FLOOR_STORY IN STORE AT In Store at… FLOOR_STORY
This month we’ve gone virtual as we profile an online store that’s breaking new ground with a range of capsule collections and designer collaborations.
FLOOR_STORY founder Simon Goff has a track record of building successful high- end flooring retail brands, having set up one of the first shops in Chelsea’s Duke of York Square before launching Heal’s first carpet and rug department at the leading interior retailer’s flagship London store. However, through all this, Simon had a burning ambition to do something a little different and so FLOOR_STORY was born.
Focusing on the experience of buying, Simon remains firmly rooted in providing his customers with unique floorcoverings and rugs that are simply hard to find elsewhere. He’s steered clear of the big ‘high street’ brands instead seeking out lesser-known quality outfits that offer his customers a selection they aren’t likely to discover easily. A consultancy style approach to selling wall-to-wall and hard flooring sees Simon focus on his native London and Home Counties catchment for these, but it is his dynamic and fresh approach to rugs and online selling that has everyone talking.
Building The Narrative
“When I started FLOOR_STORY it wasn’t that I knew I needed to do things differently to find success, but that I wanted to do things differently. I was frustrated with the lacklustre approach to design and wanted to create my own narrative for FLOOR_STORY rather than buying in to someone else’s rather lame attempt to follow the herd. I guess it’s a rule of thumb that I’ve taken through when selecting my wall-to-wall and hard flooring brands, but it’s rugs where I’ve really embraced this desire to be different,” he explains.
Simon’s former involvement in the industry meant he already had a healthy
address book that could get him up and running with fresh pieces that quickly established FLOOR_STORY as a great source of off-beat rugs that couldn’t be found at your average retailer, selling them through a narrative-driven website. Yet it was the launch of the Designer Collection back in early 2014 that really moved the brand into the spotlight. The same network of contacts contained some of the world’s best rug makers and Simon’s passion for design already meant that he had a few designers he wanted to work with.
Embracing Difference
“It’s too easy to get lost in thinking that working with some celebrity designer is going to bring you instant success, but almost the opposite is true and their status brings with it a whole new set of costs, commissions and ego, but my decision to use rising stars was more than just a commercial one,” explains Simon. “Design should celebrate the new and embrace a different way of perceiving colour, texture, form and function. Rather than a delivering a ‘proven’ formula that has served them well and given them success, new designers are full of energy and their creativity is all the better for it. Of course, there are limitations in what is possible with traditional rug making techniques, but this also makes the process incredibly organic and gratifying.”
The Designer Collection first launched with designs from Kangan Arora and Rob Pybus, both of whom are markedly different in style. Rob’s illustrative style recreate iconic 50s tattoos while Kangan’s strong graphics are inspired by Indian street culture. But both showcased just how an energetic and enthusiastic approach can breed beautiful design.
Tomorrow’s Retail FloorsWinter 2016 | 23
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