A hall is one of the busiest rooms in the home. Although you generally don’t spend much time there, the room gets a lot of foot traffic. As well as dealing with muddy boots, wet coats and the influx of bags and briefcases, you want the room to be welcoming for guests too. It is quite a tough order when it comes to choosing flooring.

Hard flooring made up of materials such as travertine, marble or slate floor tiles is actually the most practical flooring for a hall, but not everyone wants a hard surface in their hall. If you prefer carpet because you like the warmth and feel of it (and the fact that it keeps the noise from the clatter of feet down to a minimum), then you need to look for a practical type of carpet, which will cope with everything you throw at it.

There is a type of carpet known as frieze carpet, which is tough enough to withstand the wear and tear which occurs in a hall. It has a twist pile and the rough surface means that any dirt and wear, which happen to occur over time, are disguised to a certain degree. The twist in the pile also means that wear occurs across the whole length of the carpet pile, along the sides and not just at the tip and this helps the carpet withstand plenty of foot traffic. Choose a mixture of wool and nylon to benefit from the softness and dirt resistance of wool and the strength of nylon. (Eighty percent wool and twenty percent nylon is the best mix).

If you buy a color with a slight tweed effect rather than a plain solid color, this will help disguise any dirt and wear further, without having to choose a patterned carpet, which is out of step with modern tastes.