We've written extensively about Ting's mat made from recycled leather belts, a brilliant idea we wish were a little more affordable. The London-based designers recently introduced the logical next step in working with vintage leather, modular floor tiles.
Around $75 a square foot, each belt is hand selected to ensure a high grade of leather, after which belts are cleaned, also by hand, with chemical free substance and prepared for use. The belts are then shaved, so all are the same width, and finally they are laid carefully onto a reconstituted leather backing applied with a water-based glue.
Each tile is carefully designed in-house, as the color and patterning on every belt is unique. This means no two tiles will ever be the same. This product is all hand made in the UK by a highly skilled team.
When laid parquet-style, theyhave a character and warmth strikingly similar to that of hardwood flooring - a quality that only improves with age.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Lovely, but I am highly skeptical about how these would hold up.
view kimdog's profile
"The vintage belts for each tile are carefully designed in-house." Huh? Designed or selected? I love this look, and even the holes look great in the photo, but this whole idea seems really impractical.
view visualingual's profile
I love these. They look so beautiful.
view teeze's profile
These are beautiful. I don't think I'd let anyone walk on the floor though.
view creolesugar's profile
I wouldn't want an entire floor of used belts, but I could see a table top done like this (not in MY house of course, but maybe some punk urban rocker :)
view Fontessa's profile
its pretty amazing, but where the hell are they getting so many belts?
view radiobaby's profile
The idea is wonderful, however I would rather have these modular belt tiles as a wall accent than on my floors. Or maybe even as a headboard.
view Jashiro Dean's profile
i agree that the look is really striking but it does seem impractical. my cat would tear the tiles up running to get to his food bowl! they'd be shredded in no time.
view wakebrooke's profile
I'm sure walking into a house with these tiles as a floor would be such an awesome experience.
view shlacking's profile
These are beautiful - and I bet the room smells great!
view bepsf's profile
wow great idea and good looking, they must be sealed for maintenance.
view LoriSF's profile
these are sexy. but i agree durability is an issue. might be cool as panelling on a wall rather than a floor - in the right space
view *elspeth's profile
Interesting idea. For home use it would be more practical to use "area rugs" made of the belts.
view kuroneko's profile
Could you shellac them? I think they're gorgeous...
view typicalstudent's profile
I like this.. I like it without the holes so it would look less like belts ("ooh... belts!? ???"). The mixed leather stripes pattern is great.
view K T G's profile
"Belts? No, they're not belts, they're straps. Let me show you the rest of the house."
o_O !
view btoddster's profile
This is April 1st?
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
I want to walk on that floor barefoot - I bet it feels amazing!
view HeatherAB's profile
fabulous, but there must be alot of folks out there who's pants are falling down :-P
view blkbrrry's profile