Look! Two Alvar Alto-Inspired Rug DIYs

The Savoy vase by Alvar Alto has become a shape as ubiquitous as it is iconic, this time showing up as a way to customize a standard-issue Ikea bath mat. We think the outline lends itself to drying one's feet quite well.

Svanna of Carpe + Item traced the vase, enlarged the outline and made a pattern with newspaper that she used to cut out the bath mat. Since we don't have a vase to trace, we could do the same by downloading the shape from the internet.

Her choices of blue and white are quite classy, but we can imagine this idea also working well with a patterned mat.

Via: Carpe + Item

Comments (12)

That is so ugly to me. The white one looks like those crime scene photos from that book Helter Skelter in which the bodies had been artlessly whited out.

posted by Kimporter on March 2nd 2009 at 4:44pm
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Good call, Kimporter.

posted by kellylc on March 2nd 2009 at 4:52pm
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...huh?

posted by nazrd on March 2nd 2009 at 4:56pm
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Not iconic enough. That's just dorky.

posted by kimdog on March 2nd 2009 at 4:58pm
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I like this concept. Changing an inexpensive bath mat to something unique is a great idea. Perhaps using another shape.... coke bottle, mickey mouse ears, the stanley cup... to suit your style?

posted by spinningscreen on March 2nd 2009 at 5:30pm
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I think it's a really good idea. But I don't think it works with this particular shape. The Aalto vase is too free-form and organic; it requires structure to offset its organic shape, which comes from the solidness of the glass. In a bath mat, it just looks like a spill. But I think this could be great with a more graphic shape!

posted by Cheryl on March 2nd 2009 at 5:53pm
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Actually, the blue one is kind of funny because it looks like someone spilled some water.

posted by jyw on March 2nd 2009 at 6:19pm
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Yeah, jyw, I thought the white one looked like a spill. Doesn't work for me at all.

For anyone who does Photoshop, that white blob will make you think that someone is removing a stain or flaw from the photo of the floor, and patching in a section from elsewhere.

Does anyone really look at this amorphous shape and say. "Aha! the Savoy vase!"?

posted by Forestdweller on March 2nd 2009 at 7:50pm
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What's wrong with a rectangular bathmat - and what are you supposed to do with the excess: Throw it away?

posted by bepsf on March 2nd 2009 at 8:17pm
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I recognized it...
I think it was a worthy idea... but bepsf is right... lots of waste.

posted by SCADanielle on March 2nd 2009 at 9:42pm
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I thought someone spilled some white paint in the first photo...

This is definitely not something I'd do.

posted by TrishM on March 2nd 2009 at 10:29pm
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The floor tile is crooked.

posted by hollandstudio on March 4th 2009 at 9:49am
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