If you were to evaluate the materials used to make your furniture and carpeting, you might be surprised at how many everyday environmental toxins are in your home.  Believe it or not, some of the most toxic materials in your home interior are in your carpeting, but not everyone likes the feeling of hardwood floors in every room.  If you still love carpet but you want to use all-organic materials in your home, consider tatami mats instead.  “Tatami what?” you may say.  Tatami mats are all-natural and comfortable floor mats that give you home a warm and inviting look.  One of the greenest options available in floor coverings, Tatami mats make a beautiful surface in any room.

Unless you’re someone who regularly visits Japan, studies Zen design or practices the martial arts, you may not realize how important tatami mats are in Japanese culture.  The tradition of using these rectangular floor mats dates back to the Edo Period in Japan and, like everything else in Japan, they are steeped in symbolism.  Similar to the art of Feng Shui, tatami mats are laid out in various named patterns that reflect the nature of the occasion.  For example, a T-shaped pattern is known as an auspicious pattern, where a grid-like arrangement is known as an inauspicious pattern.

In a recent article I found on Chopa.com, “Tatami Mats are a “Natural” for any Home Interior,” which says that tatami mats are a comfortable alternative to carpeting.  In Japanese homes, visitors take off their shoes as soon as they walk through the door, and then step onto these all-natural mats made with rush grass and straw.  Tatami mats are made to last, and they are 100% hypoallergenic.

According to Japanese tradition, it’s possible to bring bad fortune to a home simply by using an inauspicious layout of Tatami mats.  Accordingly, the mats are not supposed to cover the floor like wall to wall carpeting.  Most homeowners and interior decorators choose a T-shaped, or auspicious layout for Tatami mats in a room.   In this type of arrangement, the corners of all four mats never touch.

Designers in the United States and Europe are often influenced by the clean lines of Zen design and the symbolic décor of Japanese culture.   While few of the homes built in Japan today incorporate a Tatami-floored room, the trend is catching on quickly in the West.   Find out more about decorating with Tatami mats by visiting Chopa.com.