Nail THE FLOORS
Flooring has its own role to play in defining the space and confirming its character. Take account of the surface area it covers and include it in your plans from the outset – whether you want it to take centre stage or to quietly ‘anchor’ the colours and furnishings alongside it. Stone flags, ceramic tiles, wood, carpet and rugs will all contribute to the effect.
1 PUT OUT MORE FLAGS. Natural stone is rugged and naturally rustic. In this Herefordshire house, the flagstone floor flows from the hall into the sitting room – a versatile background for both the contemporary sofa and the vintage linen cupboard.
2 STAY NEUTRAL with a plain carpet to give a calm backdrop to vintage furniture and accessories. Zanzibar Deluxe Hopsack Cable wool carpet, £26.99/sq m, the Country Living Collection at Carpetright (carpetright.co.uk).
3 LAY RUGS AND RUNNERS on top of stripped or painted floorboards. Here, a Taylor Stripe Cascade wool runner, £42.99/ sq m, from the Country Living Collection at Carpetright, adds a practical, down-to-earth look to the white-painted stairs.
4 ADD TEXTURE with traditional brick, quarry or terracotta tiles – the perfect background for natural matting and rustic furniture such as the Swill bench by Sebastian Cox (sebastiancox.co.uk).