Queen reveals Balmoral Castle carpets

Recent pictures of Balmoral Castle, the Queen's home in Scotland, have revealed that she has kept traditional interior design features, including the carpets.

Balmoral Castle was purchased by Prince Albert in 1852, who gifted it to Queen Victoria. Paintings from the time show that the decor had traditional tartan accents, with Prince Albert’s sitting room featuring tartan carpets he designed himself. A picture from 1972 shows the Queen in her study with the same tartan carpet.

Recent pictures of Balmoral Castle show that the red and grey tartan carpet design has been kept. The present carpet is not believed to be the original one from 1853, and it is likely that a new one has been made using the same tartan. Other recent images show that many of the rooms in the castle have a predominantly green colour scheme, which includes patterned carpets and curtains.

The Queen and her late husband Prince Phillip used Balmoral Castle as a summer holiday home. Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge often join the Queen there. Parts of the castle are open to the public until August. It's located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, and is set amid mountains, glens and lochs.

If you want to copy the Queen's carpet style, you can buy tartan carpets for North Wales, Wrexham and Chester homes. For those homes with a less regal style of decor, there are plenty of patterned and non-pattern carpet choices available.

What type of flooring is best for quiet living?

From public buildings where people require peace for reading to care homes where residents may need less noise to get their rest, many buyers of floors may be looking for a quieter option that can effectively dampen sounds. This is also a concern for numerous property owners across the country. From ensuring they don’t annoy their neighbours below in apartments to muffling music and television noise so it won’t disturb others in busy family homes, selecting a suitable floor that can absorb noise is key.

In the next passages, we’ll explore some of the flooring solutions that can be ideal for keeping parts of your home or business premises quieter for the benefit of those who live and work within them, and for those who reside nearby.

Carpeted flooring

Wall-to-wall carpeting is renowned for acting as a heat insulator for homes, effectively blocking cold draughts that come up between floorboards, but they can also insulate spaces from unwanted sound. The higher the pile of carpet, the more sounds will be effectively mitigated, with footsteps also cushioned, reducing their acoustic impact. Carpet tiles can be an easier to care for option than wall-to-wall carpeting, and they can still deliver excellent noise absorbency.

Rubber flooring

Commercial flooring solutions made from rubber are favoured by gyms, hospitals, kitchens and schools. This hardwearing option is not only exceptional for reducing noise levels, but can also provide a non-slip surface that is resistant to both mould and mildew for enhanced hygiene levels demanded by health and safety regulations.

Luxury vinyl tile flooring

From homeowners to hoteliers, luxury vinyl tile – or LVT for short – is a commonly selected option to cut back on unwanted sounds when selecting new flooring. Low maintenance and prized for its longevity, LVT combined with appropriate underlayers can provide a solution to unwanted sounds.

One of LVT’s most sought-after qualities is its versatility. This high-end vinyl can come shaped like wooden boards or ceramic tiles, and it’s able to mimic authentic timber or natural stone at a fraction of the price. It’s also much quieter to walk on than a solid wood floor or one that’s been tiled with stone, making it an exceptional option when you’re looking for less noise.

The importance of underlay

If you’re looking to supress unwanted sounds around your enterprise or home property, a key factor when installing a new floor is to select a high-quality underlay to fit beneath. Along with making floors more comfortable to walk on, this additional layer can efficiently absorb more sound. Fitted upstairs, it can block unwanted noise from rooms below and stop them from being invaded by the sounds coming from up above.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that the type of flooring selected must always be chosen with the building’s use firmly in focus. For example, while carpet can be effective at reducing the impact of sound, it can be difficult to clean, making it unsuitable for hotels and hospitals that will see a heavier footfall.

Couple makes carpets regarded as artwork

When people buy carpets, they are usually careful about the colours and patterns they choose, but carpets are not usually regarded as art. However, that is not the way that American painters Brad Davis and Janis Provisor see carpets, who design them to look like watercolour paintings.

Davis and Provisor founded Fort Street Studio 25 years ago to produce vividly coloured carpets. The pair are celebrating the anniversary of their studio by publishing a book, “Tale of Warp and Weft”, which tells their story. The book is set to be released on April 13th.

Before the COVID-19 restrictions, the artists travelled to work with carpet weavers in Thailand, Nepal and India, who wove their intricate designs into carpets. The couple don’t follow carpet design trends, and say they tend to be inspired by high fashion houses. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, they commented:

“Fashion moves so quickly and there’s so much creativity involved, particularly in the couturier lines. They’re so imaginative. There’s an enormous font of inspiration.”

Provisor is a collector of Belgian designer Dries van Noten’s shawls, which she says inspires her designs.

For their own home, they have designed a carpet that has gold dashes and layers of pink made to resemble brush strokes.

Carpets in Cheshire, North Wales and Wrexham homes may have not been chosen for their artistic merit, but with a wide choice of carpet colours and patterns, homeowners are certain to find a carpet to complement their decor.

Granite block public square looks like traditional carpet

A new project by Dutch architects Casanova + Hernandez has created a large public square that is patterned to look like a traditional carpet.

The square in the Albanian village of Shiroka is made from blocks of white and black granite, which are positioned in a pattern that resembles a traditional Albanian carpet design. The architects said that this is intended to create a public space with a unique, local identity.

The landscaping of the area, which is near a lake, is designed to create the sense of being at home. It is split into zones, with the design influenced by the “oda” rooms found in many traditional homes in Albania. The function of oda rooms is to entertain visitors, and they typically contain low benches that line three sides of the space. In the square, benches that are U-shaped section off areas used for different purposes.

Speaking to Dezeen, the architects said:

"These rooms open the views over the lake and stimulate citizens' interactions with different uses such as a playground room, picnic room, lounge room, amphitheatre and the fishermen's room."

It is common for floor coverings in homes to resemble other types of materials. For example, laminate looks like wood, and some luxury vinyl tiles are made to mimic stone. Solid flooring is not designed to look like carpet patterns, as it's better to use real carpets for North Wales and Chester homes. Carpets are available in a wide range of colours and patterns, both traditional and modern.

Why should I invest in artificial grass?

With the warmer months in reach, many homeowners will be tidying up their gardens and getting their lawns ship-shape. Read on to take a look at some of the top reasons to install some synthetic turf in your outdoor space.

Easy installation

Whether you opt for a self-installation or leave it to the professionals, artificial grass is swift and simple to fit. This means less work and minimal disruption to your day, along with the chance to enjoy your new lawn as soon as possible.

Impressive appearance

Man-made grass has come a long way since the 1960s, when it first sprouted as a concept. Once professionally laid, synthetic lawns can provide an authentic appearance that will look perfect all-year round.

An easy-care option

Maintenance for artificial grass ranges from light to zero effort, making it much simpler to look after than a real lawn. A quick sweep from time to time is all that’s necessary for your new lawn, allowing you to enjoy more time to relax on it.

Kinder to the environment

No herbicide, fungicide and pesticide regimens are ever required to keep your lawn in peak condition. You’ll also never need to regularly water your lawn, effectively cutting down on your water usage. These points can be important considerations if you’re looking for ways to be more eco-friendly.

Allergy-free

You won’t suffer any allergic reactions from grass pollen with man-made turf. Allergy sufferers can recline on their soft springy lawn and enjoy summer skies free from sneezes, coughs and watery eyes.

No mowing required

Along with avoiding the time-consuming task of mowing, by choosing artificial grass you can also avoid the expense of purchasing a lawn mower, buying fuel to keep it running and the cost of having a mower repaired if it becomes damaged.

Safe for people and pets

Both your kids and four-legged family friends can play safely on synthetic turf. Far less messy than real grass, which can stain clothes or get dragged into the house on feet, artificial grass is entirely non-toxic, making it 100 percent secure for all who use it.

An all-weather option

Unlike a real lawn, which can become water-logged in the wet months and dry and sparse when it gets hot, synthetic grass can be enjoyed every day of the year and will remain looking consistently lush and green.

Easy to clean

When food or drink is spilled in the garden, synthetic turf can be simply hosed down. Additionally, unlike real grass, which can become burnt or discoloured by pet mess, artificial grass can be easily washed with a little dish soap and warm water. For more stubborn marks, wiping the synthetic blades with a cleaning cloth will be more than enough.

Saving time and money

Finally, the overall advantages of artificial grass can see homeowners making substantial savings on both their time and money. Far easier to maintain, man-made lawns are less labour intensive and don’t require expensive equipment and products to keep them healthy and tidy.