The World is 'Flat'

It was once said that the sun never set on the British Empire. And with colonies as far afield as Bermuda and Hong Kong, there was, indeed, always light in some corner of Britannia. Today, the empire may have faded, but British style is still recognized the world over. So in January 2007, when Seattle-based interior designers Cheryl Bloom and Cynthia Johnson were looking to open a unique gift store in the Pacific Northwest, they decided to rekindle some of Old Blighty's lost light.

According to Bloom, the “launching point” for the duo's retail venture was a recognition that the region was lacking something in interior design options. “The products being offered in the Seattle area were all the same, very Northwest-themed. We were looking to create a store that offers affordable, chic products for the home.”

As interior designers with 25 years each in the business, Bloom and Johnson had the experience and the contacts to find that kind of product for their home furnishings and accessories store. And where did their marketing theme come from? “Cynthia actually lived in London for three years or so,” says Bloom, “So she was familiar with the design.”

The result was London Flat, a 500-square-foot store located in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, WA. The space has a “loft feeling” to it, and, more importantly, incorporates the style sense and sourcing expertise of two veteran designers, making for an atmosphere much like an apartment (“flat” in British usage) in greater London. On the bright side, the small space means low overhead, which helps to keep the prices at London Flat lower than other local retailers with “chic” product.

True to their roots as interior designers, Bloom and Johnson have used their retail store as a resource to help customers plan their own interiors. Shortly after opening, the duo began developing a program they call “Flat Tips.” According to Bloom, Flat Tips is a “capsulized process that allows customers to fill out a questionnaire about an interior design project (with dimensions and pictures of the space), and London Flat creates a design package for them,” including layout and recommendations for products.

To date, London Flat has carried out about a half dozen Flat Tips assignments, focusing on single rooms ranging from 50 to 500 square feet in size. Though most of the projects have been in the Seattle area, Bloom says their ambition is to market the service, and their store, to a wider audience with the Flat Tips program. “The goal is to offer those services on a room-by-room basis,” says Bloom.

In so doing, London Flat will help to keep the light on British style.