John Lyon School, Middlesex

Project Details:

Specifier: Four Square Furniture

System: Sheet fibre with inset logo design

Specification: INTRAlux Elite 602 Blue with INTRAlux Ultimate 904 Sandstone and 910 Stone inset logo design

Location: John Lyon School, Harrow, Middlesex

Branded Entrance Matting for School Reception

Four Square Furniture is a specialist furniture and fit-out company for education providers. While working on a new reception area for John Lyon School, they got in touch asking for help to create a custom-made and branded Entrance Mat.

They wanted a strong visual first impression, but the logo mat also needed to be practical. The board members were keen to keep the new reception area looking good and to prevent dirt and moisture from transferring to other flooring or furniture elsewhere.

Colour Matching

After discussing the design vision, we settled on a cut inset design (instead of printed) to provide practical performance and long-term value for money. We sent some colour samples from our existing fibre range for them to check against their brand palette and other chosen materials.

The installed Entrance Matting is a sheet fibre logo mat made using INTRAlux Elite in 602 Blue with branded detail using INTRAlux Ultimate 904 Sandstone and 910 Stone. INTRAlux Elite and Ultimate are high-quality secondary sheet fibres made from ECONYL - 100% recycled materials (old carpets, fishing nets and plastic trade waste). It's also fully recyclable. Each has 9 different colours to choose from, and across our fibre ranges we have 32 colour options.

Attention to Detail

We collaborated with the design team to ensure the final design was both achievable and practical for the expected wear of an entrance mat. The configuration of the double doors means traffic flow is higher in specific areas of the mat. With that in mind, we carefully cut the fine design details and secured everything with a non-PVC backing, making the design stable and the whole mat more hard-wearing.

We rolled it all up for delivery, and the install team secured it in place with an F-ball F-73 adhesive (or equivalent). For the perfect fit, they trimmed around skirting, doorframes and fixtures (just with a safety, utility knife).

Hard-wearing and Hardworking

The Matting is 2m x 3.5m and is fairly exposed from the stepped main entrance forecourt. As you can see from the images, leaves, debris and dirt collect at the bottom of the steps and are easily blown or brought through the doors.

With a mixture of coarse and fine fibres, the logo mat is great at scraping off dirt. It's also super absorbent (5.4L/m²), so puddles and damp leaves will be stopped in their tracks before dirtying other flooring beyond. The matting fibres also have a high fire safety rating (Cfl-s1) which is an important consideration in a public building.

Support at Every Step

We worked closely with Four Square Furniture to co-ordinate lead times, delivery and installation within the school holidays. Understandably a busy period for education establishments to minimise disruption in term time, we ensured we delivered everything for their August deadline. From the initial enquiry in May, sample selection, design development in July, we confirmed the specification at the end of July and delivered a couple of weeks later.

We provided after-care advice to the school's cleaning and maintenance team to help keep the mat looking its best. We give a 5-year warranty for INTRAlux Elite, but with suitable maintenance, we expect the mat to last for 6 years or more. And we'll be available to recycle and replace it when the time comes.