Carpet has come under fire because of the allergy/asthma reactions. Carpet can hold dozens of pounds of human skin/dust/mites in it. It can never be fully cleaned nor can the dust be completely removed. Because of this, many people are looking for solid flooring options which reduce allergens, reduce asthmatic events, are easier to clean and last longer. High end carpet (the stuff that is worth more than hardwood) still has its place in high end homes - often times in luxury bedrooms/luxury appartments (noise issues have to be taken into consideration) but on the whole, the general public is shying away from wall-to-wall carpets. Cork flooring is seeing a huge increase in sales because it "takes over" for carpet. Soft, quiet, warm, easy to clean, hypo-allergenic, antimicrobial, instect resistant. It is the "go-between" type of flooring for people used to carpet who need to move to solid surfaces for their health. As Canadians, we love this flooring because it is so warm.

Sanded and polished timber floors have a evergreen classic appeal that never goes out of fashion. Carpet and other floor coverings do have a tendency to have a style that is relevant to a particular period in time. Have you ever walked into a home and thought the carpet, lino or tiles were from the 60s, 70s or 80s? Natural timber floors never date and you can easily update the look of your home with warming floor rugs and furnishings. Carpeted homes may pose problems for Asthmatics and those that suffer from allergies. There are a few environmentally friendly coatings available if you do choose to sand and polish your floors. This link will offer some insight into your floor coating options. http://budgetfloorsanding.com.au/timber-floor-finishes/ All the best with making your decision

Wow! What an incredible view you have! I think you first need to frame it out. I would suggest changing out the carpet with hardwood floors with a worn or weathered look. Definitely get rid of the plastic and replace with white base moulding. Next I would paint the walls a color in the pale grey or grey/blue family. Next, I would suggest some crisp white sheers to frame each window. In the pictures, it looks like the Windows on the right are two windows wide. If so, I would also place panels in the middle of those 2 windows to continue framing the view. These are for decorative purposes only and not intended to distract from the view. It looks like there is a big space between two of the windows. I would locate a large architectural piece to place on that wall to add some interest. Remove all the small items from the window ledges. Finally, I would love a round table in that space. Good luck with your reno!

after watching my daughter and her husband agonize over the way their expensive timber floor has not held up well after 3 years, I would recommend tiles/wood look tiles with under heating. Their beautiful warm expensive floor looks like it always needs a clean and polish, not from neglect, they have cared for it well. One of the boards now has a slight and painful moan when it's stepped on :-( I grew up in a completely wood floor home and although it looked wonderful, my Mother hated it. ....and the mats ! Wood is a lot harder to maintain than tiles ,(no matter what the die hards say) the modern wood finishes are much better than they used to be.... But a piece of wood is rather arty no matter what it's used for and it does demand to be loved and cared for.....and if something goes wrong it's a lot more expensive to fix than sand and cement. Ultimately you have to be happy. BTW underheating tiles is warmer than timber :-)