The first room that got a decorating update when we moved into our lake house was my studioffice. You know that this is where I spend a good deal of time, so we took it on first. I should say, Ed took it on.
He removed the wall-to-wall carpeting and replaced it with laminate plank flooring. I furnished the room exactly like I had it set up in my previous house. It functions well for me, except for the area rug. It was the perfect fit for the previous room’s rectangular shape, but not in the square room it is in now.
I tried moving my desk to the very front of the rug, but it looks out of proportion and then this happens every time I sit down at the desk…
…the chair wheels get caught on the edge of the rug.
Time for a new rug. I love the easy, casual look of sisal and wanted to find a rug that would resemble it, but be easy to care for.
I have always been drawn to FLOR modular flooring. I even painted a rug to look like one of FLOR’s design styles on the floor in my previous home’s mudroom.
If you are not familiar with FLOR, they are modular rug tiles that come in many colors, textures and styles. Each tile is sold separately. You create a rug with them in any size or unique style you desire from wall-to-wall to area rugs with adhesive dots. It is so easy, smart and perfect for a DIY’er like me. :-)
It can be placed over hardwood, vinyl, and laminate. One of the best features for me though is that if you get a stain on it, you simply remove only the tile with the stain on it, wash it out, let dry and place back into the rug. If the stain does not come out… like bright colored paint that I am always working with and spilling, I can simply order a new tile. :-)
Since I like the look of sisal, I chose the design, Suit Yourself in the color Flax. It has texture like sisal. To create my 8 x 10 rug, I needed 30 tiles.
How to Install a FLOR Modular Rug
Once you decide on the style and color of tiles you want, putting the tiles together is easy with FLORdots. A carpenter’s square helps to make sure your rows are squared before sticking them together, but I found I didn’t need it.
If you decide you don’t like your design, it is easy to change. Just remove the FLORdot. No mess or cutting needed when creating an area rug.
- Lay out the tiles on the floor the way you desire. The tiles give you the freedom to create any design you want. There are arrows on the back of each tile to make it easy if you want to place them in the same direction. I chose to lay them out in a basketweave pattern where every other tile is simply turned.
2. The FLOR dots that come with the tiles make installation easy. I had the rug done in 30 mins.
3. Peel off a FLORdot and then lift the corner of one of the tiles on the edge of the rug and slide the FLOR dot under the tile, sticky side up. Line up the edges of the tile with the tic marks on the FLORdot and press down.
4. Then adhere the corners of the three remaining tiles to the FLORdot. Repeat the process for each tile.
5. Once you have all tiles connected, add a FLORdot under the tile seams around the perimeter of the rug.
TIP: I found the tic marks on the FLORdots were hard to see, so I used a marker to go over them to make it easier to place them accurately.
6. Run a vacuum over the finished rug and you are done. :-)
Much better. 
Now I have to paint the armoire, fan and my sewing station peeking out of this photo on the left. Once these are complete the room will truly be my happy place.
The rug feels so soft and best of all… my chair now rolls easily and no longer gets caught on a too small area rug.
Can you please tell me what the flooring is? IE brand and name of tile. Is it peel and stick? click? I’m remodeling a kitchen and bath and would like to use such a product.
Thanks!
Hi Nancy – Do you want to know the name of the vinyl plank flooring under the rug? If so, you can read all about it in this post: https://inmyownstyle.com/2016/01/how-to-install-luxury-vinyl-plank-flooring.html
Does it cost more than the regular rug
Hi Joyce – The cost of the rug, depends on the size and tiles you choose. Some of the tile designs are pricey. They range from a few dollars to around $35 a tile. The tiles I used were in the mid-range of this. FLOR does have clearance sales frequently also to save on cost. If I compared the rug to say an 8 x 10 rug bought at Walmart or Target, it would cost more.
Oh, those chair wheels getting caught on the rug is my constant nightmare. This FLOR solution looks great! I’m definitely getting it for my home office, maybe even for the kids bedroom(because if they get it dirty, I could easily just change that one piece!). Thank you so much for posting it!
Hi Michelle -It is only been a few weeks with my FLOR rug, but so far I am loving it. It would be great in kids rooms…so many fun colors and styles to choose from so they could really decorate their rooms using their favorite colors.
Gorgeous room! I was wondering if you created the wrapping paper holder yourself or purchased it? I love that it holds so many rolls! Love your style so much!
Hi Laura – Thanks :-) I made the gift wrap holder. You can find the tutorial on how I made it here: https://inmyownstyle.com/2012/03/how-to-organize-gift-wrap.html
After I made it, I did go back and add more rods for rolls, but you will see exactly how to make one yourself in the post.
Looks great. Good job!
Your office looks lovely.
I’ve got some Flor tiles too! I got them from Home Depot, and I just love how well they do the job. If you can’t use a rug due to the space not being square, these are ideal! I am using mine in the laundry room downstairs. you can take them up very easily, they vacuum really well (they don’t come up when vacuumed) and you can change the design to whichever up and down or side to side that you like! I’m very pleased with these, and would love to have Mor Flor!
P.S. I also love your sisal rug! Well, and everything else. and the house. and the water. and Ed. Ok, no, I’ve never actually met him, but I know he is lovable!
Hi Linda – You are so cute. Ed is quite a lovable guy :-) I would love to have Mor Flor, too! :-)
Your new area rug looks wonderful..I especially like how you mixed up the pattern. Another thing that caught my attention is that adorable basket for your garbage.
Hi Jen – Thanks :-) The basket is from HomeGoods. I got it a few years ago, but I still see them from time to time. If you can find a plain basket, it is an easy DIY. I wrote a post on how I dipped a thrift store basket that resembles it. You can find the post here: https://inmyownstyle.com/2014/03/powder-room-accessorizing-ideas.html
I’ve never heard of this product before, but it sounds like a great idea which I will try for my family room. Thanks for sharing such great instructions.
These are so cool. I’d never seen them before.
They would work great in our office, where now we have a bare wood floor.
Once again you come through with something totally useful and nice.
Thank You. I always look forward to your next post.
Hi Mary – Thanks so much. Your kind words always put a smile on my face. XO
I too am a fan! Love all your tips and decorating! 15 years ago I lived in a house that was over 120 years old, and I had a rug that was a little too small. Back in the 1800’s they often used simple pine on the center of a wood floor and more expensive wood for the edges, because these homes were made for centered (often beautiful oriental) rugs, which would cover the cheap pine in the center. I had a great rug that I was dying to use but you could see the pine a little all the way around, even after I refinished it to match the darker, richer wood. So I bought a coordinating fabric and sewed together strips and lightly hand stitched them to make a boarder for the rug. It looked great and my rug was saved. Kind of a tedious process though, that’s actually what I was doing on 9-11, when the twin tower broadcast came on. You never fight what you were doing! Anyway, this is a long way of saying, you could stich a fabric trim by hand around your rug. Since it is mostly underneath it doesn’t need much stitching to stay in place. Think of the possibilities, a bright pink paisley would be pretty. (Just sew right sides of the strips together, turn and press, sew together in a sharp corner for each corner. Anyway, good luck! I am loving your new lake house (and that you wanted a lake house and went out and got a lake house is so inspiring! Good for you! Enjoy!
I really like your new rug. I’ve been admiring Flor tiles for a few years.
Do you think the wheels on your desk chair will damage the tiles? My current office rug from West Elm, which is less than a year old, has lot all its fluff under my desk chair. I’m looking for a rug that will hold up without having to put a piece of plastic under my chair.
Hi Carol – The rug is pretty flat so the chair rolls very easily over it. I don’t see a problem with the chair damaging the tiles in the sort term, eventually though, just like any rug, it may wear where the wheels go over it in a few years. The nice thing is though that if it does, I can simply replace the tiles. :-)
Very pretty!
Thanks for all your great ideas!! It looks fantastic!!! Congrats on having your happy place back!!!
I don’t know if you already mentioned this, but could these carpet tiles be used on a small concrete floor on a patio?
Hi Polly – From what I read in the FLOR instructions, you can use the tiles over concrete as long as it is fully cured (90 days) as well as smooth, clean and with no cracks.
Very nice! I do like your fan. So hard to find a good one.
What a beautiful office space! I love Flor too – great for kids rooms, offices, mudrooms and basements!
Oh, I really like this! Thanks for sharing such a neat rug solution.
Ed certainly did a great job,who would not like working in your beautiful office,new layout so much better.The rug is fantastic,wish they had them in Europe.
OMG….I need to use these in my office. My office cabinets fit under my desk. An 8×10 is too large and a 5×7 is too small…I sound like a fairy tale! Thanks Diane…I love your posts
Hi Diane,
I’m such a fan–your office looks great! I have a degree in Interior Design and have worked in many homes and businesses and I just want to say–you are amazing! You are a fantastic designer–better than most I’ve ever known and I love your scienc-y approach to design and problem solving. I’ve used your advice, countless times–and thanks for helping me survive the whole chalk-painting experience.
Anyway, two things–love FLOR, I highly recommend them. Still, as area rugs, the edges bug me–do you have any ideas for creatively finishing them? I wish the company made ramped edges for universal design application, but until then–now that you’ve used them, what do you think would work?
Second, I’m kind of a light bulb geek–and I’m totally with you on daylight bulbs in closets. However, I couldn’t help noticing, in your office, you are using clear bulbs and globes overhead. They look really great, but don’t you fight shadows, or glare? I’m wondering, because I’m re-doing my own home office and the one sticking point is my overhead light fixture–not the style, but how the light is affecting my work. My husband is tired of changing out the fixture. Would love your thoughts.
Hi DJ – Thanks for the nice note. I am not sure how I would finish off the edges. I think anything you would add, trim, etc would just pull away. I wil have to think on it. :-)
As far as the fan lighting above my desk. I never turn the light on, only the fan. I don’t like overhead lighting. I use the desk light and two table lamps on the one side of the room. My worktable also has a small light so I can see when I do detail work.
Flor is on Zulily today. They have a $100 gift card for $69.99. Not sure if there’s additional shipping cost on that, but it would be $10 max if so. (that’s where they get ya!) :)
Looks great! My problem with Flor is kid in a candy store syndrome, so much to choose from I can never make a decision!
Hi Alli – Thanks for sharing about FLOR being on Zulily today. That is a great deal. I agree with you that it is hard to chose a pattern, style and color of FLOR. I went back and forth a few times until I made my final decision.
Love the look of the rug and your office, just one question though, where do you plug your lamp in? (You should do a post about that!). I can’t see any cords in the photos.
Hi Mary –
When I took the photos I had not yet set up this system I had in my previous house. You can see it in this post: https://inmyownstyle.com/2013/05/wire-cord-management.html
It is one of the things on my to-do list. :-)
When I installed the FLOR rug, I had to move the desk and did not get my makeshift set-up back in place. Until I get a floor outlet, I have a cord from my work table to the desk. That cord runs up the desk leg with cord clips and under the desk. I will use cord clips to keep lamp cord attached to the side of the desk and run under to the outlet under the desk. See the post I mentioned to see more details.
My husband and I just installed this product in my new sewing room and I LOVE it!!! We did a wall to wall process but I definitely like the area rug look also.
Hi Karen – I bet it looks great as a wall to wall carpet. So many ways to use it!
You did it again. The rug looks great. I was wondering about your former sisal rug. How do you take care of it? Clean it? Living in Kauai I thought one of the rugs might be a nice touch.
Hi Linda – The previous sisal rug served me well, but stains are hard to get out of it. I had ink, paint, and other dirt from my shoes embedded that I could not remove. It is easy to vacuum, but stains are hard to remove. As far as natural rugs go, I prefer seagrass. They are easy to clean and stains are easy to remove. I have one in my living room.
You can see it here and here. The problem with using one in my studioffice is that they have too much texture and my chair would not roll well over it. Sisal is smoother, but when a stain gets on it, it is hard to remove.
Your office is just beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing the info about the rug. What a good idea :)
I’ve read about these but had forgotten, so thanks! Looks great. What color will you be painting the armoire?
Hi Karen – I think I am going to paint the armoire a light pink.
Once again a beautifully functioning room that one would be happy to spend time in. Thanks for your creative genius…..love it!
I learn so much from you! Thanks for a great idea, Diane. It looks wonderful!
Wow, what a great product! I really like how it adds so much texture to the room. Great choice. Congrats! You are getting closer to your studioffice being completed :)
Really a very good idea. It is simply and easy. I do not know if this kind of rug exists in Spain, but I will look for it!!
Thanks Diane.
What was the final cost for the size you did, please?
Hi Robin – The tiles I used were $16 a piece. For 30 tiles it was around $480. The price per tile can range from $8 – $35.
Splendid look. Casual, utilitarian, yet charming. Perfect!
Very nice…I’ve never seen these. So, the tiles are not stuck to the floor at all, right? You can move the rug a bit if you needed to?
Hi Linda – Yes the rug can be moved, it is not attached to the floor at all. If you had a very large area rug, it may be harder to move than a smaller one though because of weight.