What colour carpet and how much to spend?

[ShotsFired]

My lounge needs a new carpet (very roughly 4m x 5m). Is a high traffic area to garden, so has to be hardwearing but look nice.

Current carpet is a light tan, with cream/oak furniture and neutral decor.

1. Has anyone recently priced that sort of carpet up?
   
2. Pitfalls I should be aware of?
   
3. Quandary: The layout of the house is like this pic, with the same carpet throughout the lounge, hallway, stairs and landing. But while I could get away with not changing bedroom carpets, I think it would look odd to have just the lounge changed downstairs? (h/s/l carpets in good condition still)
   

(The above is why I have put it off so long....)

[ShotsFired]

I am quite drawn to sisal styles - both for their durability and also the textured look of the weave. Are they a possibility (we have a cat and read a mention that may not be suitable for claws getting caught)

www.flooringsuperstore.com/sisal-flatweave-oatbran.html
www.flooringsuperstore.com/sisal-mini-boucle-harvest.html

[whiskyowl]

Do not, for the love of God, go for plain light cream. I speak from bitter experience.

[JoJoSM2]

If it's leads to the garden, wouldn't it be better to have wood/laminate and a rug in the middle? I would advise against sisal or jute or similar as you can't wash or spill anything on them.

[whiskyowl]

I'd go for LVT - Amtico, Karndean or something. But those are quite a bit more than carpet. Your house looks lovely enough to be worth it, though!

[Tronkmanton]

Do not get Sisal. It’s not hard wearing, cats trash it and worst of all it is ruined if you spill anything on it. We had sisal on our stairs & landing in a house we moved into, builder spilt a cup of coffee on it and the whole lot had to be replaced (2 stair cases & two landings ) as even professional cleaners couldn’t touch the stain. We replaced it (through builder’s insurance) with a lovely hard wearing ‘Primo Ultra’ carpet (Cormar carpets). It’s bleachable for tough stains . It’s also a lot softer under foot than sisal. We’ve got it in a pale grey and it’s seems to be holding up well.

[ShotsFired]

Oh goodness no, that is not my house! Just a rough idea of the layout.
Mine is much more, er, "lived in"

I also really, really do not like hard floors. Had them before, not for me, thank you (should have said in OP). We do have a mat area by the garden door - and no kids - so carpet dirtiness has never been a big issue. Although like a pp, light cream sounds nice, but a recipe for disaster when we drink tea, coffee and red wine!

Shame about sisal, it looks so good - until I read these responses...! Good tip with the Primo Ultra thanks, will look them up.

[origamiwarrior]

If you like the sisal look, you can get 100% wool carpet that has been designed to look like sisal (choose the ginger colour)

www.victoriacarpets.com/ranges/default?rangeid=9

It costs about £25/metre though. I haven't got it, but have my eye on it for a cottage we are refurbishing.

[bouncydog]

Anything looped rather than cut pile with cats will get trashed.

[ShotsFired]

Thanks @origamiwarrior and @bouncydog (everyone, actually) for the tips.

Bloody minefield, isn't it!

[SarahBeeney]

We’ve gone for a grey carpet. It looked much darker in the sample than when it was laid. I love it,we paid £16 per square meter and used a local fitter rather than a shop. Having had cream carpets I was keen to go darker. Our walls are light/creamy so we could get away with darker.

[SarahBeeney]

Here it is

[ShotsFired]

Thanks SarahBeeney. Funnily enough a friend went for a similar colour just recently too!