Country Carpets reaches 55 Years Old in Walton
We are delighted to celebrate this milestone anniversary for Country Carpets, by sharing their story with you …
Country Carpets owner Malcolm Piper started his dream of a carpet business in 1968, from a public telephone box outside his parent’s house. With hard work, vision and determination he opens his physical carpet store in 1971 here in Bridge Street, Walton-on-Thames. Today with his daughter Sarah and Store Manager James Country Carpets remains a thriving family business with clients ranging from luxury London hotels, property developers and residents across London, Surrey, and the Home Counties.
Malcolm says “I used the local pay phone for calls and my estate car as my office, collection, and delivery vehicle. I worked all hours to create a network, build trust, and save money for my own premises. Which at first was a tiny lock up ‘warehouse’ where customers could come and view rolls of carpet. That space is now our fulfilment area at the back of the current much enlarged showroom.”
What’s the Country Carpets story
So, from the car, to a small lock-up, there is a whole journey for Malcolm and Country Carpets, which we think our community will find fascinating and shows the long-term commitment to Bridge Street and Walton-on-Thames.
After starting the premises in Walton, Malcom was tempted and took on two further premises, one in Guildford and one in Windsor in the Mid-1970’s, the organisation grew to over 20 staff across the three sites, but Malcolm was not happy, feeling that the rapid expansion meant he was not giving customers the personal service they needed, they deserved and he wanted to provide. So, he closed the other premises, purchased the units adjoining the site in Bridge Street, which are still owned by him and let to other businesses, however they were not the buildings we see, walk past or shop in today! They were old, tatty, and disjointed.
So, when approached by the well-known local, late developer John Lelliott to purchase all the units and redevelop it into the blocks we know today in the late 1970’s, Malcolm jumped at the chance. He moved his businesses just across the road, to a premises in the High Street and successfully traded for 2-years! In meantime Lelliott developed what we know today to be 11 – 25 Bridge Street hence the same look and feel of building structure. In 1981 Malcolm bought back 17-25 with Country Carpets occupying 19-23 and is the large, welcoming, and modern showroom we are celebrating on 13th February 2026.
However, this was not Malcolm’s only premises in Bridge Street, in the 1980’s he owned and ran a successful Sofa and Blinds premises almost opposite Country Carpets, which are now housing. Capitalising on the 80’s trend for Sofa beds and futons the shop attracted customers from near and far, including some famous residents, such as Sir Cliff Richard who bought a sleeper bed for his niece. However, by the mid 1990’s the trends were waning, and Malcolm knew it was time to stick with what he knew best and he divested and focused solely on Country Carpets.
Throughout the history of Country Carpets clients have included 5-star London hotels, where in the 90’s and 00’s they offered 24-hour replacement carpets to premises who may have been victim to, how shall we say ‘overzealous’ famous tenants who may have caused mishaps with furnishings! They employed a nighttime army of seamstresses who would work through the night to stich and pattern-match pieces of carpet, which back at the time were only made in 69cm (27”) widths, then Malcolm would fetch finished carpets to oversee their installation.
In the early 2000’s Sarah Piper joined the business, “I had a completely different career, which back then I could ‘work from home’ but I had a young family and being at home all the time was soul destroying. So, Dad suggested I come into the family business.” Just a year later store manager James (Byerley)joined, and they have been a team for over 20-years. Sarah continues “I believe that the feeling of family run is really valued by our customers, so many come back time after time, knowing the level of knowledge, customer service and friendliness they will receive.”
What’s the secret to such a long-standing business?
“When I started there were 13 carpet outlets in Walton & Hersham, today there is just 5 and I believe this is because of our long-standing family team, our welcoming nature, our customer service levels and shear hard work and dedication.” Smiles Malcolm who welcomed Love Walton with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eyes, his pride for this anniversary shining through.
So, what does Country Carpets stand for today?
We continue to focus on our core strengths, we know quality products, we have a dedicated team of back-office staff, delivery drivers and fitters who all demand the highest standards of themselves.
Sarah shares that “Our customers continue to be prestigious/premium property developers, interior designers working for clients and our local community and we count ourselves as very similar to interior designers” continuing, “Carpets are often seen as a really old-fashioned industry, however there are similarities to interior design because you’re working with colours. Carpets, flooring, and rugs are major purchases which can dictate the look and feel of a home, a place, so it is vital we understand what a client is looking for, which we do, and we build a trusted and respected rapport with customers.”
Here are several things that separate Country Carpets from their competition:
- Visits: our range of sample books and colour palettes are taken into a customer’s home to ensure we can create that interior design partnership to reflect their needs.
- Rugs: as well as offering customers the ability to take a rug home, try it for size and colour match before deciding, the team offer a bespoke rug making service. Using complementary colours of carpet, they can create a unique rug, with edging that works with other furnishings within a home, premises.
- Wood: we can look at match products with wood within a home, to mend it or update it.
- Delivery Expectations: if ever we find ourselves with a delivery issue, our first port of call is not to delay the customer but to do everything we can to work with the original manufacturer or distributor to get the product on time.
- Little Extras: we have a little black book of specialists whom we can recommend for various things including Sanding & Finishing, Door Easing, Deep Carpet Cleans, Moth Infestations.
“We often gain new clients because of a bad experience with other businesses, they cut their losses, come to us and then remain with us.”
Malcolm concludes “I did not realise it at the start, but it must be in the genes, as my grandfather Reg Piper had a flooring company in Hastings in the early 20th Century – circa 1926.”
Sarah confirms “most definitely in the genes, because he’s still thriving, still enjoys it and he’sstill motivated to be here and stay till five o’clock every day.”
Country Carpets = Customer Service, Knowledge, Sheer Hard Work and Dedication
Watch our short video below – giving you a flavour of the business, it’s products and its wonderful team!
Here is some of the lovely photos from the 55th Anniversary event:
VISIT: Country Carpets, 19-23 Bridge Street, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 1AE