Peek Behind FLOR
Posted by FLOR | Filed under Behind the Scenes, FLOR Stories, Musings
Since so many of you share personal FLOR Stories about your home or office, we thought we’d share one about ours. A common question we find ourselves answering almost daily is “Where is FLOR located?”
Our office sits in the West Loop of downtown Chicago, just blocks from the hustle and bustle of Union Station, the restaurants on the river and the rumble of the El train.
After moving around a bit, we found our permanent location in the Spring of 2010 and when we arrived to start designing our office, we were met with a blank canvas.
The 8th FLOR Series: Greg Colando & Chip DeGrace
Posted by FLOR | Filed under Behind the Scenes, Favorite Posts, Musings, The 8th FLOR series
Talk to just about any employee here at FLOR and they’ll all tell you that there is a definite family vibe in our offices. We are still small enough that everyone is into everyone else’s business (in a good way) and we have fun doing what we do. We are all motivated by a shared vision and goal for the company and a true belief that what we’re doing has the power to change the way people live (for the better).
This collaborative, entrepreneurial spirit starts at the top, with the two men who have most shaped this company: our president, Greg Colando, and creative leader, Chip DeGrace. Both have worked in this industry for 20+ years and both are extremely passionate about FLOR.
We recently sat down with both of them, as part of our 8th FLOR Series, to get their thoughts on FLOR and its future. Here is a (relatively) uncensored look behind the business and creative visionaries of FLOR.
Oh, and it’s important to note – we did not stage or influence the Odd Couple-inspired dialogue and exchanges you’re about to witness (the banter and sentence finishing serves as evidence that these two are indeed close friends and long-time colleagues).
The 8th FLOR Series presents, Greg Colando and Chip DeGrace:
Tags: business, Chip DeGrace, creative director of FLOR, FLOR, FLOR tiles, Greg Colando, president of FLOR, visionaries
Behind the Scenes: 2011 Fall Catalog Shoot
Posted by FLOR | Filed under Behind the Scenes, Design Tips, Favorite Posts, Musings, Solutions
The new Fall FLOR catalog is in homes today. Here are some snapshots behind the scenes of this season’s catalog shoot.
Sometimes all it takes to create a totally unique look is a change of perspective. Here, our designers used three hues of House Pet and simply slid every other square off-center to create a brick pattern. The end result is dramatic yet really easy to achieve.
From a higher vantage point it becomes easier to see the shift. Download this rug map to create a brick pattern of your own.
Final catalog shot:
Our designers started with this cool configuration of the runner on the back cover featuring our new style, Reverb …
… but, the we love the final shot just as much. Both include ½-cut tiles to create a unique checkerboard or interlocking sort of design. Plus, the color combination is a knock-out.
Final catalog shot:
The bright green painting was the focal point of this room, so our designers chose to play off that piece to create this multi-colored patchwork rug in Toy Poodle. It serves as this season’s page 2-3 editorial feature, and helps to illustrate simple FLOR math: square + dot = rug.
… last-minute primping of the model before the final shot for the page 2-3 editorial spread.
Final catalog shot:
We just love the cool and serene blend of blues in this rug, which uses House Pet to add some texture and pizzazz to the room.
Final catalog shot:
To create the magic you see in the catalog each season truly takes a village. Our team does everything from producing the props (yummy baked cupcakes)…
… to critiquing each shot for composition and lighting, making sure it is just right…
… to entertaining the talent between takes (with kids, that can be a handful!).
Final Catalog Shots:
Sign-up to get your copy of our catalog or shop our new Fall Collection.
Tags: behind the scenes, catalog, catalog shoot, FLOR catalog, flor squares, FLOR tiles, House Pet, reverb, rug designs
Behind the Scenes: Nursery photo shoot
Posted by FLOR | Filed under Behind the Scenes, FLOR Stories, Inspiration, Musings, Solutions
We were lucky to have plenty of adorable babies on hand (thanks to what some might call a “FLOR baby boom” last year) to serve as models for a recent nursery photo shoot here in our offices. Even though they may work at FLOR, these moms (and dads) are sold on the soft, practical ease of FLOR squares for their homes and their baby’s nursery.
While the office was a buzz cooing at our talent for the day, our design team went to work creating FLOR nursery look #1.
We love the wall decal our stylist chose. It was a cinch to apply and easily comes off without ruining the paint, so you can use, re-use or add to your decal design any time you want. We love the sleek, modern crib and the cool rocker (a vintage Eames Shell chair). The teddy bear is vintage and totally adorable.
Everyone had a great time … and we got through the entire day without a single meltdown (thankfully)!
We wanted to keep everybody happy, so there were lots of quick “snack breaks”. Our “model”, Miles, looks like he’s enjoying himself immensely.
Our design team used Toy Poodle to create a colorful patchwork design – perfect for boys or girls – with flexibility that can grow with your newborn into their toddler years, the tweens and beyond.
Toy Poodle is cushy and soft, which is an important consideration when choosing any kind of floorcovering for a baby’s room. You don’t want something hard or bristly on those tender knees!
We love the final look. It’s colorful, cozy, inviting and sophisticated enough to blend with the rest of your well-appointed home.
We created three other baby room designs that day. Here are the results from those:
Look #2: You probably wouldn’t think to put an Oriental rug in a baby’s nursery given what can happen. But, FLOR’s version of Oriental means you don’t have to worry about messes or ruining an heirloom. Shown here is Reoriented in pink.
Look #3: We went with Modern Mix in blue to create a serene room for Camden. It’s our version of a solid, updated.
Look #4: A field of green in two textures is a look that you can only do with FLOR. We mixed the plush shag of Rake Me Over with the clean look of Feelin’ Groovy for a textural twist.
Credits: All cribs, dressers and bedding supplied courtesy of eco-minded Argington. (We used a mix from their Sahara and Bam collections, both available in either ebony or white finish). Wall decal and mobile from Land of Nod. Eames rocker from Pegboard Modern. The teddy bears are vintage; the pink elephant comes from Soft Goods Design; and, the owl belongs to Miles.
Tags: argington, behind the scenes, decorating a nursery, feelin groovy, FLOR, FLOR tiles, land of nod, Modern Mix, nurseries, nursery decor, pegboard modern, reoriented, soft goods design
Behind the Scenes: FLOR’s 2011 Summer Catalog Photo Shoot
Posted by FLOR | Filed under Behind the Scenes, Musings
We receive numerous inquires about the photos in our catalog. So many, in fact, that I decided to tag along for a day at our summer catalog photo shoot to see how these beautiful rooms and images are created.
First off, I have to confess that I had a blast. I’m not sure if it’s because I feel like I’m getting exclusive information before anyone else or if it’s because being able to say, “I’m sorry, can I call you back? I’m at a photo shoot” sounds so cool or if it’s because I get to see some of the most beautiful homes and peek around at jaw-dropping interior design. Whatever it is, it was a great experience.
In case you haven’t already heard, unlike most companies, FLOR shoots all of its catalog photography in real people’s homes – not staged studios. Our creative team will scout these spaces weeks in advance of the actual shoot date and meticulously plot out which styles should go where.
The furniture and fixtures you see in each room all belong to the owner of that particular home. We choose homes that have unique architectural elements such as intricate arches or angles, or large open spaces or vast windows.
The FLOR team does add a few styling elements like pillows, shoes …
Or, accessories like a vase or a ceramic to add a bit of personality.
Once everything is set, the photographer snaps his lens and the FLOR team scrutinizes each photo on a computer to make sure the product and lighting are perfect.
It is a fascinating and meticulous process. The day I was there, five new FLOR rug designs were scheduled to be shot. You would think that one full day is plenty of time to take a few photos; but I quickly realized the amount of time, care and attention required to make these gorgeous images cannot (and should not) be rushed.
Because in the end, patience paid off . The end result was used as one of FLOR’s beautiful catalog covers – this one featuring Feelin’ Groovy in various hues of purple.
For more Behind the Scenes photos visit FLOR’s facebook page/photo album – Behind the Scenes
Tags: behind the scenes, feelin groovy, FLOR catalog, FLOR tiles, photo shoot, photography and styling
