In association with Godfrey Hirst and Feltex.
Pros know to start from the ground up when establishing the look and feel of an interior. Your flooring influences each and every space, so how about we walk you through some steps to success?
A good yarn
Wool or wood? Leaders for luxury and family-friendly options, Feltex and Godfrey Hirst are onto each with their comprehensive ranges of carpet and engineered timber. With them in your back pocket, your first step is to define the functional needs of your household.
Obviously wool is excellent for instilling cosiness, and for comfort if sitting or playing on the floor are pastimes at your place. Feltex stocks a variety of cut- and loop-pile carpets, and each has its own virtues.
Excellent for busy zones, durable cut-pile carpet comes in twist and plush varieties — twist having a luxurious feel and a smooth finish, and plush with a dense pile that creates a more formal look and velvety shading.
For those who like to stay current, loop-pile carpets are having a moment for the way they up the visual and tactile interest in a space. When choosing between level or textured loops, take into account the look you like, the room’s function and the likely volume of foot traffic.
The uniformity of level loops results in a more tailored appearance. Resilient against breakage and pulling, this style of carpet is tenacious too, plus the loops’ tight construction means it doesn’t show footprints. Textured loops are of varying heights, so they’re chunkier and softer underfoot. They’re hard-wearing, but may be slightly more prone to snagging; just take a little extra care and your premium carpet will reliably step up to the task.
Board meeting
And so to wood. Busy spill zones such as your kitchen and dining areas benefit from the robust nature of hard flooring, and timber is a fantastic material for bringing visual warmth and plenty of practicality to these public zones of your home. Consider the size and lighting of a space when weighing up timber types. Do you want it to feel bright and airy, or more intimate? Pale timber can optically open up a room, whereas darker alternatives impart richness and depth.
Once you’ve landed on the hue, size matters, as the width of your floorboards also influences the mood of a room. Broader planks result in fewer seams and give the appearance of greater square footage, a contemporary look we love for expansive open-plan interiors. If the shoe’s on the other foot and you’re decorating a small room, standard-sized planks offer flexibility for all sorts of spaces.
Next, you could get creative with your installation, opting for patterns such as herringbone or chevron. These are simultaneously classic and current, befitting both modern and heritage houses.
Being a natural product, part of the charm of timber is that it may change colour over time (especially in the first few months in its new home), leading to a lighter or darker appearance and continuing to age gracefully through the years. Keep this in mind when selecting your flooring and ask the advice of an expert when you buy, to be sure your flooring’s final destination will be right where you want it.
This is where window coverings come in as well, to protect your flooring from being exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods. Moving your rugs and furniture now and again will also mitigate the inevitable effects of everyday wear and tear — a sign of life well lived.
What’ll it be?
Part of the fun of curating an interior that’s unique to you is in defining your style and expressing it room by room. In most cases, that means layering, and where flooring is concerned, you might:
– coordinate the colours of your carpet and floorboards so they’re of a similar depth. This kind of cohesion encourages a sense of calm and an easy visual transition from one to the other as you travel through the house.
– order free samples from Feltex or Godfrey Hirst online to help you create a mood board and identify the undertones of the options you’re drawn to, which will make achieving cohesion much easier. Even if you’re opting for a neutral palette, knowing whether you skew towards cool whites and greys or warm creams and browns will help you narrow in on compatible choices.
– forget cohesion and create contrast instead by combining wool and wood in pale and dark colours. For instance, dark herringbone floorboards could be teamed with a light, loop-pile rug to striking effect.
godfreyhirst.com; feltex.com
Words Alice Lines
Photography Simon Wilson