Faux Bear Skin Rug

Clearwater to take closer look at allowing synthetic lawns

CLEARWATER — Three hours into Thursday's City Council meeting, Mayor Frank Hibbard asked the question that must have been on the mind of someone, somewhere: What about the poop?

Pet poop, that is. Fertilizer of the ages, returned to the land since the dawn of life on earth. People with normal lawns may take the absorbent value of grass for granted. But what if the "grass" is actually plastic?

There was laughing at City Hall, but Dorene Davis, standing before the council, was unshaken. As the owner of Lazy Gecko Greens, an installer of artificial grass, she knew the answer well.

"The urine will penetrate through the drainage holes," she said. "As far as the feces, we recommend, and it's on the maintenance agreements, it needs to be picked up within a reasonable amount of time. . . . It would become unsightly."

The City Council on Thursday took its first step toward allowing fake grass in Clearwater, a victory for crusader Carol Korotkow. The traveling nurse paid $3,300 last summer to install 500 square feet of Mirage waterless grass in her front yard, saving her from watering and the rigor of pulling weeds.

Now, within weeks, city planners and committees will help the council decide whether to change the city regulations regarding "live groundcover."

But before they vote, council members are finding they must educate themselves on the turf's odd new intricacies. How well does it age? How can you clean it? And how should the city deal with, as Hibbard said, the dog-dropped "yuck factor?"

"They're having to step out of their cozy little bubble world," Korotkow said. "It's nice that they at least see the possibilities."

Ground zero for the debate is Korotkow's lawn on Spencer Avenue off Druid Road. The fake grass takes up less than a quarter of her yard; the rest is planted over with beach daisies, society garlic, Texas sage and sunshine mimosas. One can find more fake grass at the city's own Long Center, beneath its Sunshine Limitless Playground.

But when a neighbor complained, Korotkow found herself embroiled in a turf war with code enforcement, which demanded she rip up the lawn or face a $100-a-day fine.

Joined by Davis and the industry-backed Synthetic Turf Council, Korotkow pledged to take her fight to City Hall. Her cause grew into water conservation, which she said was being stymied by the old ideas about Florida landscaping.

"I'm not a treehugger. I'm not all, 'go out and save the spotted owl,' " Korotkow said. "It's just ridiculous to think water's not an issue, when it is.

Faux Bear Skin Rug With Head - Natural Rugged Decor

Bear skin rugs are increasing in popularity. Perhaps consumers’ interests have peaked after seeing one lying on the floor of Sarah Palin’s living room during an episode of her cable television show. Or possibly, the trend is growing as interior design becomes increasingly less serious and more fun. Regardless of the reason that consumers want bear skin rugs, the fact of the matter is that most people do not want to actually go out and shoot a bear. However, you do not need to shoot a bear; you can have the same effect with a faux bear skin rug with head attached.

You can buy a faux bear skin rug from any of the major online retailers like Amazon.com or Overstock.com. These rugs are usually made from fake fur cut into a bear shape, and they typically have a head that has been crafted out of a variety of materials like latex and foam with glass eyes. The more that you are willing to spend on your faux bear rugs, the more realistic they will look.

The cheapest rugs on the market cost just under $60. However, these specimens will not fool even the most ignorant of naturalists. They look like stuffed animals or like a child’s plush toy. You can find them in a variety of colors like cinnamon, brown, black and white. The object of these rugs is purely decorative. They are not intended to truly convince your visitors that you have caught a real wild animal. You can use these rugs anywhere that you would like, but they are great to use in a log cabin as they lend it a very woodsmen effect. In addition, if you are a real estate agent staging a home or cabin for sale, these affordable rugs provide a priceless dimension that is virtually unmatched by any other type of rug. You could even consider using one of these as a prop for a haunted house at Halloween.

If you are willing to spend between $400-$1000, you can find a faux bear rug with head that is much more realistic looking. These ones are typically made from very realistic looking synthetic fur or from the fur of other animals that has been sewn into the right shape. Depending on your decorating goals, you can choose from a variety of colors. If you are decorating your mountain lodge, you should probably opt for brown or black, but if you will be placing the rug on the polished concrete floors of your urban loft, you might want to opt for a more cutting edge color like pink.

There are countless different possibilities when you are shopping for a faux bear skin rug with head. With a little ingenuity and some patience, you should be able to find the perfect rug for your home or cabin. If all else fails and you cannot find one to suit you, you can make one or buy a homemade one from a craft site like Etsy.

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