 Chapter 1  set the tone for the environs of the series . According to David Carr the political environs have such " marbleness " that it belies the clandestine nature of political activities , including those of Underwood who say he is there to " clear the pipes and keep the sludge moving " . The fictional newspaper , The Washington Herald , is set with " brutal " lighting and drab furniture , in part because it was filmed at the real life Baltimore Sun offices . Carr use several pejorative adjectives to describe Barnes ' apartment including sad , grubby , dirty , dreary and humble but note that this imply that the digital revolution is dominated by people " on laptops who have no furniture " . Similarly , Underwood and his associates are nattily clad , Barnes show a lack of fashion recognition .