Sustainable Flooring

Considering its hardwearing nature, you'd have thought that coir matting would lack some of the versatility of other materials. Of course it may be slightly more limited than specific man-made factory fibres, but these fibres use up precious natural resources or take a lot of electricity or chemicals to produce. Coir matting is made in much the same manner that it has been for generations and its main raw material is taken from coconut palms, which grow abundantly all over the world's tropical regions. This reduced carbon footprint and environmental impact is a more than adequate compromise to make on the basis of pure aesthetics.

That said, coir matting is easily dyed, meaning you can get just the right shade of flooring to match the colour scheme of your lounge, kitchen or whichever room you wish to place it in. You can also have various patterns printed or dyed on to your matting to give your home that touch if individual flair. Imagine a coir matting doormat with your families name on it, the face of your dog, or just a simple welcome message – your guests will be impressed, your children will smile and you will get a warm sense of satisfaction every time you look at it.

As coir matting becomes more popular in the west it's inevitable that people will begin to experiment more with what is possible. In a few years time there may be all kinds of variations on the traditional theme available in shops, along with the more original designs for the zanier shopper.