Carpet is the wrong choice for a home office. The reasons are practical, not aesthetic.
Desk chair performance. A desk chair on carpet degrades the carpet and the chair simultaneously — the castors sink, the pile mats, and movement becomes resistant. A wood floor allows a chair mat to be used or, for a quality engineered oak, the correct hard-floor castors to be fitted — the chair moves freely and the floor is unaffected.
Acoustics. A hard floor reflects more sound than carpet, so a rug under the desk and a few soft furnishings keep calls clear. The advantage is control: you choose where the softness goes, and the floor itself stays clean and hard-wearing under a chair.
Appearance on camera. A wood floor — particularly herringbone or wide plank — reads as a premium background on video calls and in property photography. In a market where home offices add significant value to a London property, the floor is a visible signal of quality to buyers and tenants.
What to consider
in a home office specification
Desk chair castors. We advise on the correct hard-floor castors for your chair at survey stage. Standard office chair castors are designed for carpet and will mark a wood floor. Hard-floor castors — available for most chair models — distribute weight correctly and leave no marks.
Finish for office use. UV lacquer is our most common recommendation for home offices — it provides the hardest surface finish, is easiest to clean, and requires no annual maintenance. For those who prefer the feel of oiled wood, a hardwax oil with a high wear rating is available in our Signature and Prime collections.
Cable management at skirting. In home offices, cable runs at skirting level are common. We can advise on the best approach to skirting replacement or the use of cable trunking that integrates with the floor installation without requiring a return visit.
Samples brought to every survey
