohesive space, keep your walls and carpet within a couple of tones of each other or go for a space-enhancing floor-to-ceiling tonal look.
Best and worst carpets for households with pets
Most cats and dogs will heartily approve of your decision to choose carpet for your flooring as they’re warm and cosy and – especially for cats – a great surface for claw-sharpening. You, on the other hand, might have a different idea. Here’s what’s best to choose and what’s best to avoid when you’re carpet-shopping for your pet-friendly home.
Most pet-friendly carpets
Lower pile carpets are best for homes with pets. Darker and patterned carpets are easier to keep clean and may show less pet hair, depending of course on the colour of your cat or dog.
It’s fair to say that while carpet can work for homes with pets, hard flooring like laminate flooring or engineered wood flooring might be a better option.
Least pet-friendly carpets
Avoid loop pile carpets altogether if you have pets as pet claws can get caught in carpet fibre loops.
If you do decide to go with carpet, be sure to read the manufacturer's care instructions before you buy to see if and how your carpet can be deep cleaned.
Flooring for households with pets
Laminate flooring for homes with pets
Water-resistant and easy to clean, laminate flooring is an excellent choice for homes with pets. Mopping up after a wet dog with muddy paws is effortless, and if scratches do happen, they tend to be less noticeable on a laminate floor, especially a patterned laminate floor.
Explore our laminate flooring
Luxury vinyl flooring for homes with pets
Hardwearing luxury vinyl flooring really stands up to daily wear and tear, especially that of the dog and cat variety. Scratch-resistant and waterproof, it’s an excellent choice for homes with pets.
Explore our luxury vinyl flooring
Engineered wood flooring for homes with pets
Engineered wood flooring is softer and more easily scratched than some of our other hard flooring types. However, because of its top layer of solid wood veneer, scratches tend to be less noticeable – especially on a matt-finished wood floor – and only add to its authentic real wood look.
This type of flooring is very easy to keep clean as pet hair and dander can be simply swept or mopped away.
Explore engineered wood flooring
We’re here to answer all your carpet questions
You’ll find answers to some common carpet choosing questions over on our FAQs page.
If we’ve not answered your question there, just pop into your local store and have a chat with one of our flooring experts. They can answer all your carpet questions and help you choose the best carpet for you and your home – and their advice is completely free.
If you'd like to see some carpet possibilities in your own home, you can request up to four free carpet samples, or you can book an in-home consultation with a flooring expert to discuss your carpet options, view samples and take advantage of our free measuring and cost estimate service.
Your next steps to fabulous flooring
Request free flooring samples - launching October 2023