Images: Instagram via @gerginawilsonassociates / TikTok via @askanarchitect
As someone who had carpet in my childhood bedroom and now has timber floors in my grown-up home, I’ve enjoyed the benefits of both. In my humble opinion, timber floors look beautiful running through an entire house – especially when paired with the perfect rug beneath the bed. But when it’s cold? There’s nothing quite like carpet underfoot.
Now that I’m planning a renovation, the age-old question has resurfaced: stick with timber in the bedrooms or switch to carpet? I was leaning towards the latter, until I stumbled upon a TikTok by architect Georgina Wilson.
Why timber beats carpet in bedrooms
In the video, Georgina explains why she’d never recommend wall-to-wall carpet in a main bedroom.
“I wasn’t always so committed to this point of view,” she says, “but after ripping up my carpet in my old home, the mould and water damage that I saw scarred me for life.”
Still not convinced?
Here are Georgina’s top three reasons to avoid carpet in the bedroom:
- It traps dirt and dust like nobody’s business.
- It needs to be replaced every five to seven years.
- It harbours detritus you can’t even see underneath.
So, what’s the alternative?
“The better solution is timber floors,” says Georgina. “They’re long-lasting, hard-wearing, easy to clean and dust-free. For that plush feeling underfoot, get a rug.”
Still tempted by the cosy appeal of carpet?
I put the poll to the Home Beautiful team, and there was a clear winner.
Timber floors: 6/8
All but two of us are firmly on team timber. Here’s why:
“I have a vivid memory of spilling my hot pink nail polish on my bedroom carpet when I was a kid! They were quickly replaced by wood floors in my teens.”
Teneal Zuvela, senior digital content producer
“As someone with chronic allergies and asthma, I like it when dust has nowhere to hide. With timber flooring, dust is highly visible and can be cleaned easily. I’d rather struggle to create a sense of cosiness than struggle to breathe.”
Brittany Smith, features editor
“I’m on team timber. I love the look of timber much more than carpet and it’s a lot easier to clean if you have pets.”
Kate Barber, senior copy editor
“I’m team timber floors in our home. We’re on one level and felt that carpet would break up the flow of the rooms, so we just have big rugs for comfort.”
Alice Ierace, art director
“If I had my time again, I’d choose timber floorboards for our bedroom. We chose dark grey carpets and quickly regretted it. Carpet might feel cosy but from experience, they dirty much more easily than floorboards.”
Emily Murray, social media content producer
“We have beautiful, original wide pine floorboards in our 1910 cottage, which we restored in a renovation 10 years ago. I’m allergic to dust (and dusting!) and find timber floors so much easier to keep clean with our robot vacuum, plus a monthly deep clean.”
Diana Moore, digital editor
Carpet lovers: 2/8
Cosiness won these two over in the end…
“I’m definitely team carpet in bedrooms. I like the warmth and comfort, and it’s less noisy than wooden floors.”
Victoria Kingsbury, deputy editor
“I absolutely adore carpet in our bedrooms as it’s so soft and cushiony underfoot. We’re a pure-wool carpet, vacuum-regularly, no-shoes in the house kind of family, so we manage to stay on top of dust issues (mostly).”
Elle Lovelock, editor-in-chief
The final verdict: carpet vs. timber
In the end, the timeless appeal, practical benefits and straightforward maintenance of timber floors have clearly won the day. So, whether you’re renovating your modern home or restoring a classic cottage, consider letting timber floors lead the way – with strategically placed rugs for those moments when you crave a little extra softness. I know that’s what I’ll be doing.
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