THE EDIT

Best for colour

Don’t overlook how much of a wow factor a colourful carpet can add to a space when used as the foundation of an impactful decorating scheme. Pick a rich shade as the base then work similar tones up the walls so you are drenched in your favourite hue, for a cocooning feel that also reflects your personality. Austen Teal, Velvet Collection, from £74.99 per m2, Brintons

▼ Best for robust luxury Being hard-wearing shouldn’t come at the expense of style, and the Primo Ultra offers the perfect combination of both. An easy-clean twist collection, the Primo Ultra is made of Excellon – a polypropylene fibre that is stain resistant and which wears very well. So you can carpet your floor in pale neutrals without worry. Primo Ultra Bamboo, £25-£30 per m2, Cormar Carpets

Best for a tactile feel

A flat woven carpet can introduce a subtle pattern to a scheme, as well as being extremely hard-wearing. Perfect for both high-traffic areas and for bringing comfort underfoot in the bedroom. Fibre Flooring teamed up with Country Homes & Interiors to create The Contemporary Collection of wool carpets with a chevron or twill weave and recycled backing. In natural shades and bold colours, they are £100.95 per m2, Fibre

Expert advice

Alison Jones hears how to pick a carpet from The Carpet Foundation’s Rupert Anton (carpetfoundation.com)

QWhat is the best way to choose?

A’Think about how much wear the carpet will undergo. A hall, stairs and landing will need a far heavier wearing carpet than a bedroom. Consider if it’s a quick fix prior to moving or if it’s a long-term item? Is the carpet’s resistance to wear, the colour or the affordability most important to you? For a good quality carpet, you must expect to pay from £30 per square metre.

‘As for style, plain carpet opens up a room and gives more flexibility for decoration elsewhere. Patterned carpet gives more colour options to match various components in the room scheme. Lighter carpets make a room look larger. Northfacing rooms tend to be colder and darker so need warm colours, while light and airy south-facing rooms lend themselves to cool shades.’

QWhat about weaves or twists?

A’Twists are very hard-wearing with a knobbly, coarse appearance but a forgiving surface. Velvets have a more luxurious look and are like suede – rub the pile one way and it’ll appear to darken.

‘Saxony carpet has a deep pile and sensuous appearance and feel, but is prone to flattening. Certainly avoid in heavy traffic areas.

‘Loop piles (the carpet version of coir and sisal) are popular, but pet claws can unthread the loop.’

QWhat carpet suits which room?

A’The hall, stairs and landing take the most wear so a carpet with 80 per cent wool content is strongly recommended.

‘In the bedroom an indulgent deep pile Saxony is soft underfoot. In children’s rooms, look at stainfree polypropylene.

‘If you want the same colour and type of carpet throughout the home, and it comes in different weights, use a lower weight in a bedroom where there’s less wear.’

THE EDIT Kitchen tiles

Celebrate pattern and shape and give your space a statement uplift with these look-at-me designs

REVIEW CORNER

Lily Hex black hexagon tile, £38.95 per m2, Tiles Direct Groovy Jefferson blue tile, £56.98 per m2 , The Baked Tile Company Real tumbled travertine natural stone mosaic tile sheet, £9 per sheet, B&Q

Patisserie porcelain rose and mint tiles, £25.91 per box, Hyperion Tiles Heritage Star white tiles, £32.70 per m2, Porcelain Superstore

AMELIA SMITH

FEATURE Aramean porcelain tile, £42 per m2, Easy Bathrooms Andalucia tile, £31.95 per m2, Tile Mountain

Winchester Manoir tile in Deco Tayberry, £4.29 per tile, Original Style

Go DIY and save money by learning how to grout tiles

THE EDIT Towel radiators

Wrap yourself in comfort after your shower or bath with a towel warmed by a stand-out heater

Terma Aire designer heated towel radiator, £269.99, Only Radiators

BDO25 horizontal towel rail, from £224, The Radiator Centre

Naples Premium matt black straight heated towel rail, from £64.99, Bathroom Mountain Midas towel rail in brushed brass, from £247.20, Feature Radiators

Ecostrad Cube iQ electric towel rail, from £289.99, Electric Radiators Direct

Echo radiator in white, from £595.20, The Radiator Company FloBar Form Standard in brushed copper, from £767 for two bars, Vogue (UK)

Milano Indus anthracite heated ladder towel rail, £279.95, Best Heating

WI-FI ENABLED

GREAT VALUE

Complete the look with our edit of the best bath towels

THE EDIT Light switches

Accessorise your walls with bright and colourful switches that will illuminate your room

Acierno wall-mounted light switch in red, £13.99, Symple Stuff

UNDER £5

Jung LS 990 Les Couleurs Rose Vif ‘1959’, from £69, Swtch

Varilight two-way light switch in Beryl Green, from £4.86, TLC Electrical Supplies Albertyne wall mounted light switch in gold, £8.91, Wayfair

ALISON JONES FEATURE

Verona Range in matt bronze and antique brass, £58.16, Heritage Brass British Oak light switch, POA, MK Electric Cinnamon single rocker switch, £29.99, Dowsing & Reynolds

Gira Esprit linoleum-plywood, from £39.94, Gira

Light up your bedroom with ideas for dreamy lighting schemes

THE EDIT Smart thermostats

Take control of your heating and your bills with thermostats you can change to suit you and your lifestyle

REVIEW CORNER

Wiser thermostat kit 1, from £139.99, Amazon

Thermostat mini, £119, Hive

Honeywell Home TR6-HW wireless programmable thermostat, £169.99, Screwfix Nest smart learning thermostat, £189, Toolstation

ALISON JONES

FEATURE WundaSmart starter kit, £199.99, Wunda Group Connected wireless smart thermostat, £84.50, Somfy

Tado smart thermostat

This thermostat pairs with an app so you can remotely change your home’s temperature, create heating schedules and see your energy usage. It’ll switch off the heat if you leave a window open, warn you about system issues, and it takes the guesswork out of getting your home to feel comfortable. Once you master the set up, the Tado smart thermostat goes above and beyond to save energy with added features you won’t see on similar products, and it offers room-by-room control.

SPECIFICATION Setup: wired and wireless options Sensors: temperature and humidity Power: battery powered or connected to mains via USB plug Control: app, website and can be connected to your smart speaker. Compatible with virtual assistants. Price: Smart thermostat wired, £120; wireless, £170

REASONS TO BUY ■ Allows temperature zoning ■ Save energy or get your money back guarantee

REASONS TO AVOID ■ Requires you to really get to know your boiler