Who says a revamp shouldn’t start from the ground upwards? We search for this autumn’s flooring inspiration - it’s no child’s play - and reveal the best carpets on the market.
1. This design is part of Ben Pentreath’s collection for Quirky B by Alternative Flooring. Cube in Hawksmoor costs £98.73 per sq m (01264 335111; www.alternativeflooring.com)
2. Shoreline is part of Cormar Carpet’s Living Naturals range and costs £22 per sq m (01204 881234; www.cormarcarpets.co.uk)
3. This herringbone carpet, Harry, shown here in Aluminium, is also available in other colours. £81 per sq m by Crucial Trading (www.crucial-trading.com; 01562 743747)
4. Blenheim Carpets designed this custom-made fine-quality Axminster carpet inspired by the surrounding decor of the owner’s house. From £150 per sq m (plus VAT) (020–7823 6333; www.blenheim-carpets.com)
5. The John Lewis Mohawk Comfort Velvet carpet, shown in Almond White, costs £35 per sq m (0345 604 9049; www.johnlewis.com)
6. City Plaids by Brintons is a new take on traditional tartan and includes this Knightsbridge design (also available in other colourways). £80 per sq m (0800 505055; www.brintons.co.uk)
8 of the best alfresco dining design ideas
From firebowls to outdoor kitchens, make the most of the summer by entertaining in the garden.
Made in Britain: Quirky B for Alternative Flooring
The Quirky B collection for Alternative Flooring is the new kid on the patterned-carpet block.
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'Just look at those stairs. Just as an art form, they are bewitching, like the shell of a nautilus': The lure of buying a stairway to heavenIt seems like madness to buy a house purely because you fall in love with the staircase — but sometimes, they are simply so beautiful that it's impossible to resist. Toby Keel takes a look at some glorious examples of staircases we've seen in Country Life in the last couple of years.
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'I found myself in a magical world of a sun-dappled forest, speckled with wild flowers of kaleidoscopic colours and brilliant mosses': Solo walking in the PyreneesThe Pyrenees reserves its best treasures for walkers prepared to venture off the well-beaten trail, says Teresa Levonian Cole, on a solo holiday in Ribes de Freser.
