We're going to New York!

We are thrilled to be one of the six designers invited to participate in the "A+: The Young Designers' Platform" section of Accent on Design at the New York International Gift Fair later this month. We will be sharing a booth (curated by the American Design Club) from January 31st to February 4th with the following participants:

Sangwoo Nam, Appree Co. Sangwoo Nam is a young designer from Seoul, South Korea whose functional home accessories include the “Leaf-it” self-stick memo notes in the color and shapes of tree leaves, and Waterdrop Magnetic, round translucent magnets of various sizes which function as magnets while providing an indirect link to nature.

Jung Woo Lee, ekdesign Jung Woo Lee, principal product and graphic designer at ekdesign in Seoul, South Korea, strives to incorporate expressive design into a variety of functional office products, including cardboard file folders and USB media players.

James Minola and Chelsea Green, Grain James Minola and Chelsea Green, designers from Bainbridge Island, WA, embrace a mission to unite sustainability and business through design. Grain is a design collaborative which creates and produces home and personal accessories, including the “Ty” recyclable shower curtain, made of ethically-produced, high density polyethylene (HDPE). The new “D.I.Y.” edition comes with an attached permanent marker to draw custom designs on the curtain. Minola and Green, both recipients of several design awards, met while pursuing industrial design degrees at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Marie-Pier Guilmain and Maud Beauchamp, Loyal Luxe Marie-Pier Guilmain and Maud Beauchamp are pet accessory designers based in Mont-St-Hilaire, Canada, whose products are designed and manufactured entirely in Quebec. Their showcase work is the “chalet for cats,” a cardboard house for cats or other small domestic pets. Its innovative yet humorous design is inspired by Canadian-style chalets. Both Guilmain and Beauchamp received industrial design degrees from Montreal University.

Jiyeon Ahn and Jieun Kim, Luca 12:00 This female design duo from Seoul, South Korea, creates playful lighting and other home accessories, in which everyday objects become meaningful in a new context. One of their newest designs is “Soap, a portable light,” through which a unique light lamp – in the shape and color of a bar of soap – is controlled through touch. By rubbing the lamp in the same manner as a bar of soap, users can adjust the luminous intensity, and the soap’s holder acts as a charger.

Munire Kirmaci, munire kirmaci Munire Kirmaci is an industrial, product and spatial designer based in Brooklyn, NY, who designs home accessories as well as interior spaces. Her signature piece is “Salt and Pepper in One,” a stainless steel container which stores and dispenses both salt and pepper in one piece. Kirmaci received a Bachelor of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and a Masters of Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute.

We are especially excited to be showing with Munire Kirmaci - an old friend who will definitely help keep us entertained over the five days of Javits action. Big thanks to Jamie and Brian of Iacoli & McAllister (who participated last summer) for inspiring us to apply!

UPDATE 2010-01-19: Here is a link to the official New York International Gift Fair press release.

Electric Love is here!!

Electric Love, our new hand-knotted rings (above and below) are made of reclaimed electrical wire and come in pink or white with more colors on the way. Each ring is handmade with love in our studio on Bainbridge Island. Visit the Grain Shop for more info!

Sololá is here!!

In 2006, while still students at RISD, James, Brit and I were part of an amazing wintersession course taught by Mimi Robinson called Bridging Cultures Through Design. Working with artisan communities in Guatemala, we developed a series of textiles goods celebrating Guatemalan textile traditions. The products went to market and continue to support sustainable incomes for those artisan groups that we collaborated with.

We are excited to now be offering one of the designs from that collaboration, called Sololá, in the Grain Shop! Here is the official description:

Sololá celebrates the artistry of Guatemalan women weavers. Each purse upcycles a vintage huipil (traditional women's blouse woven on the backstrap loom) to create an individual statement. Turned inside-out, the huipils are an explosion of color and handwork. Each purse is assembled by Guatemalan artisans in Antigua from textiles sourced at the famous Chichicastenango Market.

Sololá will be available in two sizes at $38 and $60. Each purse is made in Antigua, Guatemala and is totally unique.

More places to find Ty in 2010...

Ty D.I.Y. Edition will soon be available at the following new retailers throughout the US and Canada:

Green Depot
Green Depot is the nation's largest green building supplier. Ty and Ty D.I.Y. Edition will be soon be available through their website and in their LIVE store in Manhattan on Bowery (between Spring and Prince).

Carbon Environmental Boutique

Our first Canadian retailer is located in the historic heart of downtown Edmonton, Alberta. Carbon’s mission is threefold – to showcase and support environmental manufacture, to encourage and fortify ethical business practices and to advocate and promote non-toxic living.

Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store
A modern general store for a well-lived life, combining the charm of a country general store with the sophistication of a modern city lifestyle in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.

MCA Denver Shop

Founded in 1996, MCA Denver became the city's first contemporary art museum. Two years ago David Adjaye designed it's new LEED GOLD Certified home in lower downtown. As of last week, you can find Ty D.I.Y. Edition's in their great museum shop.

risd|works

Located in Providence, every item featured is designed and made by Rhode Island School of Design alumni and faculty. All profits from risd|works sales are returned to RISD for use in furthering its mission.

Ty D.I.Y. Edition in the world....

We have been super busy these past few weeks packing up holiday orders. There are Ty D.I.Y. Edition curtains in (or on route to) almost all of the 50 US states, Denmark, Germany, Italy...

With each Ty D.I.Y. Edition that we send out from our Grain Shop, we include a little note asking those who feel like sharing to send us a photo (to shop@graindesign.com) of their custom designs and illustrations. We just got our first photo (above) back from Meredith in Australia.

Meredith wrote quotes from literature and poetry all over her Ty. In her email, she wrote that she was, "influenced by my mum, who had loved all the study notes I had stuck onto our bathroom mirror for my final high school exams".

Her text includes quotes from Oscar Wilde, Dylan Thomas, W.B. Yeats and more...

Thanks so much for sharing Meredith!! We hope to see many more photos from Ty D.I.Y. Edition artists in the future.

Ty D.I.Y. Edition on Design Milk!

Huge thanks to Catrina at Design Milk for her great post on Ty D.I.Y. Edition last week! Brit found the link this morning. We love that it includes photos of almost all of our draw-a-thon participants... Yeah!

Grain projects in the news...

Big thanks to Matt Hickman for featuring Ty D.I.Y. Edition in Green Monday: A gift guide on the Mother Nature Network earlier this week. We are among some fun gift ideas, such as Patrick Morris & Boskke's Sky Planter, Flip & Tumble Produce Bags from Branch and MIO's new Organixe Magazine Files.

Ty D.I.Y. Edition also made Gift Guide: Fa La La La La on the Seattle Homes & Lifestyles blog this week. Thanks Stacy and Angela!

We were also super excited to see Ty D.I.Y. Edition up on The Chic Ecologist last week! Thanks Jean-Paul!

In other news, our Zero Waste bag, designed by e.carmichael for Grain, was featured as the "Monday Murse" on Commerce with a Conscious. Thanks Brad!

Oh, and we just found this great post from the summer on Inspiration Wall about woven metal seating that features Café America along with some other really fabulous work including fellow RISD grad Ruth Fore's Crochet Crochet lounge. Check it out the whole post here.

Shoppe Success!!

Thanks to everyone who came out for JOIN's Design Shoppe Saturday! What a fun night! Above and below are a few of our quick pics from the beginning of the evening before it got too crowded for words...

Above are Chalk It To Me animals by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio and pillows by Piano Nobile.

Our Ty and Ty D.I.Y. Edition plus some new purses (will be in our shop soon) made in collaboration with artisans in Guatemala. Above them are Mini-Pedestal SELECT's by Iacoli & McAllister.

urbancase's candles above plainMade's felt bags and other textile wares.

Our new Electric Love rings (will be in our shop soon) made from reclaimed electrical wire and our Cheri necklaces.

Chickabird's notebooks using Piano Nobile fabric and Greg Bethel's Sigg Faucet Caps.

Screen printed textiles by Dinah Coops Design.

Brian McAllister and Greg Bethel.

Loc Trinh and a friend in front of work by Meet Me Here.

Items donated for the silent auction to benefit Nest Seattle by Linda Beaumont, Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Velocity Art And Design, Chickabird, urbancase, {Far4}, LiT Shades, Piano Nobile, Meet Me Here and Iacoli & McAllister.

Design Shoppe also included jewelry by fortyfive09, fruit super, Free Time Industries and &c.

Design Shoppe Saturday!!

Just another reminder...

Design Shoppe is a one night pop-up shop featuring design objects by local artists and designers. There will be a silent auction to benefit JOIN and Nest Seattle.

Saturday November 28th

1508 11th Avenue (btwn Pike and Pine)

Seattle, WA 98122

7:00pm - 11:00pm Design objects sale **Bring cash**

7:00pm - 9:00pm Silent auction

9:15pm Silent auction winners announced

We'll be there and so will our wares. We'll have shower curtains, jewelry and new bags.

Hope to see you Saturday!

UPDATED 12-02-2009: Check out this post by Jamie on Design Milk from November 18th!

Ty D.I.Y. Edition in the news...

After a long week of editing photos from the draw-a-thon, we were super excited to see Ty D.I.Y. Edition up on Apartment Therapy, Re-Nest and MoCo Loco last week. HUGE thanks to Anne and Harry for that!

MoCo Loco is actually giving away one of our Ty D.I.Y. Edition's. If you need one, just leave a comment here letting them know what you would draw on it. The best idea wins!!

We had a busy weekend keeping up with incoming orders. Our first Ty D.I.Y. Edition order actually came from Denmark. It will ship out tomorrow. Skol Tanja!

UPDATED 12/08/09: Ty D.I.Y. Edition was selected as one of the five favorite shower curtains on Apartment Therapy. See the full list here. Thanks Beth!

NEW: Ty D.I.Y. Edtion

After many months of work, we are excited to announce that Ty D.I.Y. Edition is finally here!

Ty D.I.Y. Edition is a "draw-it-yourself" shower curtain kit complete with blue, green or black permanent marker. It allows creative types the ability to customize thier shower curtain with their own hand-drawn designs and illustrations. The "canvas" for Ty D.I.Y. is our popular Ty recyclable shower curtain which is non-toxic, machine washable, recyclable and made in the U.S.

You'll probably notice that we've updated our packaging for both Ty and Ty D.I.Y. Edition. Our simple paper packaging is now printed on 100% post consumer recycled content chipboard using locally sourced soy-based inks by Pinball Publishing in Portland, OR.

In an effort to offer and even more durable product, both Ty and Ty D.I.Y. Edition will now have metal grommet hanging holes.

We've also joined 1% For The Planet, so 1% of all our sales will go directly to environmental causes.

For more info, here is the official press release. Ty ($30.00) and Ty D.I.Y. ($33.00) are available for purchase in our shop.

To help us launch, on October 23rd we hosted a draw-a-thon at our studio on Bainbridge Island. We had a group of local artists, designers and friends create their own custom designs. Below are the results. Pictured left to right are Andrea, James, Darin, Loc, Paul, Claire, Dylan, Natalia, Susanna, Regan, Eric, Laura, Tayler, Chika, Jared, Katie, Chrissy, Lauren and Tara. The details are from curtains by Jamie and Brian, Andrea, Catherine, Dylan, James and Laura. Here is a link to larger photos.

Ty on Ideal Bite!

We were thrilled to find Ty on Ideal Bite Seattle this morning! Here is a little quote:

"Looking for a shower curtain that can handle an encore? Put your hands together for Ty, a recyclable version from Bainbridge Island's Grain Design. Ty's HDPE plastic has a low risk of off-gassing chems (unlike regular PVC curtains), inhibits mold and mildew growth, and is machine washable (it actually gets softer with each wash). You can use it as a liner or on its own. It'll last for several years, and when it's ready for its final bow, you can return it to GD for reuse in other products like bags. Bravo."

Thanks Dominique!

Café America in Interior Design magazine!!

Our friends at Iacoli & McAllister spotted our Café America chair in the November issue of Interior Design. Above is the page layout that we found online here. We can't wait to see the issue when it comes to newsstands...

Thanks for the heads up I&M!

SCRAP opening at Fancy!

Thanks to everyone who came out last night to check out SCRAP at Fancy!

Here are a few of our photos from the evening. Below is a lamp by Greg Bethel and a new chair by urbancase, our Links necklace, custom signage for the event by Loc Trinh, Loc's walnut bow ties, our Sleepers, rings by fortyfive09 and &c., shelving by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, and bowls by Laura Yeats on an an amazing display table by Erich Ginder.

For more on the show, here is a post on the Seattle Metropolitan blog by Laura Cassidy. SCRAP will be up until December 11th.

UPDATED 12-02-09: Big thanks to Laura Cassidy for posting a nice write up about SCRAP on her Wear What When blog for Seattle Metropolitan!

Check out Stacy's post about SCRAP on the Seattle Homes & Lifestyles blog! She mentions those delicious maple-glazed bacon doughnuts by Guernica!