It's time to replace the carpet on my stairs and second floor (hallway and three bedrooms) but I don't know what to replace it with. I fear new carpet will just get stained and worn eventually. I would love hardwood, but don't want to use the same kind we have downstairs (we had scratching and buckling issues) and fear a different kind of wood on the stairs will look odd, although they are separated by a white riser. If I go with hardwood, do I try to match or contrast the first floor hardwood? Are there carpet options I should know about? I like the look of seagrass and hear it's easy to keep clean but I'm not sure it's possible to install on stairs and not sure if it would be comfortable under bare feet. Is cork an option for stairs and bedrooms? I'm attaching a few pics of the current, worn carpet on the stairs and the adjoining downstairs rooms with hardwood. I do not think there is hardwood under the carpet. Thanks!