# How the Portland Airport Carpet Became a Hipster Icon



## CHamilton (Feb 4, 2015)

How the Portland Airport Carpet Became a Hipster Icon


> Hipsters just love that blue-green carpet at the Portland International Airport (PDX). The 25-year-old design has been spun off into so many clothing lines and social media accounts, you could call the PDX carpet a hipster icon. Not for long, though. Last month, airport officials began ripping up the 14 acres of stained, fraying fabric that cover the terminal floors and replacing it with a curvier new design. And the hipsters are pissed.



And, more Cool, quirky airport carpets


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 4, 2015)

Wonder why the hipsters don't fall in love with the carpet designs in the "rug joints" in Vegas?

Some of them are like a bad acid trip from the 60s and 70s!! I always thought the Portland Airport colors were sort of weird, but I'm far from a hipster!

Tile floors would seem to make more sense since they last so long ( see Spain, Mexico, Santa Fe etc.) and are easier to care for!


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## rickycourtney (Feb 4, 2015)

This story is just typical Portlandia.

But what I don't understand is... if the carpet is such a beloved icon of the city... why didn't PDX just replace it? They clearly special ordered this new carpet (which is just a modernized version of the same pattern) so they could have special ordered the old design. If it's not broken, don't fix it.


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## trainman74 (Feb 4, 2015)

rickycourtney said:


> But what I don't understand is... if the carpet is such a beloved icon of the city... why didn't PDX just replace it? They clearly special ordered this new carpet (which is just a modernized version of the same pattern) so they could have special ordered the old design. If it's not broken, don't fix it.


Because that way, when they have to replace the carpets again 25 years from now, they can go back to the old design -- thus making it "retro," and therefore the hippest thing on the planet.


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## fairviewroad (Feb 9, 2015)

rickycourtney said:


> This story is just typical Portlandia.
> 
> But what I don't understand is... if the carpet is such a beloved icon of the city... why didn't PDX just replace it? They clearly special ordered this new carpet (which is just a modernized version of the same pattern) so they could have special ordered the old design. If it's not broken, don't fix it.


This is purely a guess, but I wonder if they had licensed the old design (for T-shirts, etc). If so, then changing the design would have the effect of both

spurring demand for "old design" memorabilia and create a market for "new design" memorabilia....it's the same reason why sports teams periodically

change their logos...the super-fans all have to buy new shirts and hats.


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## Rail Freak (Feb 9, 2015)

I'm glad I'm reading this, needed a good reason to get back to PDX, love that city!!!!


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