How to choose the perfect carpet or rug for any floor space

Tread softly as we offer the essential guide to making the best choice for every floor space

With hard flooring and a massive rug, the soft and hard flooring question is not an either/or. Kaleidoscope rug in New Zealand Wool by artisan weavers, from €1849, sonyawinner.com.

Carpets may have been rolled out of prime position in the flooring market in favour of the hard stuff (tile, hardwood flooring and a variety of laminate and engineered timber types), but it’s still the softest place to fall. With its aesthetic appeal and gentle going, it has proven performance from sound absorption to air quality management and presents an easy install, character and great value for money even in a desirable quality wool mix.

It’s vital to first assess the room in which the carpet is being fitted and then to look at whole-life cost, not simply the price tag per metre.