Tile photograph via Pinterest/Traditional Home "Imitation is the sincerest of
flattery." ~ Charles Caleb Colton
Being that I am in the floor covering industry, nearly every time I enter a public place -- restaurant, restroom, office building, hotel lobby, -- my gaze quickly goes to the floor. I'm always on alert for new, creative and innovative ideas in floor covering to share with my customers. Let's face it, the flooring business doesn't tend to be all that exciting so, I need to seek out things that turn me on like new products, new use of color, new size and/or texture combinations, new patterns and interesting, artistic applications.
I always encourage my customers who are beginning their new flooring selection process to do the same thing. The next time you're in a chic restaurant or a spa and you admire their uniquely designed restroom floor or wall tile, pull out the camera phone and snap away. You'll wish you had when you try to recall how it looked so you can recreate it in your own home.
There are wonderful resources online that can also offer inspiration and creative applications for flooring and decorating. If you haven't explored Pinterest, you may want to get on their site and request an invite. You can't imagine just how many novel ideas in design and decorating are out there until you've been on this site. Another great online resource for inspiration and valuable product information is Houzz. They offer countless photos, blogs and suggestions from experienced, professional contractors on everything from paint to hardware options for your garden shed.
Photograph from House Beautiful Of course, home decorator magazines continue to be a reliable source of information and visuals when you don't have access to a computer. Some of my favorites are: Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Traditional Home, Coastal Living, House Beautiful and New England Home, just to name a few. Start a file of photos that sing to you and bring it into Action Carpet & Floor Covering when you're in the market to replace that old area rug or the 1980's mauve tile in your master bathroom. It will help you show us the look you're going for. We can usually find the products you'll need to recreate that look in your own home.
Photograph from Godfrey Hirst Wool Sometimes we just need a little help getting started. With so many flooring options out there and our desire to decorate our living space to reflect our individual style and personality, taking inspirational ideas from all these resources is almost a necessity in the planning process. Don't view it as copying, view it as customized imitation. Chances are the people who achieved the look that inspired you did the same exact thing. Again I quote Charles Caleb Colton, "Imitation is the sincerest of flattery."
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