carpet or paint first?

And your in the right, Jings. There's only one finish and that's white gloss.
And I agree about paint now taking a long time to harden off.

Thanks everybody I would definitely paint first then get the carpet laid . I don't need them to match, just complement each other. I am unsure what colour I would like and cannot decide whether to just choose a carpet I like and work from there. Or look for a paint colour I fancy and the find a carpet. I guess I need a neutral carpet again so I can just repaint the walls in future. If money was no object I might buy something more unusual that I could just replace if I get bored of it!

And I've just had DH do all the bedrooms, and the landing, using gloss!

Well, I like it. So there!

No gloss paint anywhere in our house

Oh, is gloss old fashioned?! We've tried satin finish but have gone back to gloss.

Have learned the hard way....choose a neutral colour for carpet, idealy with fine pattern or speckle (better for not showing dirt) and then buy best quality you can afford. A carpet should stay for years yet its easy to change the colour of the walls! Its also easy to do a few match pots to get the colour right.

Does anyone still paint gloss on skirting boards?

Lazy me.....satin finish/dries quickly.

Paint the walls and skirting first! You will be on the floor if you get paint on a new carpet. But remember to leave plenty of time for the gloss on the skirting to dry out. It seems to take ages these days!

I would choose the carpet first then the paint, but I would do the painting before the carpet was laid. Good luck!

Choose your paint and carpet to go together, in whichever way you like, but paint the walls first.

I'd hate to get paint on a new carpet!

Sorry I didn't read the OP properly.
I agree with all shysal says.

Paint first because it will be easier to do it before you put a new carpet down.

The carpet will be the more expensive item, so I would choose that first. Hopefully it will last for many years, so something fairly neutral, so that the wall colours can be changed from time to time to update the look of the room.
Hope you find what you are looking for.

Are you sure you want the paint to actually MATCH the carpet? Wouldn't that feel like being inside a box?

Definitely paint first.

Choose your carpet and then paint the walls before getting the new carpet fitted.