Key points when choosing carpet

Colour, texture and the amount of traffic a carpet is going to get are keys to choosing new floor covering, according to the Wool Board.

Most carpet retailers carry the board's guide to choosing new carpet called The Carpet Book.

It says colour can be used to visually alter the shape of a room.

Strong colours (warm or dark) make objects appear closer and a room therefore appears smaller or more cosy. Cool and light colours have the opposite effect.

A room with little or no direct sunlight can be warmed with sunny colours; a bright room can be tempered with cool or neutral colours.

A light green carpet will suggest a more spacious room than a dark green one. However, when green is chosen as a cooling colour for a sunny room, it might feel too chilly at night. Terracotta in the pattern can overcome that.

In the natural world, darker colours tend to be underfoot and lighter overhead, with mid-colours as the surroundings.

Hazy colours, which the eye associates with distance, can give an impression of spaciousness.

The colours of furnishings in a room and the amount of natural light affect carpet colour. Artificial light tends to "grey" colours.

The book suggests cool colours, like green, are calming and suit a living room or main bedroom.

Greys, browns and beige are restfully neutral.

Warm colours suit areas of activity such as family rooms. Rich red, for example, stimulates appetite and is therefore popular for dining rooms - but can be over-stimulating on large areas.

Rougher textures absorb more light than do smooth surfaces: the same colour uniform-pile carpet will appear lighter than one which is a mix of high and low pile. Therefore, in a room which gets little sunlight, choose even piles.

Strong texture in warm or dark colours and large patterns, especially when the pattern is repetitive, will close in a room. Pattern does, however, disguise soiling and wear and tear. Stripes can stretch the dimensions of a room.

Woollen carpet is graded by the Wool Board and its grading is labelled on the back of all Woolmark carpet.

Light duty suits bedrooms and guest rooms. Medium duty suits lounges and living rooms used by a two-child family.

Heavy duty is for lounges and living rooms for active and large families, for most hallways and rooms used frequently for entertainment. Extra-heavy duty suits heavy traffic flow areas.

When carpet is laid, seams should be along the line of the heaviest traffic, rather than across it. If possible, they should run towards a window to avoid being highlighted by light striking across them.