Kathleen Lansing

Kathleen Lansing, Senior Designer and owner of Lansing Linoleum Company, and Stan Askew, Master Mechanic, began their collaboration on custom Marmoleum inlays while building a display for the fall Oregon Remodelers Association show in 1988. It was the company’s 40th anniversary, and Kathleen’s plan was to recreate a kitchen from 1948.

The inspiration for that initial inlay was a remnant of 1940’s flooring with a floral theme that had been uncovered during an earlier renovation. Kathleen began with a pencil drawing that was scanned to a computer disc that would be used to program the water-jet saw at CRB Manufacturing, a local manufacturing company. When the design elements were cut, Stan assembled the piece and inlaid it into the field of the display floor.

The ORA show was a success, and the custom inlay generated an enthusiastic response from attendees. When the show closed, Stan cut out the design and framed it to hang in the Lansing showroom.

Lansing Linoleum has a long history of craftsmanship. Company founder Glenn Lansing was a skilled artisan and he and his talented installers had created inlays using metal templates as far back as the 1950’s.

Kathleen and Stan have carried on that tradition, using a combination of hand-cutting and the new computer technology. Together, they continue to create both display pieces and commissioned inlays that are installed in both residential and commercial spaces in the Pacific Northwest.

Kathleen’s designs come to life in Stan’s hands: a true partnership of arts and crafts.