(And Never Will)
By now, most of you who’ve come across us probably know that we don’t—and won’t—have a carpet showroom. Instead, I (Gabriella) bring samples directly to you, so you can choose your flooring from the comfort of your own home.
I’ve talked before about how fantastic this is—because you get to view everything in your lighting, next to your walls, with your furniture, and actually see which colours work in your space. (Yay!)
But I don’t think I’ve ever really explained the why behind the way we do things.
The Backstory
In December 2016, I woke up one morning and knew something was really wrong.
My health had been up and down for a while, but this felt different. I thought maybe my iron was low again, or I was just exhausted from not bouncing back as quickly as I’d hoped—our middle son had been born via emergency c-section 15 weeks earlier, and that experience alone probably escalated some of the issues.
So off to the GP I went, expecting a quick fix. Instead, it kicked off four months of tests, scans, and specialist appointments. Eventually, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia—and not long after, Grade 1 Spondyloarthropathy of my SI joints. (Which, in plain English, means my spine and hips are slowly fusing, and at some point I’ll need a total hip replacement.)
I’m now at Grade 2—bordering on Grade 3—and currently on some rather impressive immunosuppressants to try and slow the whole thing down.
So What Is Fibromyalgia?
It’s a chronic condition that causes widespread pain, fatigue, and what I lovingly refer to as “nervous system mayhem.”
- Things that shouldn’t hurt, do—and vice versa
- Sensory overload is constant
- I’m always either too hot or too cold (weather irrelevant)
- Hearing and vision can flicker in and out, even with normal test results
- And the migraines? Don’t get me started.
I know it sounds a bit woe-is-me—but truly, it’s not.
What It Taught Me
I’m lucky. These days, my symptoms are mostly managed (although the lockdown years set me back more than a little). It took about two years of trial and error to get to this point, but I’ve learned a lot—about myself, about self-care, and about how much easier life is when you give yourself permission to do things differently.
And that’s how this business was born.
I realised not everything has to fit into a neat little box. There’s no one “right” way to do something—and that includes choosing carpet.
The Real Reason We Come to You
For people like me—people living with visible or invisible illnesses and disabilities—sometimes just getting out of bed is the win of the day. Now add the effort of showering, dressing, getting in the car, driving to a carpet showroom, navigating a loud, unfamiliar space…
It’s a lot. For carers, for people with young kids, for anyone supporting elderly parents—it’s even harder.
And honestly? Most carpet showroom’s aren’t designed to be accessible. Not for prams, not for wheelchairs, and definitely not for immunosuppressed people (even before COVID made that part more obvious).
We also learned:
- Some salespeople have no idea how to recommend flooring based on mobility aids.
- Many installers aren’t briefed on how to work respectfully with people who have memory issues, trauma, or cognitive conditions.
- And honestly? Most flooring salespeople just… don’t come to you. Because that’s not “how it’s done.”
But Here’s the Thing…
Carpet, flooring, renovations—it’s not about the product.
It’s about the people it helps.
It’s about what it does for your home, your lifestyle, and your peace of mind.
That’s why we built East Coast Carpets around you—the people we serve.
That’s why we’ll always come to you.
And that’s why we’ll never have a traditional carpet showroom.
So—
Do you want to go to a carpet showroom?
Or would you rather have us come to you?
With warmth and carpet samples,
Gabriella & the East Coast Carpets Team