Laminate may be the golden child when it comes to modern domestic flooring, but when you’ve got a climate as changeable as ours, it’s always a good idea to have carpet as an option.
It’s the ideal covering for every room that doesn’t have a water point: think kitchens and bathrooms, where easy, wipe clean surfaces such as tiling will always fare better and cause less of a cleaning nightmare. Living rooms, halls, bedrooms and home offices are prime areas to lay down carpet.
There are many pros to opting for carpet: it can help insulate the home, muffle the sound of noisy neighbours, and provide a welcome extra layer of toe-scrunching warmth in the winter months.
If you’re considering carpet as part of your home renovations, there are plenty of places to browse online. We’ve done the hard work and gathered them all in one place to help streamline the moodboarding and shopping experience.
See our little black book of the best carpet brands to know in the UK below
Carpetright
Think of carpets and few will think of a brand other than Carpetright, a leader in its field.
The company offers a huge range of flooring, from vinyl and wood and laminate flooring to rugs, and of course, carpets. It has plenty of tools and services to help you pick out your next style of covering, from a Flooring Visualiser and four free samples delivered straight to your door, to a free home visit for a designs and measure consultation. Carpetright even offers a price guarantee and will beat a competing quote from another UK retailer so you always get the right price.
Choose from elegant high-plush styles that you can sink your toes into, to robust carpets designed to withstand years of high footfall.
Buy now, Carpetright
Tapi
You’ll find all sorts of flooring over at Tapi, with vinyl, laminate, engineered wood and even faux grass in the mix alongside a pleasingly wide range of carpets. From woven, twist, Saxony, grey, blue, brown, patterned or striped - think of a carpet style, and Tapi likely offers it - there’s even an excellent collection of animal print carpets for the statement-seekers.
Browse the collection of carpets by colour, room suitability, its hardiness, the fibres and style as well as special offers - there are some at up to 50 per cent off.
Buy now, Tapi
John Lewis
The department store chain has it all, including a decent line-up of carpets to add warmth and dimension to your home. From 100 per cent wool options to velvet and various twists and loops, there’s piles of options to choose from. If you like the idea of making your carpet a feature, don’t miss the patterned options from Axminster and Adam Carpets, both brands stocked by the retailer alongside its own in-house selection.
Buy now, John Lewis
ScS
Thought it was all sofas at ScS? Think again. The store has a section for carpets and flooring with plenty of guides to help you through the browsing, measuring and fitting processes, whether you’re planning to DIY your new carpet or send in the professionals. If you’re looking for a new pile to lift your lounge or need hard wearing weaves for stairs and hallways, there’s plenty of options on offer.
Buy now, ScS
Axminster Carpets
So marvelled are Wetherspoons’ carpets that there is an Instagram account and a book dedicated to documenting the pub chain’s floor coverings.
Devon-based company and Royal Warrant holder Axminster Carpets is partly responsible for the bespoke designs, which cost between £20,000 - £30,000 a pop. Whether you’re after an equally conversation-starting design or you’d like something a little more toned down, Axminster has options to delight.
Buy now, Axminster Carpets
