The Story of Soudens Floor Collective

The Soudens showroom in Fyshwick has come a long way from where the business first began. 

The Souden family has been working in flooring since 1953, when Brent’s grandfather, Herb Souden, started Soudens Floor Coverings in West Wyalong. Brent grew up learning the trade from his father and grandfather before moving to Canberra in 2007.

What eventually became Soudens Floor Collective started much more simply. Brent began working independently under the name BMS Floor Coverings. At the time, the business centred around Brent himself, his workmanship, his reputation, and the flooring samples he could carry with him. 

BMS began as a one man operation, with Brent contracting to local flooring stores and working out of his van. As the business grew, the van gave way to the family garage, the product range expanded, and gradually the business outgrew those early beginnings. 

Opening a showroom was the next major step, and it also felt like the right time for the business to take on a name that reflected more than one person. 

The Souden name brought the story back to where it had started. Brent’s parents and grandparents had run Soudens Floor Coverings in West Wyalong, so naming the new business Soudens Floor Collective was a way of recognising that family history while creating something new in Canberra. “Collective” also suited what the business had become by then, with a growing family, team and group of people contributing their own skills to the business. 

The difference between those early BMS days and the showroom today is perhaps clearest in the range customers can now explore. Where Brent was once limited to the samples he could fit in his van. It is not about having the biggest showroom or the most products. The range is deliberately curated, with showroom manager Donna continually researching new products, trends, and developments in the industry. 

Despite the change in name, BMS has never disappeared completely. Original branding still appears around the warehouse, some BMS vans are still on the road, and long-time customers still get in touch with the team from previous renovations. For Brent and Lewarna, that connection is something worth holding onto. BMS built its reputation through quality workmanship, affordable flooring and word of mouth, and those foundations remain part of Soudens today. 

The business has now grown from Brent working alone to a Canberra team of more than 10, with Brent’s uncle Peter also part of the business, managing warehouse operations. Customers have grown alongside them too, returning for new homes, sending family members into the showroom and recommending Soudens to friends.

For Brent and Lewarna, that is ultimately what makes the showroom special. It represents more than 70 years of family history, but also everything that has been built here in Canberra.

And while there is still plenty we want to do next, sometimes it is worth looking around and remembering that it all started with Brent, a van, and a handful of flooring samples.