Welcome to Damn Good Doormats: Art you can wipe your feet on!
I'm Spoon Popkin, the OG Doormat Maven. And yes, this is me in the Oval Office reigning supreme!
Well, not THE Oval Office, but on the set of House of Cards havin' some fun playing Madam President.
My spouse Lee & I invented the viral doormat biz way back in 2009. 17+ years later, I'm still excited about doormats!
Ditch those Big Box store basics, it's time to upgrade to a doormat that says 'Welcome to the coolest house on the block!'
It all started back in '09 when we got married & bought a house. Excited to shop for our first doormat, we headed on over to Target and found... 4 styles of blah to choose from. Lee quipped that I should just make us one & being a crafty human up for a challenge, I did!
I had a DIY spot at a craft fair coming up with no idea what I'd be making, so I designed 4 doormats & BOOM! Created the hand-painted doormat business. That's right, every time you see ANY rude, funny doormat out there, I am directly to thank, or blame, depending on your point of view.
In the years since 2009, we have hand-painted and shipped over 50,000 doormats worldwide. And by 'we', I mean me. That's right, I personally painted & packed all those doormats with my own two hands.
**Technology has finally been built to come close to my skills and I have put down my brushes.
Here I am at that first Damn Good Doormats show at Artscape back in the summer of 2009!
I started out making extremely complicated designs, as that's my nature, but I quickly learned they were not as popular as simple sassy sayings like FUCK OFF or our reminder doormats KEYS WALLET CELL PHONE.
Recent technological upgrades have made it possible for us to return to our roots with complex designs!!!
Your doorstep is the threshold to your world. Why not greet it with a smile? It's this simple yet profound belief that has guided me through the creation of every mat, making sure they not only tickle your funny bone but are kind to the planet too. From navigating the challenges of sustainable sourcing to perfecting the punchline that resonates with you, every step has been a journey towards creating the perfect welcome.
Forget about those plain old mats; we're all about slinging sass, charm, and a whole lot of personality right at your front door. With a knack for nailing that perfect blend of snarky humor and eco-friendly vibes, my spouse Lee & I turned a simple welcome mat into a statement piece for your home. It's not just about keeping the dirt out; it's about letting the fun in. Our mats? They're like memes for your porch, ready to greet you and your guests with a smirk and a laugh. And let me tell you, after years of doing this, we've got the perfect mat for every doorstep and every person. So, if you're looking to step up your home game or find that gift that'll get talked about at every dinner party, you're in the right place. Let's make your entrance unforgettable together.
DGD is an independent, LGBTQ+, trans and woman-powered business.
Spoon Popkin: Creator of the Viral Doormat Trend
Key Highlights
-
Spoon Popkin is the brilliant mind who started the popular doormat craze that's all over social media.
-
With her funny and eye-catching designs, she has grabbed everyone's attention and become a big deal online.
-
Not just stylish, Popkin's doormats are also made to last using eco-friendly materials like coir and recycled rubber.
-
This trend in doormats has changed how we decorate our homes, bringing fun and personality right to our front doors.
Creation of a Viral Industry
A recent article in The New York Times stated " Etsy has long been a go-to website for artisans and collectors to sell their goods. Think crochet patterns, novelty doormats, 3D-printed jewelry and antique ceramics..."
Novelty doormats are in the top things customers go to Etsy to look for! That hasn't always been the case. Back in 2009, there were no novelty doormats & no one was looking to buy one. Not until Spoon Popkin & Lee Tomolonis met, fell in love, had a brainchild & started Damn Good Doormats.
Who is Spoon Popkin?
Spoon Popkin, an artist and business-minded person, graduated from The Maryland Institute, College of Art in 1990 & has been a solopreneur ever since. Designing hats (her kitty-eared hat presaged the pussy hat by 20 years), playing accordion in bands Womyn of Destruction & Estrojet touring through the 90's and creating her own artworks throughout.
Starting selling in small shops & art markets then on Etsy, Spoon sold these handmade doormat gems herself. As people started talking and sharing about them online, her creations took off in popularity fast, turning her into a viral hit all thanks to those special doormats she started selling on Etsy.
Life Before Damn Good Doormats
I didn't start out as the Doormat Maven. Before doormatting, I was the accordionist in the punk rock band Womyn of Destruction! Starting in 1990, WOD stormed the stage frequently at CBGB's in NYC. Taking our own outrageous, funny take on politics, we pre-dated the Riot Grrrls movement & influenced a generation of teens to take no shit! And yes, that's us with local hero's John Waters and Joan Jett at CBGB's the first time she came to see Womyn of Destruction!
The doormat that started it all: The Ultimate Reminder Doormat
The trend that took everyone by surprise started with the reminder "KEYS WALLET CELL PHONE" doormat created by Spoon Popkin. With its funny saying and one-of-a-kind look, this doormat quickly became a hit on Etsy. Folks were drawn to how it looked good while being useful at the same time. As more people bought Damn Good Doormats, their popularity just kept growing, making this trend catch fire online. The KEYS WALLET CELL PHONE doormat was featured in Gizmodo's 2012 Holiday Roundup of Gifts for People that can't or won't get out of bed" alongside national brands. This really launched Damn Good Doormats into a viral success story.
Damn Good Doormats have been featured on Gizmodo, Tosh.0, The Huffington Post, the Daily What, The Wall Street Journal, Laughing Squid, The Thrillist DC, Apartment Therapy (a few times!), Trend Hunter, Gadget Feast: Your Daily Gadget Smorgasbord!, Gifts for men: Gifts men will actually like, Home Fixated: Where DIY meets LOL, Time Out New York and more!
From DIY Doormat to Viral Phenomenon
Spoon Popkin's story is all about turning her passion for making DIY doormats into a big hit. She began with just a tiny Etsy shop, pouring her heart and soul into every doormat she made. With time, as more people fell in love with her designs, she had to make more to keep up. So, Spoon teamed up with manufacturers to increase how many doormats she could create. Damn Good Doormats has expanded to offer affordable, yet durable UV-printed doormats. Her journey shows what creativity and hard work can achieve in the home decor world.
The role of social media in spreading the trend
Social media has been a game-changer for Spoon Popkin's doormat craze. With the help of Facebook, long before Instagram and TikTok, she managed to show off her designs to people all over the world. This exposure made it easy for folks to share and repost her doormats, quickly making them a big hit online. The eye-catching look of Damn Good Doormats' creations, along with social media’s wide reach, really pushed this trend into the spotlight.
Key milestones in the doormat's viral popularity
-
Damn Good Doormats' KEYS WALLET CELL PHONE was the first doormat design to suddenly become a viral hit on social media.
-
Featured on Tosh.0, With celebrities and influencers talking about it, more people start noticing Damn Good Doormats.
-
Before long, you can see these doormats featured in Better Homes & Gardens home decor magazines and websites like Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post.
-
The trend of having cool doormats takes off, with everyone wanting to get their hands on unique ones.
Damn Good Doormats have been seen in the movies and on TV! Gossip Girls, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Hemlock Grove, Law and Order: SVU, HBO & BBC productions.
Our first doormat in a book is out! The Big Lebowski: An Illustrated, Annotated History of the Greatest Cult Film of All Time, Voyageur Press 2012.
