As beige finally takes a back seat, we crack the new colour code for carpets greys, nutty browns and dusty colours are the latest in carpet chic.

"Beige has dominated domestic carpet purchase for the past five years," said David Cormack, marketing director of Cormar Carpets.

"But now consumers want to add a dash of colour to interiors. They still crave the natural look but are choosing carpets that are infused with earthy tones and provide a stellar backdrop for splashes of subtle or dramatic colour."

From palettes of weathered blues and moorland mossy greens (Buchanan's Moray) to moody greys (Pennine Twist's Flagstone) and biscuity browns, these new nature-inspired neutrals herald a new era in fashionable decor by providing a base for accessories in this season's must-have' accent colours - teals, duck egg blues, rich reds and deep cerises.

Embracing the renaissance of colour, large patterned and Rococo-style fabrics in sassy shades are hot news for the home.

Used on a signature piece of furniture, they provide a dramatic focal point and complement a muted background such as Muesli from Cormar's Pennine Twist collection or Mull from the rugged Buchanan range.

Also adding a dash to interior design are feature walls. Another way of experimenting with colour, these look great in a retro patterned wallpaper or painted in a striking shade teamed with contrasting furnishings.

Snowflake from the textured Stonehaven collection is the perfect backdrop to black and white flocked wallpaper, drizzled with red and cerise accessories.

David said: "Even though home furnishing trends are sparkling with more colour, using a neutral carpet is still the most practical, long term, budget friendly choice. It makes sense to use neutrals on high end items such as flooring and furniture and then go wild with colour on accessories - cushions, vases, canvases, wallpaper or paint."

Watch out for the return of colour. "We anticipate that more colour will be returning to carpets as the months go on," added David.

"Dusky pinks and powder blues will return to the colour bank as consumers become more and more adventurous."

Keep it clean!

HAVING your carpets cleaned can be a pain - quite apart from having to move furniture out of the way, there is also the musty smell and inconvenience of damp carpets until they dry out.

Well, I was reliably assured, there is another way - Bone Dry organic carpet cleaning.

This method, I was told, leaves your carpets pristine clean and totally dry - removing well over 90 per cent of pet hair, pollen and dustmites, key triggers of summertime allergies.

My cream lounge carpet was definitely looking the worse for wear, with various grubby marks and patches of flattened and matted pile, so I was quite happy for Bone Dry's Max Cullip (pictured), who runs his business from Milton Keynes, to come along and give it a treatment.

We had moved smaller pieces of furniture out of the lounge, but decided to leave the larger items - bureau, sideboard, TV and stereo - in situ as, let's face it, soiling beneath them was minimal. The sofas were moved from one end of the lounge to the other as Max cleaned the carpet.

When Max quotes for the job, it is worked out on the size of the area being cleaned and my 22 x 12ft lounge cost a very reasonable £135.

Max explained that, unlike traditional methods which use chemicals and water to clean carpets, Bone Dry uses organic materials which are not only safe for children and pets, but also incredibly effective.

"Steam cleaning can leave carpets wet for days, causing health problems and unpleasant smells, and it leaves a sticky soapy residue on the surface which causes dirt - including dustmites and allergens - to accumulate almost immediately," he said.

Max started by using a powerful vacuum on the carpet, then he used a special 'spotter' on stubborn stains. He followed this by applying what looked like crumbled sponge all over the carpet - and that is, in fact, exactly what it is.

The special organic sponge product absorbs grease and dirt at the bottom of the pile, and is then vacuumed up.

The whole treatment took just over an hour and I was very impressed with my lovely clean carpet - all the grubby bits had disappeared, flattened pile had been raised, and it looked brand new. It even smelt nice too!

For further information call Max Cullip on 0800 634 3010, e-mail: bonedrymk@tiscali.co.uk or visit the website: www.thecleanersolution.co.uk