Vintage Vinyl®: A New Era in Flooring

Pattern 23 – Gnosis

A variety of patterns from the classic Vintage Vinyl collection

Pattern 33 – Anna’s Garden

Pattern 63 – Doplar Effect

Pattern 64 – A stitch in Time with Butterflies

Pattern 65 – High Fidelity

Pattern 43 – Peace

Pattern 74 – Morpheus

Franklin Your Humble Servant from the WILLIAMSBURG collection

In home decor, it’s a beautiful (but all too rare) thing when form and function meet smack in the middle; especially in an instance where both are of equal importance, like flooring. But that’s precisely what you get with Vintage Vinyl floor cloths. They’re equal parts durable and stylish, fuss-free and fashionable.

Daren Lechner, owner of Pura Vida Home and Gift in Needham, Mass., says it’s the combination of style and practicality that have made this vintage flooring choice one of his top-selling products over the last few years.

“Customers love that Vintage Vinyl floor cloths offer a modern twist on durable linoleum flooring,” says Lechner. “They come in wonderful vintage designs that are produced on a non-slip, lay flat surface.” The soft and flexible vinyl has a matte finish giving it a warm, comfortable feel to the touch.

Considering Vintage Vinyl floor cloths for your home? Lechner explains the benefits, applications, and care instructions for this increasingly popular flooring choice.

What’s so great about Vintage Vinyl floor cloths?
There’s a lot to love about this flooring, but durability, flexibility, and beauty are among the top draws. With over 85 patterns—each with their own color options—you can choose from over 800 cloths. There are eighteen standard size options sold as rectangles, squares, and runners. Custom sizes are also available for two of the four collections.

Durability and Maintenance
Perhaps the number-one reason Pura Vida’s customers choose Vintage Vinyl floor cloths is for their durability and ease of care. “People with pets and kids love these cloths,” Lechner says. “Dirt and spills wipe clean with a cloth and water.” Floor cloths add charm and interest in high-traffic rooms or spaces that are prone to getting dirty, like kitchens and mudrooms.

Additionally, unlike area rugs and carpeting, Vintage Vinyl floor cloths don’t collect dust, and they wipe completely clean, making them an ideal choice for homeowners with allergies, says Lechner.

Flexibility
Traditionally, floor cloths are used like area rugs, but they can also be used wall-to-wall. This makes them a popular choice with renters and homeowners, since Vintage Vinyl floor cloths offer a temporary but effective way to conceal old or ugly flooring. It’s an efficient way to cover a floor in an instant without the cost of ripping up the old floor. Because floor cloths don’t require rug pads—which can stick to the floor and leave adhesive behind—there’s no risk of damage to the flooring underneath, either.

Style
There are four collections, each with their own style.

The Classic collection features patterns based on vintage designs reminiscent of past decades from the 30’s to the 60’s. You’ll also find patterns from basic and simple to ornate Victorian and Baroque.

Artwork and textiles in the archives of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation inspire the WILLIAMSBURG Collection, this collaboration introduces a fresh approach to historic floor cloths—an essential element in many 18th century homes. The collection includes updated concepts with warm colors and a beautifully aged look.

The Artisanry collection features stunning designs that look like a real wood floor, complete with grain and knots. Use these cloths on your existing wood floor to create an instant wood inlay effect.

Where can you use Vintage Vinyl floor cloths?
Vintage Vinyl floor cloths are suitable for any room in the house, but Lechner says laundry rooms, kitchens, dining areas, and bathrooms are the top spots his residential customers install them. “Because they’re low-profile, at only 1/8” thick, they’re also a perfect choice for rooms where the need to open a door would make an area rug too thick.” The low profile also lessens the chance of tripping which happens with thick carpets.

Inside the home isn’t the only place for these chameleon coverings: They can also be used outdoors in protected locations such as under an awning, in a pavilion, or on a covered patio. Floor cloths are also an ideal choice for commercial spaces. “They’re perfect for retail stores, restaurants, and office spaces,” Lechner says.

Lechner has also seen unconventional uses for floor cloths in the more than five years he’s been selling them. Some of the most creative applications: using them as a wall covering, custom flooring in a van, on a tabletop, and as a placemat under pet bowls.

How do you care for Vintage Vinyl floor cloths?
While Vintage Vinyl floor cloths are hard-wearing, they’re not indestructible, cautions Lechner. He offers a few simple rules for keeping them in top shape:
– Use felt pads under dining chairs to increase the life of the cloth.
– Always use caution with stilettos. Walking on the floor cloths with high-heeled shoes can damage the vinyl.
– Do not drag heavy items across the vinyl. Like hardwood or laminate flooring, dragging furniture or heavy objects across the floor cloths can damage them.

Otherwise, this low-maintenance flooring option requires only regular mopping to remove any surface dust or dirt.

For more information on Vintage Vinyl floor cloths, visit puravidahomeandgift.com.

Pura Vida Home and Gift
95 Chapel St.
Needham, MA