Linoleum Master – Barry Carlton

Last May, I was commissioned by the producers of a Green Exposition to fabricate an area rug made from Marmoleum. Forbo, the manufacturer of some of the finest linoleum products on the planet, was to donate materials and the design was inspired by an Art-Deco-ish upholstery fabric. The project took 25 hours to complete, using 9 different colors and over 100 separate inset and border pieces.

I started with a piece of ¼” Luan plywood about 4 x 6’3″. Then I glued a piece of ½” plywood in the middle, surrounded by wedges of wood designed for use under carpet (for ramping to a transition). So, there is a taper from ½” to zero all the way around the base. I used hardwood flooring adhesive to laminate the pieces together. Then I stapled it for added security and ground the extended points off the back and underside of the base. At the edges, the base is about ⅜” thick (quarter-inch luan, and eighth-inch Marmoleum).

The design of the fabric was transfered, with a little artistic editing, to paper. Marmoleum pieces were formed and fitted and the Forbo area rug began to take shape. The lino rug was featured and walked on at the exposition and now resides in a local Boise floor covering store. I hope you enjoy the slide-show below that chronicles the fabrication of a Marmoleum area rug.