There have been many improvements in the past several years to the design, but let’s face it…a toilet is a toilet.  No matter how pretty.  Some of us are lucky enough to have a separate room within the bathroom to hide the fixture.  Me?  Nope.  We are all human…and we do human things, but if I can draw a bit of attention away from the John…I’m going to!

My plan is to use art in the bathroom to distract from the toilet.  You don’t normally consider the bathroom a possible location for your best artwork, but it’s a great concept to consider!  It’s such an important concept that I’m starting with the art selection and placement before anything else in the room’s re-design.  Most of the time, the art will inspire the decisions you’ll make in the rest of the space.  Take a look at the focal points I created in the powder room and master bathroom as perfect examples.

(Above:  The powder room is visible upon entering the condo, and I tend to leave the room’s door open most of the time.  Instead of peeking in at a toilet, I’d like to stop the eye at a very powerful piece of artwork.  This 42″ diameter, vintage metal wall sculpture certainly does that.  To offset the sculpture even more, I’m planning to install a metallic silver wallpaper behind it and paint all the other walls black.)

(Above:  A detail shot of the gorgeous piece I found at Broadway Antique Market here in Chicago.  Took about 4 hours of cleaning, but it was worth it!)

(Above:  See how a large, original piece of art draws your eye right past the toilet?  The darkness in the art references the richly stained cabinetry.  The walls will soon be painted a warm, medium-tone grey (as seen in the swatches) pulled directly from the artwork.  Ignore the other stuff in the photo…it’s all soon to change!)

I love when a floor plan presents me with corner to fill.  They’re always great spots for a little retreat from the main seating arrangement.  I get an opportunity to define the corner’s purpose, and layer in interesting pieces to make it special.  In my living room, I have a corner outlined by open wall on one side and floor-to-ceiling draperies on the other.  The perfect backdrop for something sculptural.  I don’t need media equipment or furniture for storage here.  What I need is an extra little seating spot to relax with an iPad or a comfortable spot to have a phone chat.  Of course, it must stand on its own as a beautifully designated little area separate from (but still in balance with) the main seating group.  Take a look at the corner I’m working with.

(Above:  My living room’s furniture plan illustrating the corner I’m working with.)

I’ve decided to furnish the corner with a sculptural lounge chair for additional seating.  Here are some things I kept in mind while sourcing the proper pieces:

Tips:

1.  Make sure the piece is in balance with the opposite side of the room.  For me, I have a chandelier hanging in the opposite corner.  I also have floor-to ceiling drapes along the window wall.  My chair needs to have a high back to balance both of these surrounding elements.  It can’t be a low piece!

2.  How will it relate to other furniture in the room?  All my other seating pieces in the living room are fully upholstered.  To do another fully upholstered piece in the corner would seem heavy and repetitive.  I need something with exposed arms, wood, thinner lines.

3.  Make sure the chair is grounded.  A chair by itself would seem lonely.  To give this space a bit more function and purpose, I’m planning a small side table.  The table must NOT overpower the chair in any way.

4.  Light it up!  I have no lighting in the corner.  To enhance function and illuminate my selections, I’m planning a gorgeous little cast glass table lamp for the corner grouping.

5.  Is the corner adequately filled?  Since I’ve chosen to do a small table lamp and not a floor lamp, I have to compensate for not having enough height.  My chair back is high at 39″, but I need more interest on the wall.  Artwork is essential to the grouping.  It makes the space feel fully furnished and complete.

(Above:  A newly produced Lamino Chair available through Design Within Reach.  Beech frame and sheepskin upholstery.)

My winning selection?  A vintage Lamino chair designed by Yngve Ekstrom for Swedese.  The form is sculptural, and it commands a great deal of attention on its own.  The lines are fluid and clean.  It’s amazing to me that this chair was designed in 1956!  No wonder it was voted the 20th Century’s best Swedish furniture design in 1999.  I’m glad I own a little piece of history.  Mine is in oak and teak with black leather upholstery.

(Above:  The ‘blank canvas’ corner.  Floor-to-ceiling drapes on the left side.)

(Above:  The vintage Lamino in position.)

(Above:  A side table with simple form adds more function to the corner and pairs nicely with the chair, while not overpowering it.  I chose the very economically priced “Martini Side Table” from West Elm in black.)

(Above:  Because my chandelier in the opposite corner is such a focal point, I wanted the lighting here to be more subtle.  The vintage cast glass Pukeberg lamp is perfect!  I also allows me an opportunity to further dress the corner with a large piece of artwork.  PLEASE NOTE:  This is not conceptual artwork.  I bought this acrylic frame from an artist and will fill it soon.  I’m still deciding on options!)

As you can see, this corner becomes quite special with the addition of some carefully selected pieces.  They all work well together, and the focus is still on the chair.  The artwork that will someday will the empty frame will complement the composition.  I think that will be another post entirely!  I love the result, HOWEVER…something is a little off.

As much as I LOVE the black leather upholstery on the chair, the contrast between it and the charcoal drapes behind is not enough.  I’m proposing reupholstery.  Finding an appropriate fabric for the look of the chair, while meeting my needs for contrast has been a bit difficult, but I think I may have stumbled on the winner.

(Above:  A stunning linen textured velvet fabric by Christopher Farr.  It’s dark chocolate, but the lightness of the background gives me the contrast against the draperies behind.  It will look fabulous.  Once I decide on this for sure, I’ll post the reupholstered results!)

(Above:  Another shot of the gorgeous profile.  Because it was designed to follow the natural curves of the human body, it’s unbelievably comfortable!)

After some quite mild temperatures recently, I’m sad to say that Chicago winter has finally taken hold.  It’s time for hearty stews, down-filled coats, hot toddies, and the heat in your home to kick on.  I’m fortunate enough to live in a new-construction building with radiant heating in the floors.  Such a luxury!  However, when it’s really cold outside, I like to turn on my forced air system for a little supplemental heat.  The dogs practically beg for it.  They’re chihuahuas.  They like it warm.

What does it mean for your home when you turn on the heat?  Dry air.  As most of you know, much of my furniture is vintage and many pieces are wood.  A humidifier is essential to maintain the condition of my treasured teak and rosewood furnishings.  It’s also nice on your skin.  Turning to local retailers recently left me very disappointed with the design of American humidifiers.  I compare them to spaceships or ugly kitchen appliances.  This could really kill the design of a room.  Why do most functional items like this look so hideous?  It’s not like you can tuck a humidifier into a hidden corner.  For them to be efficient, they must be placed somewhat centrally in a space.

That’s what brought me searching to find these lovely things.

(Above:  A stunning Naoto Fukasawa design.  Why can’t America embrace this concept of functional beauty?  I would buy this even if it wan’t a humidifier!)

(Above:  Another brilliant Fukasawa design.)

(Above:  This is the model I decided to purchase.  It’s designed by Japanese designer, Takashi Hiroshi Tsuboi.  I bought the large size in black…of course.)

I actually look forward to pulling out this device for the season.  I’m most likely going to use it through the air-conditioning months too!  Can you spot the humidifier?

(Above:  Hint…it’s not under the rug…)

(Above:  …it’s not behind the sofa…)

(Above:  …you’re so close!)

(Above:  Proof that it works.)

]]> https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/mister-mister/feed/ 2 seanmichaeldesign sean_michael_design_verainsheets Naoto Fukasawa_humidifier plusminuszero_humidifier middle_colors_humidifier sean_michael_design_humidifier4 sean_michael_design_humidifier3 sean_michael_design_humidifier2 sean_michael_design_humidifier1 https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/guy-stuff/ https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/guy-stuff/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:16:05 +0000 Sean Michael Design http://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/?p=651 ]]>

I don’t think I’ve ever had a female client ask me, “How large can we go with the TV?” or “Where are we putting the speakers?”  Why is this predominantly a guy’s arena?  As a designer, I am sometimes challenged with the compromises between A/V requests and the overall design of the room.  Many people don’t have the luxury of a media room, or a space solely dedicated to watching TV.  How can your A/V equipment live harmoniously in a well-designed room?  It’s all about proportions and scale.

I live with two TV’s…one in the living room and the other in the bedroom.  Both are visible…not hidden behind cabinetry.  I embrace my maleness with this subject, and I certainly enjoy the experience of a large screen.  More often than not,  I suggest clients scale back on their television size demands.  In  my case, I recently realized that my TV’s were too small!

HELPFUL TIP:

Before you buy, take blue painter’s tape and tape out the TV size and live with it for a few days.  OR, do what I did and cut out cardboard to represent the new size.  It’s fool-proof.  Your gut will lead you in the right direction.

Remember my post from last week?  Once I changed the cabinetry in the room, the TV size needed to be addressed.  Take a look.

(BEFORE:  The old cabinet with a 27″ TV.  Good for this 40″ wide cabinet.  Even with the TV in place, I still had room for a piece of art above.)

(AFTER:  With the new cabinet at nearly 50″ wide, a larger TV was necessary.)

I selected a 37″ TV for the bedroom.  It’s in perfect scale with the cabinetry below.  Always pay attention to that!  I had originally planned for the TV to rest on the cabinetry with the supplied base, so I could put art on the wall above.  Layering pretty things around the TV was going to make the TV disappear in my mind.  Not with this new baby!  I’m just letting it be a TV.  I mounted the thing on the wall to free up some surface for accessorizing, and now I eliminated my need for artwork above it (it would’ve been mostly covered anyway).  I drilled holes into the wall and fished the cables to the cabinetry below, where all my equipment is hidden.  That’s the key!

 In the living room, my ‘media cabinet’ is a gorgeous 90 inch, 60′s Rosewood credenza by Bramin.  It kills me to put a TV on it, but I really have no choice.  I thought by down-playing the TV size here, it would keep my focus on the credenza.  Well, it did…but in turn it also made the credenza look too long and not ‘anchored’ in the space.  The composition looked weak and sparse.  No good.  Take a look.

(BEFORE:  There’s nothing working together here.  Just a bunch of small things surrounding a huge credenza.  The wall looks bare, and the whole composition is weak.  It just looks like something is missing.  Perhaps this 37″ TV would be OK if I had a large piece of art planned for the wall behind…but I don’t!)

(Above:  Oh yeah!  Me and my manliness went big this time!  It’s much more in scale with the credenza and the wall.  Everything just looks better.)

As you can see, I’m just letting my TV be a TV again.  No hiding, no excuses, no restraint.  With this new 51″ baby, I don’t need art on the wall, and my focus is still on the credenza and my suspended Italian glass sculpture.  Sure, it’s large, but it’s perfect for such a long credenza.  Another successful decision here is the asymmetric placement.  Had this TV been placed in the center of the furniture piece, I would have killed the configuration.  Remember my concept:  Sexy Modern Men’s Lounge.  This is bang on!  Here are a few more sexy shots.

]]> https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/guy-stuff/feed/ 4 seanmichaeldesign sean_michael_design_ontv sean_michael_design_tvsizes5 sean_michael_design_tvsizes4 tvsizedwrong sean_michael_design_tvsizes2 sean_michael_design_tvsizes3 sean_michael_design_tvsizes1 https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/hello-ello/ https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/hello-ello/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:51:54 +0000 Sean Michael Design http://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/?p=636 ]]> Sometimes you stumble upon something amazing and it forces you to switch gears a bit.  An important lesson I’ve learned:  Be open to unexpected design changes, and trust your gut!  Sometimes a better solution reveals itself when you least expect it.

Each piece of furniture in my home has a story that makes it special to me.  With some…the story is greater than the actual piece!  That was the case for my bedroom media cabinet.  It certainly worked in the room, but it was just another teak piece amongst other teak pieces in the room that are much more fabulous.  I knew a better solution was out there, but it wasn’t a huge priority to find it.  Can you relate?  Do you live with a piece that simply serves its purpose but doesn’t tickle your pickle?

(Above:  My existing bedroom media cabinet.  It works, but it’s not fabulous.)

Recently, while shopping for a client at Broadway Antique Market, I found the solution.  Actually, I believe the solution found ME.  I was blindsided by this gorgeous configuration of modular Ello bronze mirrored cabinets from the 1970′s. Ello was a furniture manufacturer in Rockford Illinois from 1956 until it sadly closed its doors in October, 2010.  I love the history and local connection with these pieces!  Plus, I’d never seen them in bronze mirror before.

As much as it was love at first sight, I didn’t exactly have that ‘you’ll know it when you see it’ moment.  It took overnight for the two cabinet units to register as the perfect solution for the bedroom media unit!  I quickly recalled the dramatic result after I added the bronze mirror to my shelving unit.  These cabinets could do the same thing for the bedroom, and they’d bring in a bit of consistency with the living room.  Goodbye teak…hello bronze mirror!

(Above:  Much more interesting with a glamorous 1970′s sophistication.  Sexy for sure!  When you lie in bed, you can see yourself in the cabinet doors.  Naughty?  Just a touch.  It’s a bedroom.)

(Above:  Only a few adjustments were necessary with the installation of the new cabinetry.  One being the larger TV shown mounted to the wall.  I’ll discuss TV size in next week’s post.)

(Above:  A sampling of my inspirations for the new year.  Let your tastes evolve.  Let new and exciting things motivate you!)

I’m starting the new year with a list of projects necessary to complete my home.  It’s good to stay on course.  Plus, it lets you see how close you are to being finished!

1.  Artwork.

2.  New desk.

3.  Accent wall in living room.

4.  Bathrooms.

5.  Ottoman.

6.  Re-upholster lounge chair.

I haven’t touched on the daunting task of re-designing the bathrooms yet on this blog.  The reason?  None really.  I guess because I could close the door on them…I made them a lower priority than the rest of the spaces!  The new year is the time to start thinking about them.  Here’s a look at what I’m working with and the inspirations for the new design of each room.

(Above:  The master bathroom.  It doesn’t get more boring than this.  I’v already started testing the paint.  I can’t afford to totally gut this space, so I’m using what I have!  There’s a challenge staring me in the face.)

(Above:  The concept for the new design of the master bathroom.  I can’t force this bathroom to be as modern as I’d like, but I’m not unhappy with the warmth of the traditional elements.  Looks classy and sophisticated.)

(Above:  My powder room is an embarrassment to say the least.  I excuse its hideousness before anyone enters.  The photo doesn’t show the unfinished laundry doors either…trust me…the whole room gets worse the more you see.)

(Above:  The concept for the new design of the powder room.  Somewhat cold and sterile, but very dramatic.  It’s a powder room…the perfect place to take a few risks.  It’s also a good space to spend a little more money…give your guests something pretty to ponder while they…well…you know.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Take a look at some of the accessories I’ve put into my home to personalize the space.  Most I’ve purchased myself, but some are gifts.  However, everything I choose to put in my home has a story.  I want people to walk in and say, “This is SO you!”  That’s the ultimate goal, right?  Interesting, conversational items are great ice-breakers when you’re entertaining too!  I hope that some of my personal accessories will inspire you and get the gears turning for what you might want to put in your own home.

(Above:  The most personal accessory of all.  A gorgeous photo frame with a photo of those close to you or that remind you of fond memories.  I like this floating design with a silver-plated finish.  Make sure your photos are professional looking and not crappy, unflattering snapshots in terrible colors.  They’ll look cheap.  Take some time to do it right.)

(Above:  Brutalist brass ‘Orb’ vase from the early 70′s.  Crude, yet shiny and sleek.  Never seen anything like it before!)

(Above:  Organic, shapely vintage brass bowl from India.  I use this as a catchall.  Who says beauty can’t be functional?)

(Above:  This is my favorite accessory I own.  It was an anniversary gift from my partner this year.  It’s an 80′s Tangle sculpture (and toy!) in a rare bronze finish.  So gorgeous and so fun to play with!)

(Above:  Vintage, brass tiered candle holder.  Don’t know anything more about this piece, but I’ve purchased two of them to make a large group of 12 candles on my wall unit.  I’m going to get another one because the look is so dramatic.)

(Above:  So, I love my Tangle sculpture because it was a sentimental gift.  This was my gift to my partner on the same anniversary!  Some give flowers or go out to dinners.  We give accessories for the home.  Yep.  It’s a vintage 80′s ceramic bird sculpture with gold leafed face.  It’s shown here with a hand-cast bronze sculpture I found at a thrift shop.)

(Above:  I always wanted a Curtis Jere sculpture from the 70′s.  Now, I have one.  Here’s a close up of the piece.  I’m mesmerized by the shiny ornaments of brass and chrome!  So unbelievably gorgeous.  They’re very collectible and expensive.  I’m happy to report that we found this for a steal in the ‘burbs!)

(Above:  My partner loves stone and crystal specimens.  Seriously, what’s more gorgeous than nature?  I’ve never seen this dark brown stone before.  It glitters in the sunlight too.  I’m still researching it.  All I know is that this is certainly not “Made in China”.)

(Above:  Another stone specimen.  The texture is amazing on this pyrite and quartz crystal cluster.  Nature rules.)

(Above:  A hand-carved skull given to us by friends who vacationed in Mexico a few years back.  Love, love, love it.  Skulls are a bit played-out, but I still love them.  This one is more unique than others in my opinion.)

(Above:  If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll remember my love of white porcelain.  If you don’t remember, read my post about it!  We accidentally purchased two pieces from the same artist without knowing. We then started a mission to become collectors!)

(Above:  Books are excellent accessories to add personality to your space.  They’re relatively inexpensive, they look good in stacks, and what you choose to display says a lot about you.  Here, I’ve shown a tiny sample of my collection of Interior Design books.  My favorites are vintage design books from the 60′s, 70′s, and 80′s.  That Pierre Cardin book on the bottom is my ALL TIME favorite.  So inspirational.)

(Above:  I accessorize with candles that are not only beautiful to look at, but give a scent that “speaks” to me and my tastes.  I usually select candles that are similar to the colognes I wear.)

(Above:  I adore this Ebay find!  A 60′s metal wire fruit basket (or at least that’s what I call it).  Something beautiful to hold bananas in the kitchen.)

(Above:  More stone!  Black marble candle holder from B&B Italia with a Deco black marble box.  Unique little boxes are the best!)

(Above:  I don’t typically by many NEW accessories, but I couldn’t resist these hand-made faceted wood “rocks”.  So sculptural and powerful in white.  I found them at Post 27 here in Chicago.  They’re inexpensive!)

Did you get the December/January issue of House Beautiful yet?  You should…especially if you want to know more about me. Well, ten things to be exact!

I’m so pleased to share with you that I’ve been featured in the current issue’s “The Next Wave” feature.  Check it out.

(Above:  A little sneak peek of the feature.  Grab your copy today to read the entire article!)

But wait…there’s MORE!  House Beautiful produced a great video about this blog and the progress of my renovation!  Check it out in the post below for a sneak peek of what’s to come!

Don’t want to miss a post?  Subscribe to receive email notifications the very instant a new post is published.  And, as always, thank you so much for reading and supporting my passion for design.

]]> https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/exposed/feed/ 9 seanmichaeldesign house_beautiful_decjan2012cover sean_michael_design_cowan_house_beautiful https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/next-wave-video/ https://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/next-wave-video/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:07:03 +0000 Sean Michael Design http://seanmichaeldesign.wordpress.com/?p=591 ]]>

House Beautiful produced a video slideshow and interview with me, Sean Cowan, to promote the blog and give a sneak peek of what’s to come! Check it out.

Small is never good, but bigger is NOT always better!  Of course, I’m talking about area rugs.  It’s hard enough to pick the proper style of rug for your space, but selecting the correct size is the bigger issue that’s very confusing for many people.  As a designer, I do a lot of preliminary work in 2D drawings to determine the best size rug for the furniture layouts I’m proposing.  There are many rules out there about sizes, but I have my own method for what I feel looks most comfortable in a room.

I was recently asked whether or not the rug should be completely under all the furniture or not.  The key word to keep in mind when selecting the proper rug size is LAYERING.  Interior decoration is all about layering.  The rug is such an important part of the layering process.  Many times it’s the first thing you’ll select when building a scheme and furniture layout.  Starting with the correct size will ensure your success.  Here are a few guidelines that I follow when determining the proper rug size for my own home and my clients’ homes:

SMD’s rug size guidelines:

1.  As a general rule, I prefer furniture to not be completely contained within the rug’s boundaries.  This tends to make the furniture arrangement look very ‘boxed in’ and static.  Sometimes, this can make your arrangements look smaller than they actually are.  Of course, there are exceptions to this rule.

2.  In an open-concept space, a rug can clearly define your zones.  make sure your rug is proportioned correctly to the size of the zone you’re wishing to define.  I like to start by planning my furniture arrangements first.  Then, I draw in the appropriate rug without moving the furniture.  This keeps your rug dependent on the furniture arrangement (the priority), rather than your furniture arrangement dependent on the rug.

3.  Keep in mind standard sizes of rugs to stay within a budget.  If you’re fortunate enough to do custom sizes, you can get exactly what you need.

4.  In living rooms, I prefer that the seating elements rest partially on the rug and partially on the bare floor.  Why?  It’s all about layering again.  Chairs that rest halfway on the rug seem to extend the boundaries of the seating group…making it all seem larger.  Also, things seem less confined.  Your seating grouping looks less stuck in concrete.  The illusion that things could move around adds a comfortable vibe.

5.  In bedrooms, I prefer rugs that cover 2/3 or 3/4 underneath the bed.  Never go under the nightstands.  Always have extra rug at the foot of the bed.  You should keep a minimum of 24″ of rug extension on the left and right sides of the bed.

6.  In dining rooms there are many many rules.  I don’t have a dining room in my home, so I’m not going to elaborate on this topic.  Sorry.

7.  In some rooms you’ll nearly fill the room with the rug.  In others, you’ll just define a zone within the space with the rug.  Either way…think about the activity of each space!

8.  The most important rule?  NEVER, NEVER, NEVER go with a smaller rug simply because of cost.  There are so many options out there in order to achieve the look you want with the size you need.  Think about layering rugs too!  Take an inexpensive sisal rug at the size you need and layer on a gorgeous, expensive piece that’s smaller on top of it.  Layering again!

Here’s what I did in my home.  Hopefully seeing the 2D drawings I’ve done will help you visualize the tips I’ve listed above in action.

LIVING ROOM

(Above:  This is the arrangement drawn with a standard 6′x9′ rug.  Way too small in scale for the space, and the sofa doesn’t rest on it.  NO!)

(Above:  This arrangement is drawn with a standard 9′x12′ rug.  It’s overwhelming in scale for the space.  I spent a lot of money refinishing the floors to the dark color…I don’t want to cover it all with rug!  Keep in mind adequate circulation around your space.  This large size cuts into my walkways.  You’d be walking on half-rug and half-floor.  I’d have to pull my furniture grouping further apart to make this look good…I don’t want to do that!)

(Above:  There we go.  A standard 8′x10′ works perfectly.  See how there’s a comfortable amount of the chairs on the rug and off the rug?  It’s also appropriately scaled for the room and it clears my circulation areas nicely.  I think your rug should generally go about 1/4 the way under your sofa.)

(Above:  My selection is a 3″ shag rug in charcoal grey.  The texture is unbelievable.  It hides the dog hair, and it feels amazing underfoot.)

BEDROOM

(Above:  In my bedroom, I’ve determined that a square rug works best.  I’ve done just over 24″ on the sides of the bed, I’ve covered about 2/3 under the bed, and I have plenty of rug at the foot of the bed.  Also, I maintain my circulation area to the office niche.)

(Above:  A square rug is not easy to find in a standard size.  I needed about 8′x8′.  The solution?  FLOR carpet tiles.  I love them and use the often.  This allows me to get the exact size I need at the price I can stomach.)

(Above:  Flor carpet tiles create the perfect size every time!  I selected ‘Lamb Cord’ and ‘Best of Both Wools’ to create this striped rug.)

OFFICE

(Above:  With the desk lined up to the wall, I originally drew in a standard 5′x8′ rug tucked under the desk.  It cut the room in half!)

(Above:  The solution?  To make this office niche seem larger than it actually is…I decided to cover nearly the whole space.  I left a 6″ reveal of the wood floor all around the perimeter of the space.  Now, it looks larger and square.)

(Above:  Another square rug!  More FLOR tiles!  Seriously, I use them a lot.  I don’t even want to tell you what a custom rug would’ve cost compared to these tiles.  As you’ll see, the square rug works well with the existing office design and the proposed design that I’m hoping will happen sooner than later.)

(Above:  The neutral pewter color of the Flor tiles blend with the flooring.  I wanted to keep it calm, since I nearly covered the entire space in rug!  I selected ‘Power Nap’ to create the 8′x8′ rug.)