Why digital…

It has taken me some time to develop my digitally designed collection of mats. These are mats where computerized designs are digitally printed directly onto the vinyl material. Digital printing has come a long way. It took quit a bite of research to find just the right machine that would not only provide the resolution I needed but also the durability required. These mats do not need to be coated, they are bullet proof without the coating required by their hand painted counterpart. Printing digital means anything goes… photos, logos or even a child’s drawing can be printed as floor art, totally personalizing a mat. The mat below was based on one in my digital collection. With just a push of a button, the size and colors were changed to fit and match the long hallway. Why digital… why not… the possibilities are endless.

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Black and white and walk all over…

This simple black and white mat is one of my very favorites. Devoid of color (although I did present the same design with color) – it has plenty of style. The client let me go creatively for her simple chic french country galley kitchen. The mat really adds something special to the overall look of the kitchen. Its unique shape along with the floral pattern takes a corner in order to add protection under the refrigerator. The clients says, depending on the time of year, she’ll throw in colorful countertop accessories like hot pink towels or red roses. This kitchen is [simply] beautiful.

More than geometric shapes…

After reviewing my last three blog entries, it appears I can only paint geometric shapes. This cracks me up because most of my mats don’t have square one in them – as proof, see below. This beautiful mat was the first of seven mats I created for a 100 year old farm house in Calistoga, CA. I picked up the center grape pattern from a design in the fabric of the couch in the other room. The owner loves the mats so much that there are plans for two more, which proves you can never have too many mats (?)

My very first mat…

Below is the first mat I ever painted. It was for my kitchen. What I love about mats is that I can take elements of the room and put them in the floor. For instance, look at the tile back splash border element and counter colors and how they appear in the mat. I can totally transform a room from the floor up – take a look at the before and after images. That’s a lot of black and white checkers. Instead of trying to make a rug work in your room, you can make your room work in your mat. It really changed my kitchen adding a cohesive component to the overall style. This mat is 9 years going strong.

Size does matter…

Another cool thing about floor mats is that they can be any size or shape. Check out the mat below. I love how you can still see the hardwood. This mat was a bit of a nightmare because the black and white square motif had to fit perfectly into a given space. I have never had to do so much math in my life. I spun the design around the bowl on the counter. Again the before and after images are amazing.

Speed square painter…

I just finished this mat for a beautiful Sea Ranch style home. The home had an Asian contemporary minimalist feel. What came to mind were geometric shapes – very clean, precise and colorful. Another concept consisted of Koi fish swimming under foot. The client loved the idea of red, orange and black. Note to self – to make red opaque many, many, many coats must be applied. I became a speed square painter.