Kitchen Rugs and Kitchen Mats

Canvas Rugs in the Kitchen

“Can they be used in the kitchen?” A question often asked. Yes! Hand painted canvas kitchen rugs and kitchen mats provide a plethora of possibilities when designing your kitchen space.

The designs and colors of canvas rugs are as varied as the kitchens they are made for. From a shiny contemporary kitchen with stainless steel and tile floors to a homey country kitchen and all the options in between, the canvas kitchen rug or mat can be made to work with any kitchen decor.

Kitchens are a very important place to maintain cleanliness yet they can get so messy! Canvas rugs are (hand) made with several coats of a resistant finish that allows for a quick swipe with a wet mop for easy cleaning. Soap and water is recommended but a disinfectant can be used as well.

When considering a remodel or a new kitchen an overall design scheme can be greatly enhanced with the use of a kitchen rug to bring the decorating elements together. But more so than in any other room, ease of care is of the utmost importance as it is typically the most used room in a home. Additionally, a kitchen rug that slides around, or becomes stained, or doesn’t fit properly in front of the kitchen sink only adds to daily stress.

Another advantage of a canvas kitchen rug is the low threshold that permits cabinet doors to glide over them easily. By using a soft putty to affix the rug to the floor the rug can be kept in place and cleaned along with the rest of the floor when sweeping and mopping.

Recreating Patina of Antique Tiles for Kitchen Rugs

The biggest advantage of custom hand painted kitchen rugs is the ability to create original designs specific for any kitchen décor. One client, Anne, whose home has 150 year old tile floors, wanted a kitchen mat in front of her sink. When she first entered the older Costa Rican home she fell in love with the tiles at the entrance way exclaiming, “I want this house!” The kitchen tiles in the home are similar: deep rich maroon design with a golden yellow background. Anne made it clear that she did not want the kitchen mat to clash or compete with the antique tiles. When I suggested using the design from the tiles on the border of the mat her eyes lit up.

With the paint swatch kit we were able to match the colors of paint to those of the tile floors. I then traced the original tile’s border design from the floor of the entry using waxed paper and a marker. The old tiles exude a mellowed patina; to compliment the kitchen mat I used a tinting technique I’ve used in the Mexican tile design to “age” the painted tiles. This application provided Anne’s kitchen mat the perfect look and feel to softly fit into the kitchen décor.

As the late Mark Hampton, American Interior Designer stated, “Decorating has to do with people and beauty and the timeless activities of domestic life.” He was absolutely right.

Canvas kitchen rugs can cover an entire floor and withstand traffic in the busiest room of a home. A kitchen mat in front of the sink is a wonderful place to give comfort and beauty. Designing a space where durability and beauty comes together and including hand-painted custom rugs for the kitchen is a very good idea.

Have an idea for a kitchen rug or mat? Question about using canvas rugs as kitchen rugs? Let me know with a comment below, or feel free to contact me.

Thanks for reading!