Laurel's Design Blog

Addictive Washable Rugs of Canvas

For some of my clients, washable rugs made from canvas can be quite addictive. A recent email from a client, Debi, who had initially ordered a custom African art design for her home office and one for the guest bathroom proved it; a month later, she recognized how easy they were to care for and wanted a new canvas rug for her new master bath.

This time, Debi chose one of our standard canvas rugs designs: the Bamboo, requesting a color change: a light brown background with beige bamboo to cooridnate with the colors of the new bathroom.

We laughed that she was now addicted to canvas washable rugs!

The best thing about canvas rugs is that you can wash them while they lay on the floor. No need to (nor should you) throw them into the washer, nor the dryer; these types of washable rugs do not require traditional maintenance - a gentle pass with a sponge mop is all you need. The four coats of polyurethane varnish keep the rug sealed, resistant to stains and spills.

As I was leaving Debi's home I complimented her on a traditional round area rug in her living room. It really was pretty, and I asked permission to take a photo. As I have shared before, collecting photos of art, patterns, colors and designs are saved for a rainy day when I need inspirational ideas for future projects. 

Debi lives in the countryside in Costa Rica. She has two dogs that are in and out of her home, and she spends a lot of her time cleaning. How much easier is it to sweep and mop then dealing with dog hairs and stains on a traditional rug?

So, next time you are contemplating what kind of rug will stand up to dogs, dust, sand, mud, kids, and you want low maintenance with durable beauty, think of using canvas rugs, easy-to-care-for washable rugs. You, too, might find yourself addicted to them! 

Tropical Rainforest Plants for Runner Rug

Life in a lowland tropical rainforest forest, rich with plants, including towering trees, Tarzan-like swinging vines, bizarre and beautiful flowers, provides a wealth of artistic inspiration from which to draw from.

Hundreds of different hues of green, combinations of soft and bold colors combined with a veritable smorgasbord of plant and leaf shapes give wing to the imagination. Combining these colors and shapes into a custom canvas rug happened one fine day as I was feeling the urge to paint. 

Strolling through my garden, richly planted with tropical rainforest plants over the years, the idea bloomed for a design incorporating ferns, plants and flowers. I would call it the Jungle Rug design. The hand-painted border replicated the colors and designs of the tropical rainforest plants with tips of flowers and leaves creeping over the rugs inner border onto the center, much like the ever-growing tropical rainforest, always pushing itself into and over anything in its way. This forest on canvas surrounded the center of the rug: a simple, neutral weave that was stamped.

Sometime after the Jungle Rug design was posted on our websites, a prospective client, an interior designer from the United States, was writing for quotes on designs and sizes. She explained,

"Due to your wonderful rugs, I have changed directions on this project. Please scratch pricing the Southwest Triangles and replace with the design above. New dimensions for this rug : 28 inches by 18 feet. How wide is the border?"

The design she was referrencing was the "Jungle Rug" with its array of tropical rainforest plants and flowers.

"The border can vary depending on the dimensions of the rug. The solid outside border is 1.5" followed by the border of flora with a stamp in the center," I replied to the designer.

I continued, "For a 28" width I suggest a 7" border of flora giving you 11" in the center for the stamp; or an 8" border of flora giving you a stamped center 9" wide, or you can give me the dimensions, of a narrower border or wider! It depends on what you'd like, that's why we make custom rugs!"

"Let's go with the 7" border leaving 11" in the center. That seems balanced. I don't want to mandate all the colors in the rug since it'll be in a hallway lined with colorful art but I have 2 or 3 I'd like to see along with the colors you have in the one below. I'll run down a SW fan deck tomorrow and email the colors," decided the designer.

Once the colors, size and border widths were agreed upon we proceed with making the customized Jungle Rug runner. The finished canvas rug has been shipped and is en route to its new home. We hope to share the final result with a photo of the tropical rainforest plant motif in its new home.

Nursery Decorating Ideas for Baby: Themes & Décor

Generating nursery decorating ideas for baby's arrival are a common and exciting topic as the time approaches. The first and primary consideration for the decoration of a baby's room is what color should be used?

Some may consider a soothing color, such as baby blue or light green,  but it's hard to know what exactly is soothing for the baby. Maybe the baby doesn't respond to a softer color but requires more stimulation. Studies have shown that babies react to black and white because the contrast is so much greater. And while such a 100% contrast is easier to see by young infants, by 2 months of age they can see almost all the subtle colors and contrasts that adults do.

Additionally, recent studies at the University of California in Berkeley have shown that infants as young as two weeks do indeed have color vision and can tell a red object from a green one, even when the colors exhibit the same brightness. However, infants may not be able to decipher subtle changes in color such as reddish orange to red until a couple of months later. Still, color is a key component for baby nursery decorating ideas. Then again, perhaps the choice of color is of much importance to the new parents keeping them soothed. 

So let's talk baby nursery themes. Years ago living in a small Caribbean town in Costa Rica, a friend asked me to paint a mural on the wall of her baby's nursery. The room was cement halfway up the walls and continued with wood to the ceiling. At that time I was making hand painted dresses with designs inspired by the natural flora and fauna and of the live coral reefs.

Using the cement walls as my canvas, I created an underwater scene, a mural  replete with sea grasses, bright fish, octopus and shells. Arno, the little apple of his mom's eye, spent many hours on his stomach bobbing his wee head as he gazed about at all the colors within his own little sea world.

Handpainted Canvas Rugs for Baby Nursery Themes

Murals are a delightful aspect to incorporate with a baby nursery theme. Another option is including a hand painted canvas rug as a floor mural. The canvas rug can be the basis for a baby nursery theme. Imagine a woodland, a forest or a jungle. Stuffed toys can represent the animals of the forest; corresponding themed mobiles and furniture decorated with paint and fun knobs. And as the child grows changes to the room can be incorporated but the primary décor remains.

A custom canvas rug pulls together all the components of color from the walls, furniture and accents used with your nursery decorating ideas (and they are oh, so easy to clean), providing the basis for a theme that can last for many years, all the while stimulating little eyes and imaginations.

To help brainstorm some fun nursery decorating ideas, visit our canvas rugs designs page. Or visit our sister site, canvas-rugs-costa-rica.com

Have fun decorating!

Laurel

Beginnings of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is alive and well in this little country of Costa Rica; especially here, women in business are committed to connecting with and supporting one another.  Although Costa Rica is now well established on the map as a destination and tourist paradise, it wasn't always so.  Visitors to the country early on were hard pressed to find boutique hotels, souvenirs, or quality products of any kind. But many women recognized the opportunities before them and took action.

Thirty years ago a young woman, Gayle Glenn, had moved to Costa Rica from Hawaii and noticed there were no bathing suits available to buy....anywhere. Imagine a country with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other and the local people swam in their shorts and t-shirts!

As a young entrepreneur, Gayle had made her own line of bathing suits, sewn from her home in Hawaii; she liked hanging out on the beach and got paid to do so by selling them on the North Shore beaches back in the early 70's. Upon her arrival to Costa Rica living on a mountainside overlooking the central valley, she dreamt of the old days laying out her hand made goods on tropical beaches. Long story short: this was the start of Hawaiiana, the first Costa Rican bikini manufacturing company which eventually developed into three retail stores and a factory employing 20 women here in Costa Rica!

Fast forward twenty years later, Miriam Caranza, a Costa Rican woman with a dream to run her own sewing factory, was connected to Gayle at the time when Gayle had decided to move on from bikinis and manufacturing. Miriam had worked in a bra factory maintaining the machines and envisioned her own business. She bought Gayles 13 sewing machines and built, with her own two (and some other helping) hands, a workshop. Having spent all of her money on the machines and the workshop, however, Miriam had no materials to work with and no clients.

Women in Business Connecting

Around this same time, Laurel Anderson had begun to expand her hand painted textile business and asked her friend Gayle of 20 years about where she might find a seamstress to sew canvas bags and beach totes. Miriam, meet Laurel, Laurel, Miriam. Voilá! This was a new beginning for Canvas Totes and Bags and a good start to fulfilling Miriam's dream with Infopachamama S.A.

The exceptional quality of sewing for these canvas totes often brings comments from customers. Laurel loves to participate in local Craft and Art shows throughout Costa Rica and when customers ask, "Who sews for you?" she is only too happy to recommend her seamstress. Miriam now works 6 days a week making thousands of canvas bags for one of Costa Rica's largest companies. But her number one client is Laurel's Originals division of Canvas totes and Bags.

Styles and designs of the bags and totes have been modified and improved upon: incorporating different materials for the lining, testing and changing the heavy duty zippers, adding pockets on the outside and sewing change purses into the interiors. Miriam has been instrumental in creating a higher quality of product for Laurel's totes and bags.

The entrepreneurship of these three women in business defines what women do best to grow their businesses: Connect. They depend on each other for frank assessments and character references. The component of any business is its people and the thread which connects them is a strong one.

Canvas Rugs: Canada to Costa Rica

When a reader of my blog(s) or a subscriber to my newsletter or a fan of my Facebook page sends me a note, it provides a warm and fuzzy feeling to know someone is actually reading what I write! 

The following was received from a lovely lady who also makes canvas rugs in Canada as well as teaches. I am awaiting a reply from her to get the address for her blog; will post it as soon as she sends it. Here is Tina's website/blog: http://www.galleriegallera.ca/

Date: 06/28/2011 10:37 AM
To: "Laurel's Design Newsletter"
Subject: Laurel's Design Newsletter - Memory Lane, Mexican Décor, Comment Prize

Hi!

I was so pleased to receive your email [newsletter]....timely... as I am about to teach "Art You Can Walk On" (floor cloths) to two groups this summer ...one at Pontiac School of the Arts and the other at my studio - gallery "Gallerie Gallera" in Rapides des Joachims, Quebec, Canada, an island in the Ottawa River. The island is also known as "Swisha".

I have been creating floor cloths for 9-10 years. I have always been a history buff, read about floor cloths many times and this is how I got into it. I began teaching this wonderful art and for 5 years now people have them gracing their floors! How cool huh?

Thank you for writing up your ideas and I will share mine on my site's blog as soon as I land up on the island permanently, which is tomorrow. 

The move to the studio was long this yeas as I have been moving according to the completion of the renovations.

If you keep writing Laurel, I'll keep reading and enjoying it.

Take good care and have a wonderful day!

Tina Michaud

In Tina's brief email I discovered we had much in common: a passion for canvas rugs/floor cloths and teaching others how to create them, taking that passion and creating a business, and reaching out to other like-minded artists and entrepreneurers. Oh, and that she must be somewhat of an adventurer...making her canvas rugs in Canada on an island in the middle of a river!  Here's my reply to Tina:

Hello Tina,

Thank you so much for your email. I am looking forward to hearing your ideas and information on your blog as well!

While I was visiting a friend on the beach I read an article in Mother Earth News about Lisa Mair and her hand painted floor cloths. It resonated with me because I had lived in the tropics for so many years and we could never find a proper rug for this environment. The mats made from natural materials let sand sift underneath and tended to rot easily from the humid environment; regular rugs were impossible.

A rug you could sweep and mop was a perfect solution and I was determined to introduce it to Costa Rica. Introducing any new concept in a latin country is a challenge, they take slowly to new ideas but the benefits of canvas floor cloths, or as we call them here, canvas rugs, are too plentiful to ignore.

I had hope to sell them in retail stores but the sales girls didn't understand the product...they did not work well in that venue. I approached interior designers and once they understood they could design their own unique rugs to go with their whole concept in design it was a great match.

I am looking forward to seeing your designs and approach to this age old art. Lisa, my original inspiration and teacher through her book, Floor Cloth Magic, focuses on Colonial art and designs from that period when floor cloths were used in the United States. My art has many aspects of nature but also individual creations that come about from each designers concept for their projects,so it is very varied.

I look forward to seeing your art and hearing your ideas. Canvas rug artists unite!

Warm regards,
Laurel

The point of sharing this exchange is to encourage you to find your artistic passion; it may be something you have been thinking/dreaming about or perhaps the idea has yet to materialize but if you keep a mental focus it can happen. Reach out to others, take classes, imagine it.

Laurel

 

Large Totes: Beach Bag, Shopping Bag, Travel Bag

Oh, so many years ago when I was making hand painted cotton beach cover-ups, I expanded into hand painted canvas totes. These first versions were a simple, medium sized unlined canvas tote to go in tandem with my tropical design dresses.

But typical of a successful product, a good idea takes off and everyone starts doing it! To keep up with competition, I had to come up with a different product, a better and more unique product. It's the American way, even in Central America!

So we made a larger tote bag to start, because it can be used alternatively as a beach bag, a shopping bag and / or a travel bag.

A customer who operates tours on a catamaran from Costa Rica, suggested adding a plastic pouch inside the tote so that tourists could place their wet bathing suits in it after a day at the beach. Great suggestion! It helps also to Protect valuables such as a cell phone and wallet keeping them safe from sand, wet towels, and bathing suits.

This plastic zippered pouch is one of my favorite details. When I use my large canvas tote bags as my daily handbag (I'm one of those people who tends to carry lots of things) I put my wallet, keys and change in the pouch. It's attached to a cord from inside the tote, making it very easy to find. Keys...wallet, easy to find in a big tote, what a revolutionary idea!

When grocery shopping, I tend to forget my simple, canvas bags for shlepping groceries; no big deal... I simply pull out my wallet  and say fill ‘er up. I can't stand taking home one more plastic bag. It's a great way to participate in recycling: use the large canvas tote to tote those groceries on home!

Other redesign elements of our new large tote included a sturdy lining and a strong zipper. Many customers wanted a zipper vs a velcro piece, to keep the bag secure. We did so and it made the bag look much nicer.

We also added an exterior pocket perfect as a water bottle pouch which again, serves so many other functions. I usually put my cell phone in it and my car keys for easy access. When traveling, it's a great place for a passport until passing through customs.

Making wider canvas straps providing comfort and to help distribute the weight was another redesign element. The large tote also works perfect as a lightweight travel bag. I put in my book, (now, my Kindle!) a sweater, (I always get cold on airplanes) and sometimes my other purse. We're allowed a purse and a carry on, so why not make it a large tote, to carry all the things to make your trip more comfortable?

The evolution of our new large tote took things up a notch on the whole canvas bag scene. 

As great as all the new details are, it's my original wild and fun hand painted designs that get the ohhs! and "must have!" comments. Keep in mind we can change colors for you as well. So if you love the Flora Lilac tote bag design but would rather have a large blue tote, for example, you have the option of choosing a different color.

If you are like me and prefer a large tote as a handbag, you'll love my tote!  Used as a large beach bag, a shopping bag, or travel bag, it is big and comfy and fun and unique. Visit our canvas totes and bags shop online to see all the different designs.

Thanks for reading!

Laurel

Outdoor Rugs for the Tropics

I have been thinking about the concept of indoor outdoor rugs and the implications of their usage. Are they rugs you can use outdoors but prefer to use indoors, or are they outdoor rugs that look like an indoor rug?

Many commercial floor coverings for use as indoor outdoor rugs are made of natural materials, as is true here in Costa Rica. These, however, are often made of inferior materials with a short rug life, especially with extensive traffic, exposure to sun, salt air and moisture. Although the appeal of using natural materials is much appreciated by designers and home owners, they are not always a long lasting choice. 

Now, just because I am a canvas rug maker, I would not suggest that canvas rugs be used as outdoor rugs that are placed in direct sun, exposed to the elements. However, because of how they are made and the fact that they are 100% cotton canvas, they are ideal for use as outdoor rugs in a protected area, such as a (covered) deck, patio or porch.

If we expand this thought about indoor outdoor rugs being used indoors by bringing design ideas from the outside, well...we can talk while parrots perch for the night!

For example, an interior design team for a particular project asked me to create a natural looking rug that would work with a tropical décor for a room they wanted to provide the atmosphere of being outside. What they initially wanted was a woven grass matt, but the team eventually recognized it would be impractical for cleaning and long term wear.

To create this design I made a 4" x 4" custom stamp to imitate a section of a naturally woven rug. The process of stamping itself provides an organic look, and once applied to the cotton canvas material the final result looked as though it was indeed a woven mat with the weave worn down by foot traffic.

A new project just under way is the renovation of a twenty year old house that is being remodeled for use as a boutique hotel. Located in Costa Rica's southern zone, on the beach, surrounded by primary jungle and rich with monkeys and red macaws, the gauntlet was thrown when, as the owner explained, "There is no design that can compete with the beauty of these surroundings."

I have been commissioned to provide a design concept for one of the rooms; they want to include my canvas rugs. Not to compete with the prolific wildlife, my goal is to create a natural and progressive flow of the outdoors coming indoors. Ideas include using my popular canvas rugs designs such as leaf and fern presses and hand painted vines; we may also incorporate my bamboo designs so popular with my clients.

This is what I love about creating these canvas rugs: innovations created for the challenges of the tropics translated into interior design...for what I now call indoor outdoor rugs.

Laurel...who would love you to Like and join me on Facebook!

Custom Rugs: Creative Design

One of my other websites, (good grief, there are 3!) is specific to canvas rugs (and available in both English and Spanish) and there I tend to post on that site's blog additional projects, including those related to custom rugs. I invite you to take a look at some of the older postings below and on the other blog for brainstorming or gathering ideas if your considering having a custom rug made.

Although my hand painted canvas rugs sell primarily to home owners, businesses and hotels located in Costa Rica, you will find some great information if you are considering a custom rug, be it of canvas, a traditional woven rug or hooked rugs, that may prove beneficial in helping you to determine what should be considered for a design.  (note: we do ship to Canada, USA and Europe, however.)

For example, at Canvas-Rugs-Costa-Rica.com blog ...I wrote about a nature art custom rug project whereby the design incorporates tiles around the perimeter of the rug, each depicting a detail drawn from mother nature: insects. It's quite unique, in addition to being a purple rug and not something that would work for every interior, but again, my description of the overall project might get your creative juices flowing.

If you are in the market and looking for more design ideas and to save you some time, on this blog last summer I posted a piece about getting the feel for design with regards to custom rugs; this was about the turtle rug which began as an idea an interior designer had for his client; the client had a passion for and wanted a turtle theme throughout the living room. Now, that may sound strange but it was very tastefully done. It was the detail within the turtle shell that I saw which ended up a very stunning custom rug...if I may say so myself. ;)

Custom Rugs: Right Size, Right Design

You might want to keep in mind, too, that having custom rugs made isn't limited to the rugs' designs; having the right sized rug is very important with relation to the design itself.  I've touched on this quite a bit recently with some custom rugs projects, specifically those using stripes. Get too little of a certain design on too small a rug and the effect can be less than pleasing.  Conversly, an overwhelming design on a larger area rug can make for dizzy décor. If design is not your forte, make sure the person creating your custom rug considers this important aspect.

Area rugs, whether large or small, should work with all aspects of the room in which it will lay, or is it lie? At any rate, there can be a lot going on in a room's decor with wall color, furniture, accents, drapes. This is true as well with neutral tones.  Regardless where the rug is to be placed, it's design and its size should work well with everything else in the room or area.

Ok..I think I've said all I needed to say on this subject of custom rugs for now. I just wanted my Laurel's Originals' readers to know that my Canvas-Rugs-Costa-Rica.com blog site is another resource for you. Thanks for reading.

Privacy Screen Outdoor

This post is about privacy...not the kind related to identity protection but rather about creating and using a privacy screen or patio curtains for an outdoor space.

While visiting a client's home we walked out of her bedroom through sliding glass doors onto her porch. "This is where I do my yoga in the mornings," she said. I imagined her early morning yoga routine in the morning light, within the lovely setting, a beautiful way to start the day.

Then she said, "Unfortunately, my neighbors feel the need to shout, "YOO HOO!" to me while I am doing my yoga." Her neighbor's home is built on the hillside just above her house, and could gaze directly onto her porch. Well, that does put a damper on things, as one wants to feel private and focused during their quiet time.

"Why don't you put up a privacy screen?" I asked. "It is a way of creating privacy without feeling closed off." Excited with this idea, we then proceeded to discuss an outdoor privacy screen that would hang at the end of her porch, measuring and discussing the various options.

True of all of our hand painted canvas items, (canvas rugs, canvas totes and bags, and wall hangings), the privacy curtains are constructed with sewn seams and mitered corners not only for strength but also providing an esthetically pleasing look.

In the process of sewing a privacy screen, an inside seam on the corners can be slit to insert a rod that extends out of each side to hang. I have used both bamboo and cord for hanging curtains and wall hangings, or using a dowel of attractive wood. There are several options depending on the interior décor of the home and the piece of functional art itself.

For a privacy screen that will be placed in an outdoor area such as the open side of a porch, we discussed the possibility of adding grommets into the bottom hem and along the sides to secure the privacy screen staying in place. My client may opt for passing a bar through both top and bottom of the curtain, securing it to the porch structure. It all depends mostly on what Mother Nature allows.

This area of Costa Rica sustains tremendous winds, so it will need a sturdy anchor but also require some flexibility. We decided to cut small slits into the privacy screen, incorporated into the design painted on the canvas, to allow the passage of wind to reduce wind resistance.

After taking time to determine the design she wanted painted onto her privacy screen, the client came up with the idea of hanging plants and perhaps a tree in the background with red macaws. She preferred the simple look of a beige background, opting not to simulate a blue sky.

With her design preference, I created three life-sized hanging planters using one of my favorite stamps: a simple piece of burlap painted and pressed to create natural plant hangings. We have such planters here in Costa Rica made from shredded coconut husk, and the stamp together with a light wash produced the same effect. I incorporated painted leaf presses with real ferns and ivy crawling up the hanging baskets.

As her neighbors will also view the privacy curtain, I added a painted design to the backside with stamps of the pressed large ferns, adding a coat of varnish coat as well to protect it from the rain. My client loved the added touch of doing this, appreciating the beauty on both sides.

Creating a custom privacy screen is an effective design option for protecting your privacy. I loved working on this project and my client now enjoys her quiet time doing yoga...privately.

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 Canvas rugs focal point: STRIPES!

 As I am working on two square rugs for Crystal Sands Hotel, in Costa Rica, I always ponder where my canvas rugs will be at home. When I have the opportunity to see them in their final destination it is of great satisfaction for me.

 The bold wide stripes are at a diagonal and can be placed together to create a connection giving it a zig zag effect, or they may be placed side by side going the same direction to create a different sense of movement.

 Stripes are a wonderful way of creating movement. Wide stripes moving at a horizontal direction can guide your eyes to the next room. Narrow stripes tend to be more formal. Stripes are a wonderful way to incorporate colors in your décor, the coverings on your furniture and curtains. Prints go well with stripes if just a few of the colors are used on the wall.

 It is a big commitment to paint or use wall paper to put stripes on your walls.

Hand painted canvas floor cloths are another way of using stripes in your interior décor.

For years we have used stripes in many different ways for our canvas rugs. We have used stripes for the border using a simple weave design on the center if the rug is to be used under a dining room table for example. We have used bold primary colors and put ethnic stamp designs in just a few stripes to make them more interesting.

 When using narrow stripes I prefer to use varying widths, but sometimes a client specifies the width according to the size of the canvas rug and the sense of playfulness or formality as dictates the interior design in the room.

 As I photographed what I call the Green Wave rug, because of the softly waving lines I realized this also is a striped rug. This photo is at the showroom of Tamarindo Pacific Interiors but is soon to go to its new home. Still, it looks beautiful surrounded by the lovely furniture provided by this company.

 I always write about the “feel” of the room, using colors and light, and now we can add the art of stripes as another option for your expression!