But.. the doormat shown in the photo is a serious tripping hazard. If thick doormats are used indoors, some consideration should go to safety.....
5
My haunted house/moonlit night Halloween-themed mat was on sale when I bought it several years ago. Perfect for me, whose apartment includes so many fantasy and horror books!
Outside my apartment door, as are the dozens used in this building. Dust and dirt concerns overwhelm the legality issues.
3
A wonderful article! One may also have the old-fashioned warning on the doormat, "Cave canem!", "Beware of dog!", or more elaborate invitations (in Japanese?) to take the shoes off and leave weapons outside.
4
Our cheapish doormat is slightly bristled with "Hi, I'm Mat" on it. We've had it for years. People say nice things about it, and we're happy. Keeps the dirt out of the house, although I believe no mat is an able defense against toddlers (which is just fine with us).
5
You should always swap out your doormat several times a week if not day. Some doormats scream early morning while others scream mid. Leave your weekday lunchtime doormat out for Thanksgiving and you may as well just wear underpants at the table. I mean what kind of tone are you setting with that doormat?
32
This is why the sage says, 'The wise man walks with his head bowed, humble like the dust.' In other words watch where you're walking and you won't trip just fine.
1
As my overpriced Frank Lloyd Wright doormat disintegrates on the front porch, I'm considering purchasing a kitschy replacement which reads "Ask not for whom the dog barks, it barks for thee".
16
Waterhogs. Available from LL Bean, Amazon, and others. Not cheap, but worth it. Can be cleaned like a car floormat.
10
@Elizabeth Yes! They are the best and they last a long time.
The only doormat shown that is biodegradable is the coir doormat. I agree that a doormat needs to not only be functional, but also stylish.
I would hope that people would start considering what happens after the life-cycle of the products they purchased is over.
The beechwood doormat with bristles, would be so much better if the bristles where natural. It would be prefect for my backdoor, after tending to the chickens.
7
Mine says
“Go away if you forgot the wine.”
Is that so very wrong?
21
@celia
Love it!
1
Shoes off before entering at my place. During winter and mud season our guests bring cozy slippers.
8
Target carries a good variety of sizes and styles that are fairly inexpensive compared to the ones shown here.
9
LL Bean has some intended for either indoor or outdoor use, but not both. The difference is whether the design allows rainwater or melted snow to flow beyond the raised edges or keeps them inside. After having the house painted I considered reversing mine, but remembered that they were different. Both work great.
4
Years ago I bought 3 brightly striped tufted vinyl Chilewich utility mats on sale from DWR.
They seemed expensive at the time but I use them all the time.
And they're beautiful.
8
@fast/furious And they last forever.
First thing I thought when I saw that big knot weave doormat was I hope you have lots of insurance for all the trip and falls it will create. I'd rather have a dirty floor than a huge trip hazard.
52
@Katy I thought the same thing. It is like taking a stair.
1
It is a bit of a stretch to think of an indoor/outdoor rug as a doormat.
15
NYC apartment dwellers be aware that door mats are a violation of the fire code if placed in hallways.
17
That indoor doormat is an accident waiting to happen.
49
@Shellbrav
Not to mention needing to constantly vacuum up all the little bits of coir that thing will shed.
12
@Shellbrav
Totally agree. Besides it looks like there's a neat looking floor being covered up by that giant coir mat.
Doormats should be placed outside the door so dirt and water are left outside not deposited in the foyer.
7
@The Poet McTeagle
Yes, and to my cat, that is a giant scratch pad!
7
Or you can think of it as a doormat, go to the Home Depot and buy one for $20 or less. Its really not very important and for most of us it goes outside the door not in the hall.
33
It's unclear to me whether this article is meant to focus on mats used in an indoor/enclosed location, or mats that sit outside the building. Items that are great for one may be completely inappropriate for the other -- conditions of use are different. The listed items seem to be from both categories.
12
Now a condo owner, but when I had a house I went through many doormats considered attractive. But I value function, so I eventually reverted (regressed?) to those retro astro turf mats. You can buy them in brown now, not just green, and with or without the plastic white daisy, but I couldn't find anything else that did as good a job scrubbing the bottoms of shoes.
11
Please note that in NYC apartment buildings, at least, doormats are considered a fire hazard and, technically, are not permitted in hallways outside of apartment entries, although the regulation is barely enforced.
19