London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Flooring expert reveals the only downstairs room you should be using carpet in

Flooring expert reveals the only downstairs room you should be using carpet in

Do you agree?

It’s safe to say that carpet in a kitchen or a bathroom is a definite ‘no’, but these aren’t the only places where carpet should be banned, according to a flooring expert.

The only rooms that should ever be carpeted downstairs are reception rooms,’ says interior designer Carla Chases of Carla Designs, ‘and even then, I think a wooden floor with rugs would be a preferable choice 90% of the time.’



For me, the best choice for long life and enduring style is always a beautiful wooden floor. Wood is timeless, naturally warm underfoot and can work equally well in a living room with the use of rugs as much as in a utility room.’

‘The right choice of wooden floor can highlight the period, style and scale of a house beautifully. And a good wooden floor will soak up sounds too.’



What about carpet upstairs?


‘Upstairs, and in hallways and on stairs, carpet is a lovely flooring,’ adds Carla, ‘it gives a warm, soft feel underfoot and helps to keep the space as cosy as possible.’

Interior designer at Greta Mae, Amy Jones, admits that she hasn’t used carpet in many recent projects, with clients requesting wooden floors, ‘although people do choose the combination of a wooden floor downstairs and then opt for carpet upstairs, as it’s soft to get out of bed on.’

So has carpet had its day?




Definitely not!’ says interior stylist and set designer Diana Civil, ‘it’s an extremely versatile tool as part of a decorating scheme. I always treat the floor as the fifth wall, so styling from the floor is a great way to go. Advances in carpet technology has meant there’s a huge range of fibres, colours, textures and patterns to choose from. It also has that wonderfully tactile-soft look and feel.’

Are neutral carpets the way to go?




‘You can only imagine how much neutral carpet I have used on decorating shoots over the years,’ says Diana, ‘but as the stylist for Carpetright, working on its trend look books each season, I am always chomping at the bit to see the new colours and patterns I can play with – to me, the more bold, imaginative and innovative, the better.

‘It does take courage to step away from neutral flooring. Perhaps transform your hallway or stairs to start, giving personality to a functional through-route and turn it into a showstopper?’

Amy is more cautious; ‘There’s a big trend towards more jewel-like colours and maximalist patterns, but these are quite a statement and would dictate everything else. I personally prefer using a neutral carpet in say a jute/wool mix and then layer the interest on top with a rug.’

Are patterned carpets over?




‘Absolutely not,’ says Diana. ‘Patterned carpet is set for a massive revival. After the gloom and doom of 2020, maximalism is set to continue with bold colour and expressive style making its mark on our homes, with florals, geometrics and animal prints taking centre stage. It’s all about self-expression, so be brave!’

Amy recommends making sure you really love a patterned carpet. ‘It’s not really part of my aesthetic,’ she says, ‘so I’d always advise clients to be 100% sure that they will like it for a long time – carpet is a big financial investment.’ Still sold on the idea of pattern, then Amy suggests going for a patterned stair runner.

Should we put the same carpet everywhere, or is it ok to mix it up?




‘Having the same carpet everywhere can help make a space feel bigger as there are no definite edges,’ says Amy.

‘It also depends on the layout of your home,’ adds Diana. ‘In a traditional home with separate rooms, I love mixing it up as it adds personality to each room, but it’s good to have one colour that links everything together. For open-plan, you can “zone” areas with different carpets or mix and match a plain with a stripe, but it needs to be done smartly so each zone works with the scale of the furniture in it.’

Lastly, are rugs on carpet a naff idea?




‘No, it’s all down to how you do it,’ says Amy. ‘If you have a neutral carpet, a rug is going to add an extra layer of texture, interest and pattern to a room. But if you have a thick-pile carpet, then I wouldn’t add a thick-pile rug on top – it would be too much, but a patterned rug over a neutral carpet adds extra colour and interest.’

Diana agrees: ‘While some people treat this as a capital sin, personally, I think it has it’s place with certain types of carpets. It’s also great for rentals, where you inherit existing carpet – a rug can transform the space and make it your own… better still, you can take it with you.

My biggest bugbear is a tiny rug in the centre of a room, topped with a coffee table and a huge gap around it before you get to the furniture,’ says Diana. ‘Always choose the largest rug that will work in your space,’ she recommends, ‘and measure before you shop.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
×