A Beginner's Guide to Choosing the Perfect Carpet for Your Home

Whether you’re renovating, revamping, or shopping for some inspiring looks to complete your new home, choosing a carpet can be the defining finishing touch to complete the space. But with a huge range of carpet colours, fabrics, and pile types to choose from, it can be tricky to find the best option to both complement your interiors and be the most practical option. 

Fear not, as our carpet buying guide for UK homes is designed to help first-time buyers, DIY-ers, or landlords find the best fit for your individual property. We’ll guide you through the different carpet types, styles, and materials, so that you can choose a beautiful yet durable carpet for every room.

Understanding Carpet Types

Carpet types are usually split into categories based on the material – usually wool, polyester or nylon – and whether they’re tufted or woven. Within these categories, they can also be classified by their pile type, commonly loop, cut, or cut-and-loop. Our carpet buying guide covers some of the main carpet types you’re likely to come across, and how they differ from one another in both look, feel, and performance.

Carpet Styles: Twist Pile, Saxony, Wilton and Berber Loop Pile

• Twist pile carpets are one of the most popular choices of carpets for homes. Their dense pile is loved for that firm feel you get underfoot while remaining comfortable and soft. With a high-quality construction, these carpets are resistant to wear and tear and are durable in high-traffic areas.

• Saxony carpets are a deep-pile carpet and are considered a more luxurious option. There’s nothing quite like the feel of a soft, luxury Saxony carpet underfoot after a long day. At Online Carpets, we’re proud to stock a range of colours and styles to suit all budgets.

• Wilton carpets combine a luxury feel with hard-wearing qualities, with some boasting more striking and stylish colours and patterns. Known for being soft yet able to withstand busy homes, our chic Wilton carpets are woven around the pile yarn with loops and come in a range of finishes.

• Berber loop pile carpets are considered one of the most versatile options, suitable for almost any area. Elegant and durable, Berber carpets are known for being hard-wearing and ideal for higher-traffic areas such as hallways, stairs, and living rooms. The flecked appearance can also hide dirt and marks, and natural wool options add a uniquely luxurious feel.

Materials: Wool, Polypropylene, Polyamide, and Polyester

• Wool carpets are made from natural wool fibres known for their softness, resilience, and remarkable insulating qualities. Wool carpets are a great way to bring warmth and a classic, rustic air to a room with their soft feel underfoot and durability. Our wool carpets come in a choice of high-quality 100% wool or a wool mix, which can offer additional stain resistance.

• Polyamide carpets are also known as nylon carpets. Polyamide is a manmade fibre that is hard-wearing and naturally stain-resistant. Polyamide offers really vivid colours, which can be great if you're creating a style statement or themed room. Plus, this fabric style is both soft and luxurious.

• Polyester carpets are also crafted from a manmade fibre that is hard-wearing with stain-resistant properties. Versatile and long-lasting, these carpets are suitable throughout busy homes, as they are also extremely soft underfoot and come in a wide choice of patterns and shades.

• Polypropylene carpets are made from another manmade fibre that is hard-wearing and naturally stain-resistant. Polypropylene is very popular because of its stain resistance and softness, and it can even be cleaned with dilute bleach, making it ideal for homes with pets and children.

Carpet Buying Guide UK: Factors to Consider

Before buying your carpet, it’s important to consider a few key factors to help you choose the best option for your home. From working out what will fit your space and budget, to thinking about how durable or stain-resistant you’ll need your carpet to be, here are a few pointers.

Budget and Cost Per Square Metre

Before looking at styles and colours, your budget will likely be the first consideration. We’re proud to stock affordable budget carpets (up to £9.99m²), mid-range quality carpets (from £10m² - £15m²), and luxury styles (over £15m²) to suit every price range. Don’t forget that you’ll also need to add on the costs of carpet underlay, carpet accessories and fitting costs per square metre, unless you’re fitting the carpet yourself. 

Durability and Foot Traffic - Recommend durable carpets for busy homes

Once you’ve measured the space and agreed on your budget, it’s time to choose your preferred style of carpet. We recommend that this decision be based on the type of room where the carpet will be fitted, as well as the household usage. Some carpets, such as manmade twist piles, are designed specifically for heavy foot traffic, as well as being easy to clean, so they work well in hallways, on stairs, and in thoroughfares. We usually recommend saving the more luxury styles, such as soft, deep pile styles, for less busy areas such as bedrooms or lounges. At Online Carpets, you can browse recommended carpets by room to help you select the best option for the space. Once you’ve picked the best style, it’s time for the fun part…choosing your carpet colours!

Stain Resistance and Maintenance 

Other factors to consider include whether you have pets, children, or multiple occupancy homes, which may make mud, stains, and spills more likely. A synthetic fibre, which is naturally stain-resistant and can easily be cleaned and maintained, is highly recommended for children’s rooms, dining rooms, or living rooms. Our range of best-selling stain-resistant carpets includes Liberty Heathers Twist Pile, Star Twist, and Avalon Saxony Feltback Carpet. They’re all 100% Polypropylene, easy to maintain with regular vacuuming, are stain-resistant and moisture-resistant, and cleanable with a watered-down bleach solution. Read more about carpet cleaning on our blog.

Which Carpet Type is Best for Which Room? Choosing the Best Carpet for Bedrooms and Living Areas

Your choice of carpet should be tailored to each room, for comfort and practicality. Of course, some durable synthetic carpets are universal and can be used throughout the home if you’d like a uniform look and feel, but it’s perfectly possible to vary colours and styles to match each room’s usage and colour scheme.

Best Carpet for Bedrooms: Softness and Insulation 

One of the best carpets for bedrooms is a Saxony carpet. Luxuriously soft and perfect for cosy rooms where you want a little more comfort and warmth underfoot, our Saxony carpets come in a range of colours and shades to match your décor with stunning designs. A great choice for your bedroom is the Polaris Luxury Saxony Carpet, iSense Serenity Carpet, and Conan Loop Feltback Carpet, available in a stylish selection of shades.

Best Carpet for High-Traffic Areas

For living rooms, a twist pile carpet made from a durable polyester, such as iSense Splendour, or a polyamide material, like Apollo Plus, is recommended. This is because they’re highly resistant to heavy foot traffic and easy to clean and maintain, even when stains and spills are more likely. Wool mix carpets, such as Pembroke Twist, are also popular choices as they boast stain resistance as well as natural warmth and comfort in the winter months. Appleton Loop is a popular budget option if you’re looking to save money, or try our striking Chile Herringbone for a contemporary style statement. Popular carpet colours for living rooms include patterned styles or flecked cool greys, which are less likely to show visible marks.

When it comes to dining rooms, hallways, and stairways, Wilton carpets can be a great choice. Combining a luxurious and long-lasting appeal, our range includes traditional patterns from Illusion, tartan designs from Midas, or even daring animal prints from the Horizon range to create a unique focal point.

Kid- and Pet-Friendly Carpet Options

For homes with pets and children, resilience and cleanability will be top of your agenda. Kids, of course, will likely have their own opinions on colours and patterns, too, to create their perfect space. For communal areas where children and pets play, our StainGuard Harvest Heathers Supreme Carpet is cosy, practical, comfy underfoot, and is highly stain-resistant. 

For bedrooms, add a touch of sparkle to a practical and easy-to-maintain carpet with our Glitter Twist range, or opt for vibrant colours and creative designs to inspire their play, which feel soft underfoot but are reassuringly durable and easy to clean. For further inspiration and guidance, read our blog about the best pet-friendly carpets, and browse our recommendations for the best carpets for children’s bedrooms, as chosen by our experts.

Carpet Colours and Styles 

Choosing a carpet to match your décor can mean opting for a calming neutral colour to draw attention elsewhere, or an eye-catching design to create your own focal point in the room. The era of your home, your theme, as well as personal tastes will guide your decision, but ultimately you’ll want something which is going to last for many years to come.

Matching Colours to Interior Décor 

The best carpet colour for many people is one which makes the room feel larger, lighter, and more welcoming. Light greys and beige or taupe shades are classic choices, which reflect natural light and complement almost any colour scheme, wallpaper, or feature wall. If you’re looking for something a little more daring, and you have space and natural light in the room, a darker colour such as navy blue can look contemporary and cosy. 

Trends in Carpet Colours

If you want something a little different, multi-coloured styles, such as stripes, can give the room an instant makeover and give it more of an interior design feel. Herringbone greys are also a very popular choice at the moment, with the added benefit of hiding stains well in hallways and living rooms. Jewel tones are currently on trend when it comes to living, dining, and bedroom areas, and warm neutral tones arguably never go out of fashion. Cream carpets are frequently cited in magazines and showhomes, and if you’re brave enough, they can look chic in a bedroom or adults-only lounge.

Neutral vs. Bold Choices 

A-listers may love their off-white carpets, but are they really practical in a family home? If you have children or pets, should you go for a bright, dark or strongly patterned carpet instead? Here are the pros and cons of neutral colours vs more bold carpet choices.

We always advise ordering samples before buying, to place the carpet in the room to see how any colours or patterns will look in your unique home and colour scheme. Online Carpets offers a sample service, so you can compare colours and patterns and try before you buy.

Carpet Buying Guide UK: What to Ask

Our experts here at Online Carpets are here to help and advise you every step of the way when choosing your ideal carpets. Here’s what to ask before making a purchase, and why you should choose Online Carpets for your new flooring:

Questions to Ask Before Buying:

• What is the best carpet for bedrooms/living rooms/stairs/hallways?

• Will the carpet be suitable for use in high-traffic areas?

• Which pile height is recommended based on your personal preference and budget?

• Will the fibre be suitable for pets, children and foot traffic?

• Is the carpet stain-resistant?

• Can bleach and other chemicals be safely used to clean the material?

• Which underlay do you recommend?

• Does it come with a guarantee?

• Is the carpet resistant to moisture and UV light?

• Are there any long-term cleaning or specific maintenance requirements?

• What is the lead time on the carpet?

• Can you deliver to my doorstep?

• Can you recommend a local fitter?

Online Carpets: Your Go-to Carpet Retailer in the UK 

Online Carpets is your go-to, trusted carpet supplier, with fast delivery to your home within just 2 to 5 working days. We proudly stock a huge range of colours, styles, and collections to suit all budgets, with a price guarantee to offer you peace of mind that you’re always getting the lowest price possible. With our expert guidance and support on hand to help you, why go anywhere else? Shop our range today and opt for cosy carpets to give comfort underfoot all year round, giving any room an instant lift.

Ready to Add a Stylish Base to Your Home? 

Shop our selection of carpets today, from purse-friendly budget options to luxury carpets to revamp your bedroom, living room, hallway or dining area. Whether you go big and bold, or opt for a timeless neutral shade, don’t forget to order up to six samples to see your perfect patterns in situ. Be inspired by our diverse selection of colours, styles, and materials, and turn your house into a comforting home with this essential finishing touch to reflect your tastes.