How Much for the Room?

Interior from The Rug Company; rug design by Suzanne Sharp

Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I find myself perusing catalogs and falling in love with all the things that *aren't* for sale. There are a few retailers out there with a supreme knack for putting together magical interiors and spectacular finds to offset their products, and some of their catalog pages inevitably find their way into my design inspiration folder.

My all-time favorite catalog interiors? The Rug Company. Not coincidentally, their rugs are also among my all-time favorite. (And can I state for the record that one of their designers, Suzanne Sharp, is a rug goddess; hers are always the ones I drool most over, without even knowing the designer.)

Naturally, the company is British, which gives them a leg up in the style department. (We Yanks will catch up with you one day, you just watch...)

If you've never seen their catalog, it's actually a thick hardbound book, always with an amazing graphic cover in vibrant colors....honestly, you'd be proud to display it on your coffee table.

Take a look at some of my favorite Rug Company interiors:

Another retailer who excels at interesting interiors? FLOR, the maker of the ubiquitous carpet tiles in vast arrays of colors and patterns. I have several at home in my kids' rooms--with little humans and canines, these are invaluable for their ability to be pulled up, rinsed off, and even replaced, if the stain is too egregious.

I invariably spot furniture or accent pieces in FLOR's catalogs that I covet and have more than once tried to no avail to track down. They also do a great job (especially for a mass retailer) at combining unexpected colors to create really interesting vignettes. Take a look at some of their recent shots to see what I mean:

How much do I want this desk? A LOT.

Who are your favorite catalog "designers"?