As a business owner, I'm always on the look out for new opportunities to develop and expand our business and our audience.  When we were approached by maXimo to develop an area rug collection using the iconic designs of the renowned Herman Miller textile designer, Alexander Girard, we viewed it as a perfect fit for our company.

FLOR was founded on the concepts of innovation and beautiful design.  It's what sets us apart.  Girard, as one of the most influential designers in the modern era, is also known for his innovative, whimsical and beautiful designs.  We saw this partnership as a fit with our brand values.

It isn't always so clear.  With Girard, it was a no-brainer - a perfect fit.  But, sometimes, when it isn't necessarily so clear cut, it means having to walk away from supposed opportunities that on the surface sound reasonable but really do not speak to your company's true beliefs and values.  That's not easy to do; but, being true to your brand is what today's discriminating consumers not only expect and demand, but deserve.

I really love this new collection.  Check it out here.

Recently, I visited the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina, Mecca for the home decor industry. 

As one of the home decor licensees with Martha Stewart Floor Designs, FLOR was there to participate in the launch of Martha Stewart's home decorating collection.

Martha gave a very informal interview to about 1,000 interested interior designers, buyers and business owners.  She shared her design philosophy with the group and gave us insight into why she was entering this market at this time. 

I raise this point because I find her new business venture very relevant to today's design-aware consumer.

A few years ago, Martha Stewart partnered with KB Homes to lend her lifestyle sensibility to the interior and exterior of a home.  Through that partnership, she offers consumers smart, complete design solutions for the home that are perfect for those who seek a certain aesthetic but can't necessarily design it for themselves.

So, what does a Martha Stewart complete home solution look like?  Think Martha Stewart-branded furniture, modular carpet tiles, and smartly-designed lighting all surrounded by beautifully-colored walls covered with Martha Stewart paint.  Too much Martha?  I don't think so.

So many of us love beautiful design but just don't know how to achieve it.  But, Martha Stewart does and she makes it accessible.  If you haven't seen her collections, check them out at marthastewart.com.  Very beautiful.  Very cool.  Very Martha.

In some exciting news, FLOR is part of a new, green exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.  The “Smart Home:  Green + Wired” exhibit, which runs from May 8 through January 4, 2009, is another cool product from the famed sustainable architect, Michelle Kaufmann, and features FLOR carpet tiles in the home.

Michelle Kaufmann, who is widely considered “the defacto queen of prefab architecture,” specializes in building green prefab modular homes.  Her firm designed the three-story, modular home with sustainability as the focus as a way to show how accessible green living and smart technology can really be.  Read more on Michelle Kaufmann's blog.

FLOR was excited to join the project because it reflects our environmental views of reducing waste, conserving energy and keeping homes free from harmful chemicals. 

The Smart Home is generating plenty of buzz in local and national media, including a couple of Chicago Sun-Times articles talking about the Smart Home and FLOR's contribution.

Here is a glimpse of the Museum’s Smart Home, but be sure to visit the exhibit and the museum resource center in person to get the full appreciation.  

Museum of Science and Industry's sustainable "Smart Home": courtesy of Michelle Kaufmann Designs Photo by JB Spector