I’ve been itching to replace our dark, faux-Oriental rug in the family room for years. As much as I love shopping from the comfort of my home online, there are times when I could use the advice of a real, live sales associate to talk me through options, color choices, and patterns. You know, so I don’t end up with another dark, faux-Oriental rug.

FLOR Modular Carpet in kitchen on Cool Mom Picks

So I’m excited to discover what cool modular-floor carpet tiles company FLOR has just started doing to personalize the online shopping experience, and help insure that everyone loves their floor. Or FLOR.

[Don’t miss a huge FLOR sale for a limited time. Details after the jump.]

The FLOR Possibility Studio is bridging that gap between the assistance of an in-store sales associate, and the “hunt-and-peck” method I usually use at home to scroll through all the colors, styles, weaves, and patterns before having to lie down with a cold drink.

FLOR Modular Carpet living room on Cool Mom Picks

This is way more than a pop-up box asking me if I’d like to “chat” with a sales associate while on site. A “visit” to the FLOR Possibility Studio begins when you fill out the Design Assistance Form.

I first attached a couple of photos of our room so their Design Expert could see the huge brick fireplace, plus my existing furniture which I plan to work with in choosing a new rug. You can also enter room dimensions, and specify whether or not you have pets, kids, or an oddly shaped space (check, check, and check.)

I also could spell out my other likes and dislikes, such as a preference for neutral colors. But, if you love bold prints, want something for a playroom, or just need a great runner to brighten up your hallway, they’ve got that too.

FLOR Modular Carpet Squares runner on Cool Mom Picks

Within a day, I had a call from Michelle, one of the FLOR Design Experts. We went over my input and, while I sat on my end of the laptop, scrolled through some of her suggestions and color schemes. We also talked cost and took into account things like the thickness of the various styles, and how much traffic the room gets (a lot).

FLOR modular carpet Union Jack on Cool Mom PIcks

Having never purchased a FLOR rug, she also explained how many FLOR tiles my room would need. Good to know: They’re easy to put down, and the adhesive does not come in contact with our beautiful wooden floors since I’m trying to protect those from three kids and a big dog.

She also smartly recommended that I order a few extra squares, should one of these three kids–or more likely, the big dog–leave something unsavory on the tile that I don’t want to try to scrub off. How great to be able to pull out the one tile and replace it with a nice clean one?

If you’re still on the fence, order single squares for under $2 a piece with free shipping, so you can toss a few around the room to see which ones you like the most. And if your FLOR Design Expert doesn’t hook you up with something you love, they will pay the cost to ship any unstuck tiles–even the entire order–back to the store. 

Getting an email with three custom recommendations made just for me was joyous. It was almost like hopping into the car, driving up to Boston, and visiting their store to narrow down my choices. Though, this time, I did the entire thing in my pajamas on my back porch. That’s progress.Christina

Check out the new FLOR Possibility Studio and through June 28th, take advantage of their huge 25% Off Everything Summer Sale, which applies to almost everything on site. See their website for details.