Updating the Nest (Just a little…)

I know I always say this, but I think the sitting room might finally be finished?  It hasn’t been the easiest room to get feeling “just right” as I always seem to find something that needs doing.  When the new armchair and sofa arrived in recent months I thought I had made it feel cosier, but there were a couple of major stumbling blocks still bugging me in this room…..

For one, a complete genius (Yes, I am looking at you whoever put the heating into this house) put a radiator on the only wall that you could conceivably put a sofa (or any decent sized seating arrangement) against.  Meaning that no matter how high you turned the thermostat up, the sofa would be getting the best of it, and you? Well, you’d still be bloody freezing.  Wonderful!  We decided it was time to change this far-from-practical set-up and invest in some new heating in here.  We had the old radiator removed from the wall and added some new, more traditional ones either end of the room.

Problem solved?  Well, as we all know, one thing often leads to another in this house, and what I then found myself with (thanks to the pipework being moved) was that a large section of our laminate flooring had been taken up.  Next step?  Re-think the flooring, obviously.  I had never really been one hundred percent happy with the floor we had chosen for the sitting room; we had done-so in a panic.  It was a quick-fix a few weeks after we had moved in; basically to stop the wind blowing up through the floorboards.  We had fitted it ourselves and it had looked good enough to “do the job”; but I had never been in love with it.

I have never really been one for carpets everywhere in the house, we only had them on the stairs and in our bedroom.  Everywhere else in our home has wooden or tiled flooring.  To me it seems easier to maintain and clean; but the laminate in this room had left to feeling cold and it didn’t have the cosy feeling I was trying to create.  I had rectified it with rugs, footstools and extra soft furnishings; but still, it bugged me!

When I first started looking at the Country Living carpet range in Carpetright, I was dubious about whether I was making the right decision for the room.  I cannot stand shiny carpets (I know they are to some peoples taste, but not mine), or things not made from natural fibres, to me they just don’t feel cosy or homely; but this range of carpets was different.  When I saw the sisal carpets in the range I knew it would be perfect for us; hard wearing and with a country feel to them.  I went into the showroom and they helped me decide on the right one in the range.  Having seen them online I thought I was keen on the grey shade in the style I liked, but I actually ended up going for the natural one.  It had looked much more yellow on my laptop screen, but in reality was a perfect warm and natural shade for the cosy room I wanted to create.  I would definitely recommend going to a Carpetright store to look at any range as they were so incredibly helpful in that decision making process.  I got quite carried away looking at the entire Country Living range and could have spent a lot longer pondering my decision!

They sent a fitter to measure up the following afternoon, and once that was done I was able to order.  He gave great advice about the right underlay to go for, so that the carpet would be supported and give and soft the walk on.  He also advised on the right door bars and how they would tackle laying the carpet around our uneven fire hearth.  I went for the Pentle Tiger’s Eye in “Reed”; but there are so many other carpets to choose from in the range.

Once I ordered my carpet, they were able to make a date for me the following week to fit it.  I actually couldn’t believe it, as the last time we had ordered carpet for our house we had to wait almost a month for it to be fitted. I was over the moon at the speedy service!  The carpet was delivered the day before as it had to sit in the room at the right temperature (something I never knew about sisal carpet, but apparently that’s a “thing”).  The fitters arrived the following day and they couldn’t have been more efficient at their job if they tried.  The carpet was fitted and finished beautifully, all in under three hours.  I wanted to see a before and after, so after making them a coffee (dutiful host!) I left them to it.

The difference in the room has been just incredible.  I didn’t think I could love this room more, but I was wrong.  It feels homely, cosy and more like a snug in the evenings.  I don’t have to feel the cold floor under my feet (even when I had thick socks on), and the acoustics in the room are so much better with a floor down that absorbs the sound.  The practical elements aside, it just looks brilliant!  I tried so hard to imagine what it would look like, and was worried that I might be making the wrong decision, but it was just the thing that the room needed.

I think this little project has proven to me that sometimes it can be just the little, practical changes we make in a room that make such a huge difference.  Having the heating in the right place (and actually heating the room) and changing the floor to the Pentle Tigers Eye, has just changed the room completely.  It’s warm, welcoming and cosy; and now, more than ever, my favourite room in the house…..

Elle x

{This post has been created in collaboration with Carpetright with products and services being provided in exchange for an honest review, but as always all writing and opinions are my own.}