Can you help me find a stylish striped carpet for my daughters' playroom? The one I found with wonderful bold stripes had an online price of more than £100sq m, way beyond my budget for this room. Can you suggest something more affordable?
TS, Bristol.

A wool carpet will look good for longer and is easier to maintain. Vogue by Brockway Carpets, www.brockway.co.uk, comes in four colourways including Fusion Stripe 30 (pictured, back), priced at around £33sq m. Winner of this year's H&G/V&A Classic Design Awards for Flooring, Rock 'n' Roll, from The Alternative Flooring Company, www.alternativeflooring.com, has stripes in reds and neutrals (pictured, middle, in colourway Roxanne), priced at £44.75sq m. Kasbah Stripe SK18 Cherry (pictured, front), has fine stripes in red, blue and neutrals, priced at £37.50sq m, by Adam Carpets, www.adamcarpets.com. Carpet prices vary from one retailer to another, so call the manufacturer for local suppliers and contact each one for a quote.

WORDS CELIA RUFEY
JUNE 2009