Picture-perfect FLOORING

These warm and welcoming wool-rich carpets from the new Laura Ashley collection at Brintons provide a beautiful backdrop for country homes

At the first signs of a chill in the air, our thoughts turn to home comforts and, as any successful country decorator knows, beautiful wool-rich carpet is one of the best ways to bring a luxurious, warming touch to a room. It is also a route to inviting in some of those evocative patterns from the natural world that always translate so beautifully to flooring. This season, Brintons has introduced a whole new crop of carpets infused with Laura Ashley’s signature motifs to add charm and character to country homes.

Choose a Brintons carpet and your home will enjoy a direct link with our heritage and countryside – the company has been at the heart of carpet manufacture for more than 230 years, using the long-standing traditional Axminster and Wilton weaving methods to create longlasting carpet made from strong British wool. In fact, the wool from one in nine British sheep ends up

in a Brintons carpet. Warm, soft wool is practical, easily shrugging off dirt and resisting wear and tear, its strong, resilient fibres springing back after being walked on. It will help to absorb sound and is also naturally fire retardant.

To create the 12 new Axminster patterns and four new Bell Twist complementary plains for the

Laura Ashley collection, the designers from Brintons delved into the

Laura Ashley archive. From its rich history of designs, the team selected some of the bold and beautiful prints the company is famous for, such as Ironwork Scroll and the large lilac flowers of the Agnes design.

The new designs are a call to individuality, whether you choose to base a whole living room scheme around one design, or conjure up a laid-back country bedroom, selecting a co-ordinating plain for an upstairs landing and picking matching fabrics, wallpapers and paints from Laura Ashley’s ranges.

Charming flowers dance across a delicate blue background - the perfect foil for pale wood furniture and neutral walls. Iona carpet in Duck Egg, £74.99sq m, Brintons

A sophisticated scrolling pattern will catch the eye, yet the shades are subtle enough for a relaxing effect. Ironwork Scroll carpet in Dove Grey, £74.99sq m, Brintons

Strewn with sprays of fresh blooms and leaves, the carpet is the highlight of this country bedroom. Agnes carpet in Charcoal, £74.99sq m, Brintons