Carpets

I've got a high-ratio wool carpet throughout most of my house. The stuff on the stairs has been there for more than ten years and still looks as good as new.

Colour-wise, I have 'donkey', as it suits my decor. I guess you need to look at your furniture and soft furnishings to decide on colour, unless they're also being replaced.

Any fudge/donkey type colour will work with white and tends not to date or show the dirt.
A heavy wool is best.
Get the best you can afford and good underlay.

Never heard of ‘donkey’ colour before. I must lead a sheltered life.

We have a neutral Axminster throughout. Top quality for hall, stairs and landing and the lesser quality for the bedrooms. It is the same carpet. It has been down 20 years and still as good as new!

Calendargirl donkey was the manufacturer's name for the carpet shade we chose. It's a bit like those mad paint names - 'elephant breath' and the like.

For durability and value for money, I like the Berber type carpet, with the flecks of colours in it.

Not very luxurious looking, though.

We once had a high end 100% wool carpet laid throughout the house when we first moved in.
Never again, the moths got into it under the piano and even with professional help we could not get rid of them.

So it was my excuse to rip it all up and have oak floors laid. With the exception of the stairs where we had quality man made fibre carpet, which looks as good today as when it was first put down.

I would never opt for wool again. It was a blasted nuisance to keep clean, and the moth problem put me off for ever.

The first major purchase we made as newly weds was to buy a very expensive dark blue wool mix carpet. Big mistake and five minutes after hoovering it would need doing again. Got worse when children came along with white fluff from nappies and clothing adding to the fun. We now go for neutral carpets with a slight fleck so the marks don't show too quickly. Do you have children/grandchildren living/or visiting often? Pets?