People seem to be divided into two camps. Those who love carpets and those who absolutely hate it. Personally I am a carpet fan and we even have carpet tiles in our bathroom which I know some people believe is a sin against the interior design gods.
To be fair there are benefits and downsides to both carpet and hard floor alternatives and only you can decide what works best for your home and lifestyle.
PROS OF CARPET
- it's soft and warm on bare feet.
- it's easy to care for with regular vacuuming.
- it's safe for tottering toddlers and clumsy adults with very droppable smart phones
- it can add texture and colour to a room/area
- it can be incredibly long-lasting
We re-carpeted our hall, stairs and landing just after our wedding almost 30 years ago in a tasteful mid-green 80/20 wool carpet and it has survived seven children, one dog, five cats and many decor changes. The first thin patches have started to appear on the stairs but I am astounded what good value for money that fitted carpet has proved to be.
It seems to be time however to find carpet flooring stores near me because although we have vintage quarry tiles under the current carpet they are not in good enough condition to expose, plus they are cold and hard and uneven.
Some people say they prefer tile floors because they are easy to upkeep and I'll agree that in hot countries lovely cool tiles can be a good choice. However it's not that difficult to maintain carpet. I certainly find vacuuming a lot easier than mopping.
Modern vacuums come in all shapes and sizes from corded cylinder to cordless models which take up almost no space hanging on wall mounts to charge. They range in price from budget to astronomical and you can get versions designed to pick up pet hair which is very useful for a lot of people.
I have a robot vacuum we have nicknamed Rex which operates at the touch of a button, via an app or my fave option, via smart gadgets like Alexa and Google Home. I love that "he" can get busy vacuuming while I am on the school run and I can return to lovely clean carpets. He even takes himself off to his home under the stairs to recharge all by himself.
Having it has helped the children stay tidy too - obviously unlike mum Rex won't bend down and pick up chargers/Lego/socks and if they don't keep them off the floor Rex will mangle and eat them.
His only downside is that he can't manage stairs - he knows how to stop at the top of a flight but can't vacuum them obviously. I have a cordless stick vacuum for that and the corners of the ceiling where the cobwebs lurk.
Sad confession - I find vacuuming one of the easiest and most satisfying household chores there is. And there's nothing quite like the grim joy of emptying out the container and marvelling at what you've picked up!