Carpet Tiles or LVT for Your Office? A Zone-by-Zone Guide

Updated 12 November 2026

Most offices don’t need to choose between carpet tiles and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). They need both, each in the right zone. Carpet tiles suit open-plan work areas and meeting rooms, where comfort and noise control matter most. LVT suits reception, kitchens, breakout spaces and other areas where spills and wheeled traffic are constant.

The question isn’t which is better. It’s which floor goes where.

Key facts

• Carpet tiles in our stock ranges come in squares (500 x 500 mm) and planks (333 x 1000 mm and 457.2 x 914.4 mm), so you can mix formats and lay patterns.
• Commercial carpet tiles in our stock ranges are rated for heavy-duty commercial use and carry a 15-year commercial warranty.
• Vinyl planks like our New Forest range are 4.5 mm thick and come with an acoustic test report, which helps where noise matters on a hard floor.
• Both formats are modular, so a damaged tile or plank can be replaced on its own, without redoing the room.
• Our stock ranges are held here in Australia, which keeps fit-out programmes on schedule.

Which floor goes where: a zone-by-zone guide

Reception and entry: LVT

Reception is the first thing visitors see, and it takes the most outside dirt and wet weather. A timber-look vinyl plank gives warmth without the upkeep of real timber, and it wipes clean. Add an entry mat at the door to catch grit before it reaches the floor.

Suggested ranges: New Forest (timber look) or the Australian Stone Collection (concrete and stone looks, 610 x 610 mm tiles).

Corridors and walkways: either, chosen for traffic

Corridors carry the heaviest foot traffic and wheeled traffic in the building. Heavy-duty carpet tiles keep corridors quiet; a vinyl plank walkway works well where a corridor runs past kitchens or meeting rooms and needs to be easy to clean.

Suggested ranges: Ultimate (100% solution-dyed nylon, built for high traffic) or New Forest for a timber walkway.

Open-plan workstations: carpet tiles

This is where people spend most of the day, so comfort and noise control matter most. Carpet tiles absorb footfall noise and chair movement, and a castor-rated tile stands up to office chairs rolling all day.

Suggested ranges: Mist (castor-rated, 500 x 500 mm), Stonewall (333 x 1000 mm planks) or Knit (457.2 x 914.4 mm planks with a PET cushion backing).

Meeting and boardrooms: carpet tiles

Meeting rooms need privacy and good acoustics. Carpet tiles cut sound reflection, and a cushion-backed tile adds comfort underfoot. A plank-format tile laid ashlar or herringbone gives the room a more considered look.

Suggested ranges: Aura (PET cushion back) or Knit.

Kitchens, breakouts and cafés: LVT

Kitchens and breakout areas carry the highest spill load in an office. Vinyl handles coffee, food and water, and is quick to clean between meetings. Check the slip test report for each range before you specify it for a wet area.

Suggested ranges: New Forest or the Flinders Range (1220 x 183 mm planks).

Zoning the two together

Using carpet and vinyl side by side defines areas without walls. A timber walkway can lead people through an open-plan floor of carpet tiles, or a vinyl kitchen can sit inside a carpeted breakout zone. Plan the transitions early, so the installer can match heights and finish each join with the right trim.

Carpet tiles vs LVT at a glance

	Carpet tiles	LVT (vinyl planks and tiles)
Best zones	Workstations, meeting rooms, quiet corridors	Reception, kitchens, breakouts, wet-prone walkways
Noise	Absorbs footfall and chair noise	Harder surface; choose an acoustic-tested plank
Comfort	Soft underfoot; cushion backs available (Aura, Knit)	Firm, warm underfoot
Spills and cleaning	Vacuum daily; spot-clean spills	Wipes clean; suits wet-prone areas
Formats in our ranges	500 x 500 mm squares, 333 x 1000 mm and 457.2 x 914.4 mm planks	228.6 x 1524 mm and 1220 x 183 mm planks, 610 x 610 mm tiles
Laying patterns	Monolithic, ashlar, brick, quarter turn, herringbone (varies by range)	Staggered, herringbone, ashlar, brick (varies by range)
Repairs	Lift and replace a single tile	Replace a single plank or tile

How real offices have done it

• 207 Kent Street, Sydney: New Forest Seasoned Oak vinyl planks run through the lounge, kitchen and boardroom of a full-floor speculative suite by Sheldon Interiors.
• Skyring Terrace, Brisbane: New Forest Classic Oak planks give the breakout and walkways a warm timber look. Design by Hotblack Design, fit-out by Melrose.
• Wesfarmers Health, South Australia: Ultimate Alaska carpet tiles cover the workstations and corridors. As a stocked range, it helped keep the fit-out on schedule.
• Perfect Practice, Sydney: Stonewall Clay carpet planks give the open-plan office and meeting rooms an earthy, textured floor.
• North Sydney office: New Forest Washed Teak forms a timber walkway beside a plant-wall divider.

Frequently asked questions

Planning an office fit-out?

Order free samples of our stock carpet tile ranges and vinyl ranges, or contact your local rep to talk through your floor plan zone by zone.