What a beautiful staircase! It is stunning! Project Home UK suggested a stair runner going down the middle of the steps would perhaps be more effective than a fully fitted carpet. We supply carpets and floorcoverings throughout the UK and Ireland and can also offer a bespoke stair runner service where you choose any one of our floorings or carpets (as long as suitable for stairs of course) and pick a border to go around the edge. We have some beautiful examples of customers 'in-situ' runners in our 'in-situ' ideabook which may give you some inspiration? We recently did a photoshoot in a location with a similar staircase to yours, photo below, where we used a bold striped runner in 100% wool, with a simple whipped edge. The second photo is of a grand central staircases in one of our retailer showrooms which has the new Quirky B Fair Isle Reiko by Margo Selby running down the centre - beautiful! Take a look at our website, www.alternativeflooring.com, to see our full collection of floorcoverings and have a play with flooring and border combinations using our 'Make me a rug' designer. Have fun!

hi all, update is I have finally found a photo of someones stairs done in Brintons timorous beastie yellow Ruskin butterfly and its made me decide we are definitely 100% going for this as I love it (see attached pics) on stairs and landing... Floor in hall will be oak herringbone parquet, just wall colour to decide and we have bought new tall skirting so colour to paint this also? i have attcahed apic of the hall currently so you can see our front door with stain glass.. As Ive mentioned before the banister and spindles will be replaces with square spindles with an oak top banister and oak end cap - similar to this houzz pic ... So just to deicide on wall colour and new skirting colour... I really like f&b light blue in a hall with oak parquet but I don't feel this will go with the carpet... Kitchen and dining room will be one of the sage shades and lounge Wimborne white and downpipe...

I tend to think it's really worth deciding what it is you want to jump out and be a feature and what it is you'd rather wasn't noticed ;) If the rug is one of the loveliest things in the room and you want that to feature more (plus set against parquet floor which is lovely too) then I'd probably choose a colour that doesn't overpower the rug. Saying that and putting rug to one side I would personally be inclined to keep a dark shade (particularly as it appears to set off the sofa nicely) - maybe Stiffkey Blue or Pelt by F&B would work. If that would still overpower the rug (and this is to be a feature you want picked out) then go light and perhaps take it onto the ceiling too/ pick out the coving/ picture rail/ skirting and doors with a different shade. I did my lounge in Blackened (walls + ceiling) with Cornforth on woodwork/ doors / Wimborne on picture rail and coving. I would personally lose the curtains/ pelmet - looks a bit 'heavy' and quite dominating - however if those are lovely (hard to tell from pic) then again to make them more of a feature then go light on the walls.... Hope helpful - good luck!

Hi Dee H, only just noticed this thread. We are a carpet & flooring company and I agree whole heartedly with the comments above. I would, however, have added a twist - you can get some amazing striped carpets nowadays which would have had greys and beiges in them with complimenting single colour carpets - you could have had a striped runner up the stairs and landing and then flowed straight into a beige for the bedrooms - this would have maintained your flow but giving your differentiation. Your floors look amazing but I just wanted to add a little proviso. Best wishes, Helen - SP Carpets & Flooring, Oxfordshire