We've all heard stories when we were kids about far away kings and queens that were so rich they never went anywhere without having rose petals (or some other lavish item) sprinkled beneath their feet as they walked. But as much fun as it is to imagine living like that it's not something that really realistic, is it? Pietra Firma thinks it is, and for the perfectly realistic (*cough*) price of just $1,000,000 per square meter they offer floor tiles not made of roses but instead each featuring over 1000 genuine diamonds, along with thousands of insets of precious materials like mother of pearl, abalone, and black onyx.
So ... they are beautiful. I wonder how many square meters they've sold and to who?
Gallery: Pietra Firma LuxTouch Diamond Floor Tiles
Think "eco-friendly home design" and a lot of different options come to mind, but I'm willing to bet fruit pits as flooring isn't one of them.
Alla le Roux feels differently however, and after being inspired by personal experience has started a business (Stone Fruit Floors) that designs and sells handmade flooring created out of peach pits. The pits are sanded down (to get rid of sharp edges and make them more comfortable to walk on) and set into the floor by hand along with glue, sand, and a resin mixture. The end result looks like a strange mix between hardwood, tile, and linoleum.
Interesting... I'm not really sure what else to say about this!
This hanging chandelier light is definitely beautiful, but you also want to make sure you hang it somewhere where there's no danger of someone putting an eye out -- not a good choice to dangle low over a dining room table or buffet for instance. The Prospetto Lighting Creazione Collection consists of this lamp in a variety of colors (shown here in "fruit") as either chandelier or floor lamp styles in small, medium, and large sizes. Handmade of mouth-blown glass it looks like an explosion of party ribbons, perfect for a room that needs a touch of whimsy to lighten the mood. Priced at $8999.99 and up.
At first glance it looks like weathered multi-colored wood flooring, and at second glance maybe some kind of throw rug, but then by the third glance hopefully you've got it figured out: it's a floor mat made of vintage belts! I'm not usually one for leather accessories, but I'm all for recycling and reusing and this is pretty cool. Designed by Inqhua Ting, the Vintage Belt Floor Mat brings old leather belts new life by mounting them together on a backing of reconstituted leather and glue. Handmade, each mat is unique and will have it's own earthy warm feeling. 27.5" across, $648.
Can a floor covering still be considered to be a rug if it is made of wood? West Elm's Wood-Block Rug is an indoor-outdoor "rug" made of natural dark ebony-colored wood. It comes with a poly-PVC coated pad to prevent the rug from slipping against other surfaces.
It actually reminds me a bit of those orthopedic wooden bead car seat covers that were popular for a time, so it probably feels nice against your feet when you walk on it. Sizes and prices vary, but a 5' x 8' rug is $299.
Winter isn't actually here yet and already we're getting a little bit tired of seeing so many blacks and dark browns in stores. We don't mind those colors, of course, but things just seem to get a bit drab in winter, especially when compared with the vibrant colors of summer. This Cross Hatch Rug from Emma Gardner can add some color to your decor without going over-the-top. It features seasonless tans and neural colors to balance the richer pinks. The rug is hand-tufted 100% New Zealand wool and is available in three sizes: 6' x 8' ($1,776), 9' x 12' ($3,996) and 12' x 16' ($7,104).
One of the difficulties of choosing flooring is that once you put it in you are stuck forever. Not so with the Pampa leather tiles from Artistic Tile. The large leather tiles are magnetized so that they can be applied over sheet metal without mortar, grout or adhesives. You can easily switch the floor or wall from the warm look of naturally fur-covered cowhide tile to a smooth leather tile for the warmer months. The 18" x 18" tiles are also treated for stain resistance making them a durable home decor option.
Are shag rugs experiencing a revival? They seem to be cropping up more and more frequently, as consumers look for decorative touches to add to their homes that look "lively." The Seagrass Rug is made with hand-tufted New Zealand wool and is made with great care, with precise stitching and knot work. It is available in small and large sizes, as well as in red and blue. Nancy Marquina, the creator of the rugs, works with nonprofits to fight child labor in the rug production industry, so the purchase of a rug like this one helps to support an entire movement. The large size measures 7'x10' and is $2,798.
Another puzzle-themed piece to add to our evergrowingcollection is the Imperial Puzzle Carpet. Available at Ona in packages of 6 for $56, the modular carpet can be arranged just like a puzzle, though its slightly irregular pieces mean that there is more than one "right" way to do so. Only three colors are available - light grey, charcoal and sand - so the puzzle will attract interest, but won't detract from the rest of the room.
[via Babygadget, which suggests that the grey colors would help hide stains, making the rug a great choice for a kids' playrooms]
We have a soft spot for puzzle pieces when it comes to design. It's one thing to use them on our tables or in our gardens, but Puzzle Floor really hits it out of the park with their puzzle-piece hardwood floors. Each piece is made from northern hardwood and is available in 13 different colors that will flatter almost all rooms. The colors can be mixed and matched to create unique designes, if desired. There are two shapes, a "male" and a "female" which snap together easily, much in the same way that laminate flooring does, though the sealed hardwood will last longer than laminate because it can be refinished every few years to eliminate any signs of wear. The flooring is $15 per square foot.
Associated with a rug because of its shape, this very unique Hardwood Rug is made from thin beechwood and cork. It is so thin, in fact,
that it can roll up for easy portability and storage. When unrolled, it covers a 30x59-inch area. The "rug" is
designed to add a touch of elegance to spaces that have industrial or concrete flooring, or even to apartments where it
is not worth the hassle or expense to lay down full hardwood floors. Price:
$249.
