Studio Flooring

Among the photo assignments and seminars of the last month, work on the studio has continued apace. The main project for the period has been to have the flooring installed. From measuring up, to final fitting, the work went smoothly.

I had in mind that I’d like a vinyl covering for the entire area. However, on advice from one of the businesses which came to measure up, I opted for part carpet and part vinyl. The rationale being that vinyl would be best for the photography work, while carpet would provide a differential between working area and office area.

The work took a couple of days as the latex needed time to dry, before the vinyl and carpet were laid.

The whole area looked much smarter, even before the floor was complete. And once done? Does it sound crazy to say I wanted to take off my shoes and dance in the studio?!

Lessons learned from the floor fitting process? Be prepared to take advice from the experts. My early idea of vinyl throughout was adapted, on advice from the flooring supplier.

Make time to see the options before the fitting, if possible. This won’t always be practical, but seeing the vinyl and carpet in the shop really sealed my decision. Having seen the pictures online, my mind was pretty well made up, but there’s no substitute for being able to see (and touch) the selections before absolutely finalising the deal.

One of my quotes didn’t arrive as promised (I was told it would come via email) and when I followed up by telephone, I still didn’t hear anything back. As it happened, the quote had been posted to the studio but having been out and about for a few days, I didn’t pick it up. When I did come across the quote, the options weren’t as good as those of my chosen supplier but it did remind me that I now have a studio, with an address, and even if things are promised in one format, I should check the studio as well in case people have written to me. A basic lesson, but a lesson nevertheless.

Am I happy with the results? Absolutely! The flooring looks superb; very professional and in keeping with the rest of the decor. As a finishing touch, Nic even made an entry mat with some of the leftover carpet.

Huge thanks to Howard and the team at The Carpet Shop, Swindon for measuring up and providing sound advice as well as materials. Massive thank you also, to Nic at Active Flooring, Swindon, for his advice, patience and hard work in getting the flooring installed over the weekend. If anyone needs flooring services, I highly recommend both businesses.

I can’t wait to move some of my kit in now and actually start using the studio for photography.