Alternative to traditional carpet?

You could buy a large Kilim rug (Dunhelm and Ikea have a variety) and most would look great with terracotta... put it over the carpet and you'll be very snuggy..

If your floorboards are good, I would have them sanded and sealed, and buy a large rug rather than a carpet.

A large kilim would be lovely, if you're mobile & don't have worries about it being a trip hazard. If you don't think a rug is practical for you, how about some of the Luxury Vinyl Tiling ranges in a mosaic pattern? They wouldn't feel as snuggly as carpet, but there are some lovely warm colourways.

how about Jute?

We have luxury vinyl that looks like wood. Very warm underfoot, easily cleaned when grandson drops a drink. Could have small rug if needed too.

You could have a hard floor and have underfloor heating put in so it would be warm underfoot in the winter.

Allira

You could have a hard floor and have underfloor heating put in so it would be warm underfoot in the winter.

I would warn underfloor heating can be expensive to run. You need to keep it on all the time when you want it in.

No, you don't have to have it on all the time. It has a switch on the wall which you turn on and off and a setting where it would cut in if the temperature in that room drops below a certain point. You can choose the setting.

I chose Karndean lvt for my south facing kitchen diner. The area in front of the bi-folds has faded awfully in about three years. I really regret not choosing the ceramic tiles that I used in my last home.

Doodledog

If your floorboards are good, I would have them sanded and sealed, and buy a large rug rather than a carpet.

Not so sure, nowadays, especially if the house has a suspended floor, the heat loss and drafts would send heating bills soaring.

if you want a wood floor, use wood or laminate, with an insulated underlay. personally I prefer the wood floor and rugs look downstairs to wall to wall carpetting.

If you do want carpet, I would go to a reputably flooring specialist, talk it through with then and finger the samples. The difference and feel of a good high quality wool carpet, for example, and a cheap artificial alternative is palpable.

sisal carpet. I had it in my last house and now only on my stairs. Incredibly hard-wearing, it never faded and nor did it become `tatty`

I love sisal, love its `earthy` natural vibe

The carpet I have now is like this

www.sisalandseagrass.co.uk/product/bio-boucle-lantern-columbine-sisal-carpet/

There are cheaper sisal carpets that need to be stuck down

We had the entire ground floor parqueted with oak which has a pattern around the edge of each room, which completely sealed drafts etc, then rugs where we wanted them. Or none if you prefer.

Hard wearing and easy to keep in good order. You can if you need to have the entire floor resanded and sealed.

Allira

No, you don't have to have it on all the time. It has a switch on the wall which you turn on and off and a setting where it would cut in if the temperature in that room drops below a certain point. You can choose the setting.

Mine doesn’t work like that Allira. It is switched on for different temperatures depending on the time of day. When I first switch it on in November it takes a day to warm up. By March it is too hot in the middle of the day. The controller is in a separate room which doesn’t help. Finding an electrician who knows underfloor heating systems has proved impossible.

Moral if you go for under floor heating be careful which system you have.

I got solid beech flooring without the underfloor heating. Has lasted 25 years with one refurbishment done after the kids grew up.
The only thing is that I've had to remove my rug recently, as I am disabled and it was deemed a trip hazard!

I put Karndean tiles in my sunny extension, with a rug for cosiness in the seating area. The beauty is the tiles are easy to sweep when any dirt gets trodden in from the patio door, as I have left a clear passage.

Tretford carpet is extremely hardwearing- used a lot on offices, schools etc.
www.tretford.eu/en/.
We had it for years in a heavily used room. It survived all kinds of abuse, and was only removed when we decided to dig up and replace the damp concrete floor.

We've wood floors, hoovered and washed daily for dog(s) and small children. Practical as it's been over 20 years since re-sealing.

Rugs over wood in rooms not used by children and dog(s).

I hate underfloor heating. I have twice stayed in different houses that had it recently. I had warm feet the whole time I was there and we could not turn it off because, without it the room got cold.

Thnkfully the bedrooms had radiators so I spent a lot of my time upstairs.

Thank you everyone for your really helpful suggestions and recommendations.
Armed with this information, I shall take a trip or two out, to see local suppliers. Looking forward to having something a lot less tatty in place soon.

Fresh rushes, renewed twice a year as in medieval times. Very economical. The big disadvantage, though, is that the bugs and fleas they attract very likely facilitated The Black Death of 1347/8 and also it's return in 1379, but everything has a downside.......

mae13

Fresh rushes, renewed twice a year as in medieval times. Very economical. The big disadvantage, though, is that the bugs and fleas they attract very likely facilitated The Black Death of 1347/8 and also it's return in 1379, but everything has a downside.......

Fresh rushes require a beaten earth floor. I think that today that contravenes Building regulations.

I have enjoyed Amtico or Karnden flooring in both my house, when I lived there and in my flat now. So easy to keep clean, - in my house had the through lounge in this and meant that when g.children were small, no worries what fell from them onto it, or what they brought in from the garden at the french door end. Different pets were also easily accommodated.

WHen I moved into my flat there was fitted carpet everywhere (and I mean everywhere - had to remove that in bathroom and en-suite immediately). Gave the rest of it a year before I decided how to replace it. During that time, I knocked over a milk shake I had just prepared - and despite using steam cleaner, and various carpet cleaners took me over a week to get rid of that disgusting stale milk smell. Decided me.

One side of my living room is largely glass and a patio door on to a very sunny balcony. In the five years Karndean (golden oak tiles with border), has been down no effect at all from the sun. It has a life-time guarantee. It is warm underfoot in the winter and a nice rug is all the carpet I have.

I would never have fitted carpet of any type anywhere other than (perhaps) main bedroom again

I would also add that when I sold my house, that wonderful Amtico floor, not only still got many expressions of admiration from anyone entering it, but looked exactly as it had when I had it laid some 14 years earlier.