apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Maybe for an outside shower but come on, can we get serious! I am imagining the creepy toe fungus cartoon living there!

It would be hot until my cats peed on it. I don't know why they would, but I bet they would.

if executed well (as in the photo) i think its awesome.

I would kill it. and it wouldn't look good in my bathroom in the first place.

ohhhhhhhhhhhh WHAT? I'm sorry... but i'm constantly fighting the moisture smell in my windowless basment bathroom as is! I think moss is pretty, and a perfectly good houseplant, but noooo.

eww this is gross, and i couldn't imagine this being healthy or sanitary...

My cat would love that - tear up, sleep, search for bugs... She would abandon her scratcher.

I am pretty open-minded, and this mat is a nice idea aesthetically, but seriously - yuk. My toes want dry cotton right outta the shower. I won't even go into the bacteria factors that plague my mind - especially since the designer has likely thought that out, but who knows.

And Joan A - I hadn't even thought about that - but I'll bet mine would, too. Anything "natural" - when a layer of snow falls on the deck, it's suddenly her terrain.

I like it, but my dogs would tear it to shreds. I can see it now - moss bits everywhere but in the mat where they started!

Oh my, that's real????? I think it would feel spongy and gross and I don't think I need to invent a "good use" for humidity. When I thought it was fake - some sort of multi-colored sculpted acrylic yarn abomination, it was merely nauseatingly ugly. I don't think I have to consult my cat on the issue.

Gross!

Maybe outside, but inside? That's just plain silly.

Before you guys freak out, there are mosses that are naturally "antimicrobial."

To back up with a little info: "Sphagnum [Moss] ...produces and releases acidic compounds, which bacteria doesn't like. As a result bacteria doesn't grow on sphagnum.

Without bacteria, the moss in the bog is also naturally sterile. In World War I, sphagnum moss was substituted for cotton as a surgical dressing. The acid from the moss also makes it difficult for many other species to thrive or even survive. "

That's information taken from the Canadian parks website, but you can probably find it elsewhere as well.

There are up to 350 types of moss in the sphagnum genus, and they are very pretty and varied.

So no worries. :)

looks kind dirty. however, this could b a cute option for the snow boots we commented on last week.

It looks cute for a sort of outside/inside decorating style. And while, true, some moss is antimicrobial, there would be several questions and uncomfortable guests until everyone understood.

I'm not usually into products that seem "gimicky", but I actually like this. With more room in our bath, I might've even considered it--I wouldn't want to walk on it with shoes.

Kaete: thanks for the Moss 101. Very helpful!

I would consider hanging it on the bathroom wall. I like plants and it's hard to find the space to fit pots in a bathroom. That reminds me of the "living wall" trend which started in 2008 for outdoor and indoor walls.

Ew.

Has anyone of you actually stepped on real moss? It's lovely and soft, not to mention dry to the touch even though it's raining. I couldn't imagine anything better to step on immediately after a shower. Of course ideally an outside shower.
http://www.notyourgoddess.blogspot.com/

My main problem would be an obscure guilt from walking on the moss thanks to visiting mossy-forests with dire "DON'T WALK ON THE MOSS" signs. I know my bare feet could never damage it as much as hundreds of hiking-boot-shod tourists, but still!

I agree that it would be awesome for an outdoor shower. My black thumb would kill it if I ever tried anything like that inside.

I just feel like I would have to clean my feet...after cleaning my feet. I'd imagine little bits of of moss and dirt would get stuck to (especially wet) feet. And, there is no way this would work if it had to be placed in an area that got stepped on other times besides just out of the shower or if a door had to go over it.

I agree, an outdoor shower with moss planted around or under it is a lovely idea.

@nyc cat

What a great idea! Now I'm having visions of ornately framed moss "pictures" hanging in my bathroom. Fun!

IMPORTANT FYI: Using moss in home decor is really popular at the moment, but many people are very unaware of how unsustainable & ecologically damaging moss-harvesting is.

There is very little regulation about how much moss can be harvested from the wild and by whom (no moss "farms" have been created yet), and huge areas of forest (mostly in the pacific northwest) are literally being stripped of this extremely valuable natural resource.

Moss isn't just pretty "filler" in the woods– it literally houses millions of tiny plants and animals, helps regulate humidity, filters the air and soil, and most importantly acts as a erosion-blocker. Moss is also the first species of plant to move into a disturbed or deforested area (this takes decades, however), and acts as a seed bed for plants to begin to take root there. In this way it literally helps soil to regenerate.

Moss re-grows at an incredibly slow rate too. That palm size clump you grabbed for your terrarium might take 10 years to regain it's former size and lushness.

I just think it's important to keep these things in mind, especially now that indoor moss gardening and such has become such a fad and the demand for harvested moss is increasing. Just be mindful is all... I know it must seem silly (it's just moss, after all), but it IS a very important part of our ecosystem. And... well... I believe the "sustainable reindeer rug" post's comment section warranted about 200 remarks about whether or not fur is ethical, eco-friendly, or even attractive. I think moss deserves a little more attention is all. :)

Read more:
http://www.conservationmagazine.org/articles/v6n3/moss-conservation-behind-bars/

awesome book: http://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Moss-Natural-Cultural-History/dp/0870714996

i'm not "lichen" the fact that this is real moss! I thought it was fake. If it was fake, I'd say 'cool!' but since it's real moss, i'd rather leave that for the forest floor and not my bathroom.

why's everybody so grossed out? don't you ever walk through grass barefoot? this is certainly a lot cleaner and softer. in fact, it's probably cleaner than the rest of your bathroom floor...

thank you nest.

I'd hang it on the wall as art.

nope. no thank you.

Mosses are not sterile. Acidic compounds do make an inhospitable environment for bacteria, but they do not "sterilize" the moss.

OK, now someone needs to fabricate the synthetic moss version of this for those of us who like the look (whimsical) but don't want to harm the mossy world!