The best thing to complete your room

Most people buy the sofa, then the curtains, then go looking for a carpet that will not clash. It is the wrong order. The carpet covers the largest continuous area in the room and sets the palette everything else has to work with.

If the room is already furnished, the rule that solves most problems is this: the front legs of every seat should sit on the rug. A carpet that floats in the middle of a seating arrangement makes a room look smaller, not larger. In a dining room, measure the table and add three feet on every side so chairs stay on the rug when pulled out.

If you are between two standard sizes, take the larger one — or ask us to weave the size in between, which costs no more.