7th House on the Left

FLAT ON THE FLOR

posted by Ashley  /  11 Comments

A few months ago, I mentioned in a Favorite Things feature about how I was loving the furniture and well thought out vignettes in the Flor catalogs. Well, I’m still loving them and frankly, I’m floored. Pun intended.

florcatalogcovers FLAT ON THE FLOR

We’re big fans of Flor tiles, but aside from their endless carpet tile options, the furniture in the Flor catalogs is simply to die for. I wish like everything they would do just one special issue that included where the key furniture pieces were from. That would make my day. Getting a new Flor catalog in the mail is like getting a super stylish home magazine that’s full of inspiration that can easily be used in any home. Here are few Flor rooms that I’ve gathered for future inspiration for our humble abode…

flor011 FLAT ON THE FLOR

I like the idea of sitting a collection of framed art on a table, rather than hanging it on the wall. It’s different, unexpected, and draws the eye down to what’s going on on the table. However, in my mind, it’s the nailhead trimmed chair on the far right of the photo that steals the show. Isn’t it lovely?

flor3 FLAT ON THE FLOR

Even though it’s obviously staged, I like the addition of the red handbag and notebook. It packs a big punch of unexpected color!

flor1 FLAT ON THE FLOR

This study carrel would be a great addition to a study or even a shared kid’s room for separate homework spaces. I wish I knew where they found it… not that we have room for it or even need it. It’s just one of those pieces where you’ve gotta know.

flor4 FLAT ON THE FLOR

I’m a big fan of gallery walls – especially when the frames are hung in a grid pattern like this. The vintage art makes it that much sweeter. This idea can easily be done in any home with 8×10 frames, a vintage book (that has a lot of pretty pictures of course), and a level to make sure your gird pattern is straight. We can’t wait to do something like this in our house; I just need to pick a place!

flor5 FLAT ON THE FLOR

I’m attracted to shiny things. However, I think I’m even more attracted to orange Hermès boxes. Though the Hermès boxes are lovely, everything about this entry table is perfect: the color combo, the chunky table, the bold pattern of the Flor tiles, the accessories chosen for the table… there’s a lot to pull inspiration from in this photo.

flor6 FLAT ON THE FLOR

Yes, the chairs in this dining area are awesome. They are modern with a touch of “I Love Lucy”. However, it’s the giant framed wipe off board that’s making me “pin” this photo. What a great idea!

flor7 FLAT ON THE FLOR

I’m not sure what kind of wood this desk is made from but I love it (Greg is geeking out over it too!). He also likes the grid gallery to the left, the sleek desk light, and of course the super bold carpet tile pattern. We’re actually thinking about using these carpet tiles for a “rug” in Greg’s office (though in a different color).

flor8 FLAT ON THE FLOR

Doesn’t this look like the perfect place to curl up and read a book on a rainy day? This daybed (I think it would be considered a daybed…?) can serve mutli-purposes in what seems to be a home library. I also like the addition of the sconces attached to the flanking bookcases. Perfect reading light.

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Three things I love about this room: the neutral color scheme against the colorful patterned throw pillows, the unique floor lamp, and the chunky coffee table. It looks as though the room has evolved over time which gives it a cozy, welcoming vibe – a vibe that we hope our house will have down the road.

Itching to find out where some of these pieces can be found?! Me too! So I called upon myself to do my own investigative research — which merely amounted to reading the FAQ on the Flor wesbsite. This is what I found:

florfurniturequestion FLAT ON THE FLOR

The font is practically pt 2, so here’s what it says: “All imagery in the FLOR catalog was shot on location, often in private homes. Therefore, unfortunately, we do not have informaiton about all of the furniture or accessories seen in the catalog or in our photographs. Select locations courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, Illinois. Select products courtesy of CB2, Dwell Studio, and The Verde Design Studio.”

Question answered! Even though it’s not an ideal answer to the million dollar question, it’s something to go on and a few websites to pawn over.

Do you find inspiration in catalogs? If so, which ones?

All images property of Flor. If you aren’t already on their mailing list, sign up here.

Today, an estimated 2.5 BILLION people will witness the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. And before you ask, yes, I was one of those people who woke up at 4:00 am to watch it live. Greg on the other hand, opted to sleep. I believe his exact word when my alarm went off was, “Why?”. It’s true, I could have recorded it on our TiVo, but that’s like watching the Super Bowl the next day–it just isn’t the same. For us girls (or some of us anyway), the Royal Wedding is the Super Bowls of Super Bowls! I didn’t get too crazy with Union Jacks, Royal Wedding coffee mugs, and Diana ring replicas, but I did begin the morning with scones, tea, Twitter, and switching between tv stations.

royalwedding41 A HOUSE FIT FOR A DUCHESS

Since our topics here on 7HL primarily deal with house-related topics, we thought it would be fun to talk about the “house” that is on the minds of one third of the people in the world today: Buckingham Palace.

buckingham A HOUSE FIT FOR A DUCHESS

Rather than getting all into the Palace history and whatnot, let’s get to what it looks like today as Kate (or Catherine Duchess of Cambridge) walks the halls for the first time as the future Queen of England. Though this isn’t going to be her and William’s primary residence, I’m sure it was a surreal feeling when she walked through the halls of the Palace on her way to the balcony as a part of the Royal family for the first time. Here’s a little glimpse into the halls of Buckingham Palace and the rooms that will probably be seen by the few (few as in 650) guests who are invited to the reception:

grandstaircase A HOUSE FIT FOR A DUCHESS

The Grand Staircase.

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The Grand Reception Room.

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The White Drawing Room.

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The Blue Drawing Room.

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The Green Drawing Room. Through the doors, you can see the Throne Room.

thestatediningroom A HOUSE FIT FOR A DUCHESS

The State Dining Room. I imagine this might be where the private dinner will be held tonight with William & Kate’s closest friends and family.

goldstatecoachgarage A HOUSE FIT FOR A DUCHESS

And lastly, the garage for the Gold State Coach (which looks like a living room with a carriage in it!).

Just to grasp an idea of how big Buckingham Palace really is, let’s talk numbers. There are…

  • 775 rooms
  • 19 Sate Rooms
  • 52 Royal & Guest Bedrooms
  • 188 Staff Bedrooms
  • 92 Offices
  • 78 Bathrooms
  • 1 Medical Surgery Room
  • 800 Staff Members
  • 350+ Clocks
  • 40 Acres of Gardens
  • 1 Helicopter Pad
  • 1,514 Doors
  • 760 Windows (which are cleaned every 6 weeks)
  • 1 Post Office
  • 50,000+ guests every year
  • Over 40,000 light bulbs

Whew! No wonder the Palace has 800 staff members! That’s a lot to clean!

What about you? Did you get up early this morning to watch the wedding as it happened, or did you record it so you could get some extra shuteye? Did you attend a watching party or did you (like myself) decide to stay home in your pajamas eating scones and sipping tea?

Royal Wedding photo found here. Buckingham Palace photos found here. Read more about Buckingham Palace here.

VERY PINTERESTING

posted by Ashley  /  19 Comments

Last week, thanks to one of our blogger friends, Rebecca, I found my personal paradise. A place where all things that inspire me are categorized, labeled with my notes, and the sources are automatically tagged… a place called Pinterest.

pinterestbff VERY PINTERESTING

If you have no clue what Pinterest is, here’s the 411:  It’s basically a virtual pin board where you “pin” things you find online that inspire you or want to make note of. Things like home decor ideas, recipes, DIY projects you want to try out, entertaining ideas… lolcats, schematics for building your own rocket ship… whatever your heart’s desire. The ultra cool part is when you click your Pin bookmark, Pinterest automatically saves the URL so you can easily go back and see more information about the image you pinned! Amazingly awesome.

pinterest VERY PINTERESTING

Another favorite feature is you can follow other people’s pins. Think of it as Twitter… but with photos. Overall, Pinterest is a perfect recipe for a new obsession. Yet again, amazingly awesome.

I encourage non-”pinners” to consider jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon simply because it’s fun and you’ll be suprised how inspirational it is to see all of the things that catch your eye in one place. Note: if you request an invite it can take up to two weeks (I know!) but if you have a friend who already uses Pinterest, they can send you an invite for instant pinning.

I just started “pinning”, so my categories (or “boards” as they call them) are a little on the sparse side, but if you would like to get a taste of what Pinterest is all about, or if you already have a Pinterest account, you can find my page right here: http://pinterest.com/7thhouse.