Why typing can grate in a real room
Many offices and home workspaces in South Africa have smooth desks, melamine, timber, sometimes stone. Keyboards rattle, mouses click, and it all bounces off hard walls and floors. By midday, the sound and vibration can leave wrists tired and heads buzzing, even before the job gets stressful.
When windows are open for Highveld dust or Cape Town’s damp, stray grit gets under your palms, and you feel every bump. A desktop can get scratched, the finish dulls, and you start to notice how cold it is on a winter morning before the sun warms the glass.
What we do with felt
We make Desk Mat Felt in a stitched, generous size that covers the ‘work zone’ of your desk: under keyboard, mouse, notepad, sometimes even your tea mug. The felt is dense and soft to the touch, and you can pick from colourways like Mist Paper, Ink Edge or Soft Leaf to suit the room.
Felt does not fray when cut, so our mats have neat, finished edges that stay tidy. Wool-blend felt is comfortable under your hands and absorbs a bit of the room’s humidity, while our polyester acoustic felts are tough and shrug off spills. Both types dampen sound and protect your desktop from marks.
A quick story from Durban
Last year, a small legal practice in Durban Centre asked us to fit desk mats for their reception counter and three admin desks. The office has tiled floors and a lot of hard surfaces, so every tap of a ring on a desk or shuffle of a keyboard echoed around.
After we measured up, we suggested Desk Mat Felt in Stone Wash, long enough to cover the writing spot and keyboard at each station. The team noticed right away: the space felt calmer, there were fewer dropped pen marks, and the receptionist said her wrists felt less tired at the end of the day.
How to set up and care for your felt desk mat
Good fitting is simple: lay the mat flat with at least 10 cm clear behind the keyboard, so it does not crowd your mouse or get pulled. Most mats settle flat after a day or two. If the mat moves on a very smooth surface, a non-slip pad underneath can help.
For cleaning, spot clean stains quickly with a cool damp cloth. For wool felt, blot rather than rub, and let it dry flat out of direct sun. Dust with a soft brush, and never tumble dry or use hot water. Polyester felt can be wiped with a mild upholstery shampoo if needed, but keep away from heat sources.
- Lay mat flat, with space at the back
- Use a non-slip pad if needed
- Blot wool felt stains, do not rub
- Let mats air dry, away from sun
- Vacuum or brush gently to remove dust
- Keep heat away from polyester felt
What to send if you want help with your workspace
If you would like advice or a quote, please send us a message through our contact form. Tell us about your space: the city, type of desk, its size and shape, and how many mats you need. A photo of your workspace helps us recommend the right mat and colourway.
If you have a preference for wool-blend or polyester felt, mention that. We can show you samples at our Woodstock studio or any of our showroom bays across Joburg, Pretoria, Umhlanga, Bellville or Century City.
