The patchwork quilt is one of the most beloved and enduring elements in American country decorating. Adding to its popularity are its homespun charm, hand-detailing and abundance of colors and patterns.
Created to warm the body, spirit and home, quilts are a labor of love. Many pay homage to friendship, as a circle of women spend hundreds of hours together sewing thousands of snippets of cloth. Other quilts were created to commemorate births, weddings and other events.Quilts have added decorating appeal because the patterns can be adapted to so many other items. Their geometric shapes have brought a touch of "American country" to everything from place mats and china to wallpaper borders and stationery.
Now comes a new place to add the warmth and decorative influence of quilts in the room: the floor.
Recognizing that the quilt's bright, meaningful designs are just as bold and appropriate underfoot, Armstrong, together with the editors of Country Home magazine, took classical patchwork quilt designs and adapted them for the floor.
Taking a cue from quilt patterns based on squares, triangles, diamonds and rectangles, Armstrong saw the potential for similar floor designs using its 9-by-9-inch solid-colored vinyl tile squares. The designs are reproduced in a booklet with instructions on how to adapt these well-loved patterns to your floor. Some of the classic patterns to be found in the "Patchwork Floors" booklet are:
- Stars. Probably the most classic of quilt designs, the more than 100 variations of stars are symbols of striving, hope and promise with names such as Ohio Star (elsewhere known as Texas Star), Lone Star, Broken Star and Star of Bethlehem.
- Double X. A square cut into two triangles with the triangles put back together point to point creates an "X" or bow tie effect. Among its variations: Corn and Beans, Old Maid's Puzzle and the famous Crosses and Losses.
- Nine Patch. Simple and basic in its purest form - a non-square checkerboard - the Nine Patch can be modified to create an infinite number of designs. A highly skilled quilter, for example, might divide up each of the nine "blocks" into two triangles, four quarters or even nine more miniature squares.
Quilt-patterned floors are a step above the usual way to bring a touch of country in the room. Need some ideas on how to use quilt motif floors in the home? Try these.
- Splash a dose of color in the kitchen. A new floor in a classic folk-art design is a great way to bring color into a tired kitchen. A wealth of tile colors makes coordinating with existing kitchen items a breeze.
- Turn a welcome mat into a decorator treatment. Quilt designs make beautiful welcome mats for the entry. Some more intricate patterns can be overwhelming in large spaces. But think accent for impact: An "area rug" made of tiles in a quilt pattern and a coordinating border makes a smashing first impression.
- Defining spaces. A quilt pattern such as Chinese Coins, comprised of slender strips of color, brings dimension and drama to a solid-colored floor. Circumscribing a dining table, it transforms the floor and table into the room's focal point.
Quilt-patterned floors need not require professional design guidance. Armstrong and the editors of Country Home magazine have mapped out suggested patterns that are easily reproduced with vinyl tiles. Vary the colors and designs to suit your space, take them to your professional floor installer and see your room transformed. For a copy of the colorful 16-page "Patchwork Floors" booklet, send a $3 check to Dept. QUILTPR, Armstrong World Industries, P.O. Box 3001, Lancaster, PA 17604.