We used to have carpet in all of our bedrooms. In our current house we have hardwood + area rugs. I much prefer our situation now. The hardwood will be in our house for the remainder of our time here and the rugs can change as our tastes do. Honestly I just prefer the looks (although I do like walking in my neighbors carpeted bonus room with bare feet, ha!).

I finally have a house with all hardwood after years of carpet. I love the look and always have. But you're right, installing hardwood and purchasing rugs is WAY more expensive than wall-to-wall carpeting, which is why I never had hardwood in my other homes. My advice is to go with hardwood if a) the neighborhood warrants it, and 2) you can afford it.

P.S. I lived in this house for several years without any rugs, and over time bought all but one of my rugs used.

There are other options...the most appealing one today is LVP...low maintenance ...great to walk on ...relatively indestructible ...quick and easy installation...and pretty in the right color wood patterns...we ended up with them sort of accidentally..and i am so sold now i would never go back

We do live in the country so the durability is an extra plus

When my kitchen remodel was done two years ago, I installed hardwood across the front of out condo, replacing tile in the kitchen, wood in the entry and carpet in the den. I have carpet in the adjacent dining room, living room a small hall and master bedroom on the main floor. I would need to continue with the wood I have or replace carpet with carpet. I was sure I would not want to live with hard floors in the living room, but having lived with them in the kitchen for a couple of years, they aren’t that bad. The old carpet has to go, that’s the only thing I know for sure.

The first house we owned had oak floors. We had no rugs at first but were given several beautiful 5 by 7 or 4 by 6 Orientals by my parents. They were in the living room, and we had little bedside fluffy throw rugs in the bedrooms.
Then we moved into a house that had all carpet but for the kitchen.....even the bathrooms. And it was so easy to take care of. Dust didnt' run into balls and roll under furniture, and after 3 days the floors didn't look dusty....I just ran the vacuum and cleaned the carpet every few years.
But the carpet in the master wore out and I debated and replaced it with carpet. When the carpet was torn out and I saw the lovely oak, almost pristine because it had mostly been carpeted, I almost relented.
Eventually acquired more Oriental rugs which i laid on the carpet, but one day I bit the bullet and had all the downstairs carpet removed. There was beautiful quarry tile in the solarium and vinly/asbestos in the family room....but the rest was lovely oak.
At first the noise was awful. I found it very hard to get used to the sound of even my stocking feet....but I gradually got used to it.
I put carpet back on the stairs, because I feel carpet is safer on a stairway, and had the tile in the family room removed and installed hardwood.....and am happy. I have learned to swish a dust mop and Oriental rugs don't show much every day stuff.
Sooo....I like a carpeted bedroom, it's quieter, and hardwood elsewhere...it's prettier!
But, as with all "trends" carpet will return. and hardwood will be out in a few years.

Over my life, I have lived in so many places and had all the versions of floor coverings described above. And I agree with your descriptions of them, adding ceramic tile - cold, hard and unforgiving, and luxury vinyl tile - great until it gets damaged and you have to figure out how to replace a piece in the middle.

Any of them look great if done well. All can look shabby if done cheaply. Choose your poison. Though I have none of it in my current house, my preference is wall-to-wall because I don't worry about germs on the floor.

My living area is small as I live in a condo. I laid down a throw rug I have and was shocked how much smaller it made the space look! Yet in my much smaller den it seems okay, perhaps because the rug is a bigger proportion of the room. Going with wood would solve some of my decision problems while causing others. I found some older photos of the space. We’re retired and it’s “cozy” for us!