Resource Day: FLOR

I know I say this every week, but I love Thursday's and today is no different. I spend all week trying to decide what great resource I should talk about from one week to the next. Today I chose FLOR carpet tile. Well, it's actually a lot more than just a tile, it's a whole modular floor system, that can be used for area rugs, wall to wall or just as an opportunity to add a bit of spice to the floor.

I really like to use them in areas where it is difficult to imagine using a regular carpet, like in the children's playroom above, it's the perfect solution. If one of the kids spills paint or whatever, you don't have to freak out, just pull up the offending tile and replace it with a new one! Or for that matter you can take the dirty tile outside and hose it down.

I am currently using them in an office remodel we are working on, where the owner has dogs. So should there be any accidents or whatever it's easy to replace one tile at a time.

Installation is easy too, there are these nifty little adhesive stickers that hold them all together, that makes keeping it all straight and together a breeze. Speaking of breeze, they now offer an exterior collection too, which I have yet to use, but think is such a natural extension of the brand. As you can create very fun, interesting rugs for the outside that are easy to keep clean and move around.

One of the problems with a system like this, is that with so many choices it's hard to make a decision about anything. Well if you go to the FLOR website, they have a whole section dedicated to ideas for rugs etc that you can just download, so it makes it a lot easier. You can tell, I love these guys, I thinks it's a great product, that's not expensive and made really easy to use. Let know if you think the same!

Resource Day: Rugs

Anyone who reads this blog with any regularity will know that I am all about putting together interiors in an organised and thoughtful way. Start with the backgrounds, move onto the major furniture pieces, consider lighting, then decorative elements etc etc. To me, one of the most important elements in preparing the backgrounds, is selecting a good rug. I tend to buy two types of rugs, inexpensive, textured ones for rooms where I am limited on budget, or I use them as backgrounds for better quality rugs in a layering effect. The second type of rug I buy is of a very high quality, either Antique or handmade. In my mind it is almost impossible to mimic the beauty of a rug made by hand, and I consistently keep going back to one company,Michaelian and Kohlberg. They are a multi generational company which is based in New York City, but are available throughout the United States. The breadth and quality of what they offer is staggering, from subtle vegetable dyed rugs from Tibet, to reproductions from China, to a not to be missed group of textures from India and Turkey.

Some of their best rugs are comprised of very subtle use of color and texture, unfortunately, these do not show well on screen, so go to their extensive website and you will get a better idea of what they offer.

www.michaelian.com

The patterns that I am showing today are some of their more graphic ones. I especially love the second image, it is part of a collection inspired by the quilts of Gee's Bend. These quilts are famous for their erratic beauty and I think the spirit has been captured perfectly in these rugs.

So, check these guys out, I hope you will be as big a fan as I am.