We need to buy some carpet for our loft and the stairs leading to the loft. I've been to four local shops and have spent way too much time looking up carpets online, and I'm just as confused as when I started. We need approximately 55 m2, including the stairs. My husband is allergic to wool, so it needs to be man-made. We like low-pile, dark or medium-grey carpets. We don't like shiny or speckled ones. We'd like to spend up to £25 per m2 (excluding underlay and installation). The first carpet that we liked was the nylon Harmony Velvet carpet from John Lewis. At £32, it's outside outside budget, but we could stretch a bit. Someone also recommended another nylon velvet, Clarendon Radlett, which at £25 is a bit cheaper than the John Lewis one, but doesn't come in a dark grey. The thing is, I started googling velvet carpets and saw all the photos of shading/pile reversal. I'm really not keen on wet-looking patches in the middle of the floor. I don't know whether this is a common problem or just something that sometimes happens? Next we looked at Primo Ultra from Cormar. The shades are all lighter than we'd like, but we could live with French grey. This retails at around £15 online and £20 from the shops. It's a bit meh. We also looked at the Grantham line from Lifestyle Floors. A bit cheaper than Primo Ultra, and comes in a medium-grey that's more-or-less matt. I can't find much info about it. Again, a bit meh. If you were in my shoes, what carpet would you buy? Would you go for a nylon velvet, or will it look terrible in a few months' time? Are there any other lines that we should be looking at? All the shops seem to have the same carpets at roughly the same prices. Also, is it worth paying the £5 m2 mark-up and buy from a shop, or should I find a fitter and buy the carpet online? I understand that they need to make a living, but £275 seems like a lot to pay for the convenience of someone else placing the order. Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Buy it online then go the pub an shout who fits carpet cheap and someone will answer yes they can or know someone who can. Or go carpetright and pay £12m2 for underlay and get free fitting. Or go a decent local shop who have some training with Floorskills or NICF and get it done right. Ok it costs more but in the long run....... Primo ultra is the best one above. Gave a look at cormar Gemmi too. Amazing for similar money.
I wont bother fitting carpet for people who've sourced all their materials online and just want to pay for fitting and expect it at £2.50sqm. Half the time the carpets short or incorrect,the existing preps awful or the customers stored it bent 5 ways. I know people who would gladly fit for that price,but i also know theyre not very good. So on that front you get what you pay for, its always worth sourcing everything from one certified shop/person who takes on responsibility for the entire job with their reputation to uphold.
I don't mind fitting only but they have to pay the minimum charge. They can either like it or find someone else
A patterned carpet can make a bold statement or add a sense of the traditional to your home. Plain carpet. Choose a plain carpet to add dramatic colour, a neutral finish or anything in between.
i think selection of carpets or rugs totally depend on your own choices. Because some like handmade rugs and carpets and some one like machine made, compare to machine made, handmade carpets are bit expensive but there quality is fine, and reliable.
It's not just the convenience of someone else ordering, it's the service, the guarantee, the ability to make your choice based on more than just a 3inch square sample and all the other things that go with buying from a shop. All these things cost the retailer, that's why it's cheaper online, all the risk is yours
