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!