Room by Room Wrap Up

After an intense 6 week eco-design bootcamp, Sami just wrapped up Room by Room - the healthy home make-over show with inner city teens!

Each student had a $100 budget to make over their rooms to be healthy and beautiful in an affordable way.

Check out below a clip from some of the last day's silliness and some of the pics from the final presentations.

Getting set up for final presentations! Aileen and Melvin's!

Jaymin and Donnie's Goods just before final presentations!

Room by Room finale!

Doing some filming for the intro of the show!

As a Timberland EarthKeeper Hero, Sami has been blogging about her experiences here! Stay tuned for video clips from the show!

'Design To Go' opens tonight!!

And no, James and I aren't there, but Brit will be, along with Erika and other Grain friends like Jamie of Iacoli McAllister and JOIN. It should be a packed event! We are really excited and humbled to be showing with this group.

Above and below are the photos that have already popped up on Cool Hunting and Flavorwire. Read more about 'Design To Go' on Core77 and T Magazine.

Below are our Cheri necklaces next to Kiel Mead's birdie light.

Above are our Cheri necklaces again!

New designs in the Grain shop!

If you haven't been to the Grain shop in a while, it is worth a visit. We added two new pieces today: Cheri and Zero Waste.

Both of these designs are making their debut in the American Design Club section of the 'Design To Go' pop-up shop in New York tonight. Both will be available for purchase there until September 26th. If you aren't in New York, you can purchase from Grain shop directly. As with all our designs, wholesale/trade prices are available along with custom orders by emailing us directly here.

Thanks to all who have supported the shop thus far! Look forward to more soon!

Grain at 'Design To Go' in New York!

We are thrilled to have been selected to show a couple of pieces at the 'Design To Go' pop-up shop organized by AREAWARE opening this Tuesday August 18th at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York (above image is of the space). We will be in the American Design Club section of the shop with two new designs: a bag called Zero Waste designed by e.carmichael (of Model Citizens NYC) for Grain and a necklace called Cheri (see below for images and descriptions of designs).

Other designers to be included in the American Design Club section are: Kiel Mead, Annie Lenon, redstr/collective, Lindsey Adelman, Emily Rothschild, Susan Clark, Rich, Brilliant, Willing and more.

If you are in New York, 'Design To Go' will be open through September 26th at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, 641 Eighth Avenue (@41st Street). To order either of the below designs from Grain directly email me here.

Added 08/17/09: Don't forget to RSVP if you attending the opening on August 18th (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) at rsvp@areaware.com.

Zero Waste (above and below four images) is an everyday city bag made from a single sheet of #2 plastic. Its pattern allows for zero cutting waste in manufacturing. Zero Waste can be used as a travel log, allowing you to record thoughts, inspirations and messages directly on the bag. Light weight, durable and machine washable, each bag includes a non-toxic marker that can be used to personalize Zero Waste with doodles, sketches and notes.

Cheri (above and below images) is a statement of sentiment. Each plaque is an individual note of memorial or remembrance. Originally created to celebrate loss, worn as adornments these plaques have the ability to celebrate life. Sentiment changes from person to person, by the type of chain, and how they are positioned.

Model Citizens NYC is growing...

Our friends over at Model Citizens NYC have some exciting news: They are offering an independent fashion exhibition to their roster this September! It will be held at Exit Art again - only this time it will be the whole upstairs (7,000 sq ft) space! The plan is to have their second annual Design Week event (during ICFF 2010) in the upstairs space as well. See images from last years Design Week event here and here.

Read more about Model Citizens NYC on their updated website here or on Design Glut here.

JOIN: Design Seattle on Core77!

This morning Lisa Smith, designer, educator, writer and co-founder of Object Design League, posted a rich article on the recent design club movement bubbling up in the US. The article highlights the efforts of our very own JOIN: Design Seattle, as well as the America Design Club based in New York and Object Design League in Chicago.

The article goes beyond just identifying this movement, and begins to investigate the forces behind its development, including the lack of federal support for up-and-coming designers like that which is available in most of Europe.

Lisa Smith writes in her closing paragraph:

"Though groups have always organized to promote ideas they believe in and young people have always collaborated to produce experimental work, the significance of AmDC, JOIN and ODL is that rather than collaborating, they aspire to help young, independent and struggling American designers by creating durable relationships and creative opportunities. In their optimism for self-organization and their outwards engagement, these clubs are part of a larger Obama-inspired zeitgeist that prioritizes restructuring over coping, and could very well bring about significant change in the American design scene."

Check out the inspiring and optimistic article on Core77 here.

The following photos are: JOIN's recent Ctrl+Alt+Design exhibition, logos of the American Design Club, JOIN: Design Seattle and Object Design League, the Brite Collective lighting workshop and results, and the commemorative pillow from Ctrl+Alt+Design.

Ty at Perch in San Francisco!

We shipped off a box full of Ty's to Perch in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco this morning! Perch will be our first retailer in San Francisco (first in California, actually) so we are super excited. Perch is "focused on an eclectic mix of modern and vintage products," which actually includes one other Bainbridge Island artist, Susan Najarian.

If you are in San Francisco, Perch is on Chenery Street between Castro and Diamond. Otherwise, you can visit their website here.

Blu Homes Featured on NPR!

Our friends at Blu Homes were featured this morning on the NPR Marketplace Morning Report on sustainability. The last year has seen the diappearance of several established prefab home companies, yet Blu is continuing to grow despite the struggling economy thanks to their unique approach. Part of their equation is a design sensitive process that is more Ikea than Armani.

"...the recession isn't killing prefab, it's finally making it cost competitive." - Maura McCarthy

Read or listen to the full article.

Project H Seattle Chapter

James and I are excited to be volunteering with the newly formed Project H Seattle Chapter. We have only had three meetings, but it is a really great group and we are looking forward to the possibilities. We recently visited Morningside Academy, a local school, to gain some insights into their model and facility. The plan is to identify some design opportunities that can be executed at Morningside while being scalable to other schools as well. We'll keep you posted as we move forward!

For more information on Project H or to get involved here in Seattle, go here.

New work for Blu Homes...

Above and below are some images of recent printed materials that we've just completed for our friends over at prefab home company Blu Homes. It has been fun process to watch them grow over the past couple years. Read more about their projects on Inhabitat here.

Ty at the Prattstore in Brooklyn!

We are also really excited to have our Ty Recyclable Shower Curtains available in New York for the first time ever at the Prattstore near the Pratt Institute campus in Brooklyn. They will be carried in the Pratt by Design alumni section of the store. The Prattstore wasn't around when I was a student, but when it opened in 2005 it became the largest art supply store in Brooklyn (15,000 sq feet). We're hoping the Prattlers pick Ty for their Willoughby dorm rooms!

Ty at Bitters Co. in Seattle!

We are super excited to announce that our Ty Recyclable Shower Curtains are finally available for purchase in Seattle!!!

You can get your fix at Bitters Co. in Fremont. We have been long time fans of this eclectic general store. If you don't know it, you should. Everything is designed by the owners, Katie and Amy Carson or sourced directly from artisans. The Carson sisters have backgrounds in cultural anthropology, art and furniture design. They initially started the store to sell things they collected from their travels.

Some of our favorites are the flip-flop doormats, Guatemalan textile hand towels, and Amy Carson designed folding tables.

Read more about Bitter Co. on Apartment Therapy here or visit their website here. Above photo of the storefront from here.

Grain on the Seattle Homes & Lifestyle Blog!

Thanks to Market Editor, Stacy Kendall, over at Seattle Homes & Lifestyles for the great blog post on Ty and Café America this morning! It always feels great to get the word out locally. Read the full post here.

Ctrl+Alt+Design on Seattle Magazine Blog!

Thanks to Brangien Davis for the nice write up of Ctrl+Alt+Design in the Seattle Magazine Blog today! The post mentions ModKnobs' hockey puck door knobs, Urbancase's Camera Candle (pictured above in the post), Iacoli & McAllister's Facet Ring, and our Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain. Read the full post here.

Reminder: It's the last week to check out Ctrl+Alt+Design at Ouch My Eye here in Seattle. It closes July 12th and should not be missed!

Ty on Treehugger!

Big thanks to Treehugger's April Streeter for the thoughtful post on Ty this morning! Read the full article here. It really investigates the pros and cons of Tyvek. We are huge fans of Treehugger over here at Grain so it means a lot to us. Thanks again April!

Big in Bulgaria!

A few weeks ago the editor of the Bulgarian online magazine DeZona contacted us to write a post about Café America. Here it is in all its glory. Thanks Evgeniy!

Ty Press Release

We finally sent out an offiicial press release for our first product: Ty. We launched last March and have been lucky to get a bunch of blog press but now it is time to really reach out to let people know what we've been up to over here at Grain. Download the full release with photos here.

For more info, email us at info@graindesign.com or call us at 206.965.9302.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Young Designers Launch Their First In-House Product: A Recyclable Shower Curtain

Bainbridge Island, WA

July 6, 2009

With the ambitious goal of ridding the world of off-gassing vinyl shower curtains forever, Grain, a young start-up of designers and social entrepreneurs who first met as students at Rhode Island School of Design, launched their first in-house product, Ty. Ty is a simple shower curtain that is non-toxic, and as a #2 plastic, can be recycled at the end of its lifespan. Made from the same PVC-free material used for Fed-Ex envelopes, Ty is durable and breathable – making it less likely to grow mold and mildew.

Have you ever experienced that “new shower curtain smell”? According to Grain spokesperson Chelsea Green, that is actually the smell of toxic chemicals being released into your home and lungs. Green cites a 2008 study by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, finding that chemicals off-gassing from a typical vinyl shower curtain are linked to adverse health effects, including respiratory irritation, central nervous system disorders, liver and kidney damage, nausea, headaches, and loss of coordination.

Grain’s response to these health and environmental concerns is Ty, a product that is safe and healthy for homes and families and performs better than its vinyl alternative on every level. Ty is currently being made in the consultancy’s shop on Bainbridge Island (a 35 min. ferry ride from Seattle) and is being sold for $30 from their website, www.graindesign.com. Printed designs are in the works.

Along with Ty, Grain has recently launched a chair, called Café America, that is made from reclaimed chain-link fencing and flat-packs for efficient shipping. It is also available for purchase from their website.

About Grain

Founded in 2007 at the Rhode Island School of Design, Grain is a collaborative of design thinkers with the shared vision of a more sustainable future. As a full service design consultancy, Grain offers expertise in research, strategy, and design for companies interested in uniting sustainability and business through design.

Grain has recently received press on the following blogs: Cool Hunting, Contemporist, Mother Nature Network, Core77, Apartment Therapy, HOW Magazine, Metropolis P/O/V, Design Glut, and Interior Design, and in the following print publications: RISD Views and Bainbridge Review.

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Photos from our presentation at GreenDrinks

Here are some shots by Laura O'Quin of Open Satellite of our presentation at the Seattle-Eastside GreenDrinks last month. Thanks to everyone one who came out!