FLOORINGS

My idea of superwoman Is Someone who Scrubs her own floors.

Keeping floors looking gorgeous is one of the toughest jobs in the house. Aside from kitchen worktops they are probably the most hard-working surfaces in your home, and therefore the most difficult to keep clean. If yours are dirty, you can bet it's the first thing people notice.

Your first job is to make life easy for yourself - try to make the surface fit the workload. Avoid carpet in rooms where dirt is a daily inevitability, such as rooms that lead directly to the outside (those immediately inside the front or back door, our leading into a garden, balcony or patio), or kitchens and bathrooms. (Think about it - carpeting in these rooms can be more trouble than it's worth.)

Hard surfaces, wood, laminate and tiles are easier to clean than carpet, but can be harsh in winter and less than cosy in sifting rooms and bedrooms. Introduce some comfort with a handwoven rug. It will look fabulous and lend an air of elegance, and even the most beautiful can work out cheaper, and more enduring, than a fitted carpet. Rugs also have the advantage of being portable - simply roll them out of the way when not required.

Kitchens and bathrooms need to be hygienic, so it's tempting to go for light colours for that pristine look, but try not to saddle yourself with something that shows every pawprint or drop of tea. Some of the new glittery resins are brilliant for bathrooms - they literally sparkle but you don't need to scrub them on the hour to keep them clean.

Stone can look wonderful in a kitchen, but is unforgiving when it comes to china and toddlers. The uneven shades and surfaces have the advantage of not showing the dirt, butt a perfectionist might say they never look quite clean either.
Before you start, take a look at every room in your home .and decide whether the flooring you have is working for you. If inot, think about changing it for something that earns its keep.