At Home with Lorraine Kelly 2013 - (Page 222)

Don’t be T he endless design possibilities, colours and show-stopping styles have led to a carpet revolution in recent months. Carpet is cool once again. A new carpet can change the entire appearance of a room, and colour and texture have a big part to play in that transformation. The same basic rules apply to the shade of carpet you choose as they do for all interior decoration: light colours will open up a room while darker tones will make it look smaller, though they won’t show up any dirt. The early days The origins of carpet can be traced as far back as 6,000 BC when goats and sheep were sheared and their hair was spun and actually woven for ﬂoor coverings. It wasn’t until the 18th century, however, that carpet manufacturing really got going, putting the small Worcestershire town of Kidderminster on the map floored as the country’s carpet capital. Like much manufacturing in this country, however, it hasn’t been modernised and a lot of the carpet we, as a nation, now buy comes from Belgium and Holland. These countries have had more recent investment in their machinery and can mass-produce carpet to sell at a fraction of the cost. Then, a few years ago, carpet use ground to a halt and suddenly it became a no-go area. Floorboards, designed to be covered up, were laid bare, sanded back to their original softwood glory and put on display. For years, carpet got bad press. It was held up as a cause of both germs and health problems and every upstanding home limited its use as much as possible. Now, though, it’s making a ﬁrm and glorious comeback. The look obviously depends on how the carpet is made. Woven, such as Wilton and Axminster, which are actually methods of construction and not just manufacturers, are more durable and luxurious underfoot. Tufted carpets are cheaper to make and are available in a range of ﬁnishes such as velvet, twisted or looped pile. There are two types of woven carpet: Axminster is patterned, and Wilton tends to be plain but can be made with up to ﬁve different colours. Axminster, Brintons and Ulster are particularly well-known for their woven ranges. Most carpet sold in the UK is tufted, a process whereby yarn is inserted into a ready-made backing fabric. These can be plain or patterned. The choices ACRYLIC: A popular substitute for wool as it comes in at a fraction of the cost. Good for use in wet areas as it’s resistant to mildew. NYLON: Available in a large colour choice, this material is not only durable and resilient to heavy trafﬁc but it is also stain resistant. POLYESTER: Although synthetic, it looks luxurious when used in thick, WORDS: Marie Farquharson | PHOTOGRAPHS: Getty Images EVEN A DAZZLING INTERIOR CAN BE LET DOWN BY POOR CARPETING, SO IT’S VITAL YOU THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THIS KEY FURNISHING BEFORE PARTING WITH YOUR CASH 222 | MARCH 2013 222-223 flooringFINAL.indd 222 22/1/13 16:10:17

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home with Lorraine Kelly 2013

EDITOR'S LETTER
LORRAINE KELLY UPDATE
NEWS UPFRONT
SAVE THE DATE
READING BETWEEN THE LINES
BEAUTIES IN BLUE
LIGHTEN UP
BAGS OF STYLE
BUCKLE UP
IT'S A WRAP
IF THE SHOE FITS
SETTING TRENDS
THE BIG REVEAL
GET THE LOOK
LONG REIGN LORRAINE
MOTHER KNOWS BEST
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
EXPECT THE WORST
UNPLANNED PREGNANCY
WOMEN'S HEALTH A-Z
COULD YOU BE DEPRESSED?
SLEEP EASY
GET BACK TO YOURSELF
WHAT A PAIN
LISTEN UP
CHINESE CUISINE
A TASTE OF ITALY
SNACK TIME
DRINK IT UP
EXCUSES, EXCUSES
EXERCISE'S NEW GROOVE
SPRING INTO SHAPE
OUT AND ABOUT
BEAUTY BLOOPERS
CROWNING GLORY
MAGIC MAKEOVERS
I LOVE MY NEW BODY'
FLASH A SMILE
YOUNG AT HEART
SAFELY DOES IT
LOOK AFTER THE PENNIES
THE GOOD LIFE
ROOM REVAMP
CLEAN UP YOUR ACT
WHAT A BLINDER!
TAKE TO THE FLOOR
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
THE EMERALD ISLE
SPRING BREAKS
REST AND RELAXATION
ANIMAL ACCESSORIES
A MAN'S BEST FRIEND
BEASTLY BEHAVIOUR
STYLE SAVVY
TV FAVES
LAST WORD
STOCKISTS
CRAFT NEWS
WE LOVE BEING CRAFTY!'
HOME SPUN
FRAME WORK
MAKE THE CUT
CLEVER CARDS
KNIT ONE...
SPARKLE!
KITTED OUT
THE ICING ON THE CAKE
HELLO CUPCAKE
LORRAINE'S ROAD TO SUCCESS
THE WORLD OF WORK
AN AGE OLD PROFESSION
THE ONLY WAY IS UP
JUST THE JOB
MOVE OVER, MISTER!
BEYOND THE SHOP FLOOR
THE BANK JOB
ARE YOU COVERED?
CAREFULLY DOES IT
EQUAL RIGHTS
BALANCING ACT

At Home with Lorraine Kelly 2013