Many urbanites long for some greenery in their lives - whether it is trees, or flowers, or the feeling of grass beneath their feet. Designer La Chanh Nguyen has come up with an idea to bring all the pleasures of the outdoors indoors – the Moss Carpet.
We caught up with La Chanh Nguyen to ask her a few questions about her super cool living carpet design.
Please tell us a bit about the Moss Carpet.
The Moss Carpet was one of the three objects I presented for my diploma. It is made of foam called plastazote. Each cell holds a piece of moss (Ball moss, Island moss, and Forest moss). The humidity of the bathroom and the drops flowing from the body, keeps the mosses moist. This vegetation carpet creates great sensations on your feet.
Where did the idea come from?
It is from a project called Vegetalization. Tthe idea was to find a new way of having plants inside. Not only plants in pots quietly standing in the corner of a living room but alive plants, evolving in the house.
How long did it take to make/grow?
The foam base is cut with a water jet technique, however it could be molded foam too, but only if it would be made to be a commercial project. The mosses were bought already grown and cut.
Is it a moss carpet or a grass/moss mixture?
It is a moss carpet. In the beginning I was thinking about using grass but it would need too much care (like dirt, water, drainage and it is too fragile too…).
How many did you make?
Only one because it was a prototype for my diploma and it was expensive.
Would it be practical to produce these commercially?
The base part made of foam would be producible in a series quite easily. Then I would need to find cheap mosses, and cut them at the right size (to then be arranged in the base cells). The carpets could be prepared with the mosses inside (which would be dry) and then wrapped in a packaging. Once at home, the customer would just need to water them and they would come back to life again. That's the main reason why I chose to work with mosses.
Do you think people want a little 'nature' inside their urban environments?
Yes, I think it's really common; most of the people have at least one plant in their apartment. I wanted to give them another way of having a little nature inside. Something more original.
Do you think experiencing nature physically helps people appreciate it more?
Yes, because your plant is not only something nice for your eyes, or to decorate the apartment, it also has an effect on your other senses. The aim of my Vegetalization Project was to link each object to our different senses. Touch, smell, taste, sight. I tried to make people feel closer to the garden that they can't have when they live in an urban environment.
Close your eyes while standing on the carpet, you'll feel a bit like you are walking in the forest and the smell of wet mosses and fresh feeling on your toes.
To see more of La Chanh Nguyen’s work visit: http://www.coroflot.com/baolam_design
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