Wooden flooring or Carpet?

[discobarry]

Hello everybody, me and my new wife recently bought the cottage i posted some pics of some time ago and now we are trying to make a decision on the flooring for the front room. Now we live pretty high up in the Pennines so it gets pretty parky up here and at present the living room which is a large beamed living room has carpet flooring at present with concrete underneath as a base(from the renovation).

We would ideally like a nice light oak flooring but we worry about the temperature of the room as a result, but we think with the correct under fittings this shouldn't be an issue, or am i wrong?

So the question is to wooden floor or to carpet, answers on a postcard please.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Many congratulations on your purchase; I'm sure you'll be very happy there.

As there's concrete there already, and no doubt there are many other things to buy, my vote is carpet. I took the carpet up everywhere and spent many weeks doing the boards, now I'm longing for big rugs for all the rooms and can't really afford the ones I want! Fitted carpet would have been easier, cheaper and warmer, and I'm seriously considering reinstating one in the bedroom.

I'm sure our suspended wood floors are a lot gappier and draughtier than many on here - the plus side is no condensation or damp.

 

[DJH]

Mrs DJH has today come home with a length of scrubbable carpet ( she says it's a runner) to put in front of the sink and cooker to cover up the wear and tear of our polished solid oak in the kitchen. I wish now we had put quarry tiles in that area instead of wood.

 

[worms]

Yes, we used to have a warm bedroom... We lifted the two (!) carpets and the underfelt, then sanded and varnished the wood floor. It looks good, but it is no longer a warm room. The hall on the other hand was a mix of concrete and quarry tiles over concrete, now carpeted and not nearly as arctic as it used to be.

 

[Sonyaclegg]

Wooden floor and luxurious thick large rug. Best of both worlds.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Mm, agree, but deep pockets needed.

Plus if you plan to get big antique multi coloured rugs ( and there are some good bargains to be had especially in auctions) then I think plain neutral walls or picking out a colour of the rug, not doing as I've done and using patterned wallpapers and then trying to find a rug to blend in. I know you see a mix of patterns in country houses but you can get away with more on that vast scale, plus in the really successful Neo Classical interiors the carpets were always woven to echo the patterns of the ceiling.

 

[LadyArowana]

Plus if you plan to get big antique multi coloured rugs ( and there are some good bargains to be had especially in auctions) then I think plain neutral walls or picking out a colour of the rug, not doing as I've done and using patterned wallpapers and then trying to find a rug to blend in. I know you see a mix of patterns in country houses but you can get away with more on that vast scale, plus in the really successful Neo Classical interiors the carpets were always woven to echo the patterns of the ceiling.

A lot of the old oriental carpets have a certain colour palatte and design because originally they only had natural dyes available. The earliest chemical dyes were not nearly as stable as what we have today and even though they gave good results initially, over time there could be bad results. I believe certain areas even banned chemical dyes because they were concerned for the reputation of their products. Of course natural dyes suffered from some fading and deterioration too, but nevertheless the overall look seemed to remain harmonious. Modern chemical dyes don't suffer in this way, but a lot of the production seems to stick to a traditional look. I wouldn't say you would never get a 3 by 4 metre medallion floral Tabriz on a purple background, but it might take a long time to find!!! On the other hand if you fancy a blue and white Nain then it shouldn't be a problem. Some workshops produce contemporary designs, but I think the jury is still out on how well they will age in terms of style. The last carpet I bought the chap would have discounted the modern ones much more heavily because they want them out the door in case the fashion changes, they figure a classic will always have a market Strictly speaking anything handmade that has a pile is "knotted" while something flat like a kelim or an aubusson is woven ( or sewn if it is a needlepoint one ). I totally agree that there are some good bargains about at auction, although they often look better on the web than close up, easier to tell the quality from the back, the clearer the pattern and the more knots in an inch square the better.

 

[DJH]

I thoroughly enjoyed that your Ladyship. Maybe I should collect carpets? :roll: :roll: