STIR 5.1 2008

s t i rS H E R W I N - W I L L I A M S® W h e r e C o l o r a n d C r e a t i v i t y C o n v e r g e Vo l u m e 5 • I s s u e 1 • 2 0 0 8

Colorful Glass With Dale Chihuly ■ Innovative Technology in Exterior Coatings

®

RENEWALHow fresh colors, rediscovered materials

and generational change are inspiring new interior spaces.

SPECIAL FOCUS:

COLOR ME DIFFERENT

’ve always been inspired by the way color can single-handedly

make the mundane magical again. Think of how “going red” can

reinvigorate the career of a struggling movie starlet, how a sliced

purple radish can transform a plain salad into something a little

exotic, or how the iPod’s surprise use of pastel metallics inspired

millions of kids to tug desperately at

their parents’ sleeves and say, “Now I

want that one.”

Color is the most powerful and universal

form of what marketers call “packaging.”

There’s no quicker way to recharge the

appeal of something — whether it’s a

sports car or a living room — than by

changing its color.

As winter’s grays give way to the greens

of spring, we thought this would be an

appropriate time to create a special issue

of STIR magazine focused on color and

renewal. In what ways does color help designers, architects and

their clients rediscover and renew old materials, old spaces — even

old ideas?

Turn the pages of this issue, and you’ll learn how an “off-the-wall”

palette helped a 19th-century factory in Pittsburgh find new life; how

the color green helped a Seattle-based artist redefine the possibilities

of an ancient medium; and how baby boomers are using color, among

other tools, to re-imagine their living spaces in retirement.

At Sherwin-Williams, we’re as relentlessly curious about color’s

transformative powers as you are. Happy reading.

Sincerely,

Sheri Thompson

Director, Color Marketing and Design The Sherwin-Williams Company

STIR Advisory BoardEmily Blitzer Paul Segal AssociatesNew York, NY

Kathleen Neama The S/L/A/M Collaborative Glastonbury, CT

Ann Newton Spooner, IDS national presidentAnn Newton Spooner Interior Design Charlotte, NC

Karin Schluer, Allied ASID, LEED certified Karin & CompanyLong Valley, NJ

Leslie Shankman-Cohn, ASIDEclectic InteriorsMemphis, TN

Zara Stender, CID, IDS, Allied ASID,CMG vice-chair ZaraDesignsReno, NV

Kristine Stoller, NCIDQ certifiedKSID, LLCSharon, MA

Abby Suckle, AIA, FAIA, LEED certified Abby Suckle ArchitectsNew York, NY

Denise Walton, ASID, NCIDQ certified Denise J Walton Design Scottsdale, AZ

I

The trademarks and copyrights of Sherwin-Williams appearing in STIR are protected.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Editorial Advisor:Tresa Makowski

Executive Editor:Bryan Iwamoto

Editorial Director:Dobby Gibson

Editor:Kim PalmerExecutive Art Director: Sandy Girard

Senior Designer:Cate Hubbard

Senior Editor:Mara Hess

Production Director: Pam Mundstock

Production Artist: Karen Wolcenski

Project Manager: Melanie Murphy

Client Services: Lynda Whittle

STIR® magazine (ISSN 1937-2027)is published by Hanley Wood,LLC, on behalf of The Sherwin-Williams Company, for interiordesigners and architects. Wewelcome your questions andcomments. Please directcorrespondence to: Sherwin-Williams STIR MagazineHanley Wood 430 1st Ave. N., Suite 550Minneapolis, MN 55401 Phone: (612) 338-8300Fax: (612) 338-7044E-mail: [email protected] site:Click on Contact Us atswstir.comPrinted in the United States, © 2008 Sherwin-Williams, Vol. 5. Issue 1, 2008

Order Sherwin-Williams color samples online atsherwin-williams.com.

For product or compliance questions, call the Architect andDesigner Answerline at (800) 321-8194.

For local service and advice, please see your Sherwin-Williams Architectural Account Executive or your local store.

C O N T E N T S

s t i rS H E R W I N - W I L L I A M S®

Vo l u m e 5 • I s s u e 1 • 2 0 0 8

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PALETTE

HEALTHYHEADQUARTERS

American LungAssociationemployees andvolunteers canbreathe easier thanksto a recent donationof low-VOC paint from Sherwin-Williams.

3

COLOR SPY

DALE CHIHULY

This pioneering glassartist continues to explore theboundaries of colorwhile working withart’s most fragilemedium.

14

GOING GREEN

RED LIGHT,GREEN LIGHT

An Indiana-basedcommercial interiordesign firm learnssustainable buildingpractices whileworking with itsmost challengingclient: itself.

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COLOR TECH

SUPERIOREXTERIORS

Technologyinnovations haveexpanded yourexterior paintingoptions, from color to performance toscheduling.

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FINAL TOUCH

Find out why babyblue eyes aren’texactly what theyappear to be.

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S H E R W I N - W I L L I A M S S t i r 1

CURRENTS OF COLOR

A Seattle-basedartist rediscoversthe designpossibilities of terrazzo.

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THEREINVENTIONBOOM

In retirement, babyboomers areredefining theirliving spaces in ways that continuetheir generation’scommitment to self-expression.

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SECOND STAGE

Color helps totransform a 19th-centuryPittsburgh corkfactory into asophisticated urban loft.

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SPECIAL FOCUS: Renewal

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PaletteC O L O R N E W S A N D S O L U T I O N S F R O M S H E R W I N - W I L L I A M S

Get Color News Delivered to Your Computer Year-Round

Sherwin-Williams® STIR® eExtra, STIR magazine’s color

e-newsletter, is delivered six times a year. Just like

STIR magazine, STIR eExtra delivers color research, paint

technology and design developments you won’t want

to miss. To subscribe, complete and mail the business

reply card in this magazine. Or visit the STIR magazine

Web site, swstir.com, which also keeps color news and

resources at your fingertips.

THESE COLORS DO RUN A compelling color palette and great design

may be more art than science, but this limited-edition sneaker from Reebok challenges that

conventional thinking. Designed by John Maeda, a world-renowned designer and mathematician

at MIT Media Lab, the Reebok Timetanium wears its design formula on its sleeve — or, more

precisely, its insole. The sneaker’s graphics were created by Maeda

using the algorithms that adorn its lining. There were only 100 pairs

of the Timetanium manufactured — and they sold out instantly.

Reebok Timetanium

by John Maeda

2 S H E R W I N - W I L L I A M S S t i r

HEALTHY HEADQUARTERS American Lung Association employees and volunteers can breathe easier thanks to a recent donation of low-VOC paint from Sherwin-Williams.

Our homes are supposed to protect us, which makes mounting evidence of the impact of construction materials on indoor air quality disconcerting. For the past decade, through its Health House® initiative, the American Lung Association(ALA) has been at the forefront of a movement teaching builders and homeownershow to create beautiful homes that are also healthy to live in.

Recently, Sherwin-Williams partnered with ALA Minnesota (ALAMN) to applyHealth House principles to a remodel of ALAMN’s own St. Paul headquarters.Sherwin-Williams donated 175 gallons of Harmony,® a no-VOC (volatile organiccompound) latex paint, to the 70,000-square-foot project.

“It’s about practicing what we preach and walking the walk,” says RobertMoffitt, director of communications for ALAMN. “We really needed to do thisremodel the right way, and the products we used in our space were central tothat mission of creating a healthy place to work.”

In addition to no-VOC paint, there are smart engineering features in the buildingsuch as an air ventilator located in the mechanical room that pumps fresh air intothe building five times an hour, compared to the once-a-day standard in most otherbuildings. The air pressure in the building is regulated as well. When one of ALAMN’s25 full-time employees or 1,000 weekly volunteers or visitors opens the front doors,the air blows out, not in.

In addition to having practical benefits, the remodel has helped the ALAMNreinforce its Health House message: Clean indoor air isn’t just for people withallergies and asthma — it’s for everyone.

Health House Components

The American Lung Association lists

these components, among others,

as essential to a Health House home:

• Carefully selected and reviewed

interior finishes

• Foundation waterproofing and

moisture control

• High-efficiency air filtration

• Whole-house ventilation

• Humidity control

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H ost of us associate terrazzo floors with the formal, monochromatic designs typically found in courthouses and stately historic homes. Not Linda Beaumont, a Seattle-

area artist known for her experimental use of traditional materials.“I think of terrazzo as a form of painting. And I like to paint outside

the lines,” she says.Terrazzo, a mosaic flooring constructed by embedding small pieces

of marble and stone in mortar and then grinding and polishing it, is a masonry style that dates back to the ancient Romans. But it’sundergoing a reinvention, thanks to innovators like Beaumont.

The artist was commissioned to create a terrazzodesign for a 350-foot-long concourse on the groundfloor of the recently renovated City Hall in Bellevue,Wash. Inspired by the discovery that an under-ground river flowed nearby, Beaumont designed“Current”: a shimmering, 14,000-square-footmosaic composed of intricate silver lines,stones, beads and luminescent mother-of-pearl abalone chips.

Color choicesBeaumont needed a color scheme that wouldsuit the scale of the project, the hallway’s variationsin light intensity and pre-existing materials.

The artist decided on green as the base palette. “TheNorthwest is all about green,” she says. “And ‘Current’ is ametaphor for a river. It’s a public space about possibility. What I reallywanted to bring to it was a shimmering, transformative quality. I wouldnever choose one color to define the floor, but rather a relationship ofmany colors that slide past each other, animating the space.”

Beaumont describes “Current” as a narrative of color. “At the far endof the concourse where there is very little light, I used a deep jade colorand dark brown,” she says. “It’s a ‘slower’ space. Then, as you walkdown the length of the concourse, the floor widens; my idea was thatthis was the shallow part of the river. There are even beds of silver fisheggs near the conference room. You almost can’t see them; from adistance, they just look like pools of light. Under the bridge, in themiddle of the concourse, where pedestrian traffic is heavy, there arethe wild rapids, the richest part of the floor. The linework is wild andtwisting, and I used a lot of color and glitter glass. I had gold and green glitter glass chips made especially for the floor. The iridescent glass is

very reflective, especially in dark colors of epoxy, and it shimmers blueand purple and dark green.”

The variable color scheme reflects the experience of moving throughspace. “The thing about working with a floor is that as you walk through,it comes around you in different ways at any given moment,” Beaumontsays. “The light shifts constantly, so the color changes as well.”

For “Current,” General Contractor David Franceschina of GeneralTerrazzo used a special two-part thermo-setting epoxy terrazzo matrix(Thin Set Epoxy Terrazzo System #1100) made by General Polymers, a

division of Sherwin-Williams.“Epoxy terrazzo has become the norm instead of traditional cement,” explains Franceschina.

“It’s simpler and quicker to deal with, and isrelatively lightweight, which helps when

you’re installing in modern buildings.” Andepoxy terrazzo, he says, “offers a vast colorpalette as opposed to traditional cement,which allows us only earth tones. One of the reasons terrazzo has really beenrediscovered over the last 20 years is this

new epoxy terrazzo.”Today’s flexible new materials freed

Beaumont to fully explore her aesthetic: “I like to push everything to be fluid. I’m interested in

keeping things moving,” she says. “Current” won Job of the Year from the National

Terrazzo & Mosaic Association. But the artist is after a morelasting impact: “I really do believe that spaces can change the way wefeel and even the way we think,” Beaumont says. “When I was a child, I saw those mosaic floors in Greece and Rome and thought, ‘Wow! It’sas though the earth is being carpeted.’ Having that energy underfootis a beautiful way to feed energy into a public space.” ■

Charlotte Stoudt writes regularly for the Los Angeles Times.

B y C H A R L O T T E S T O U D T

CURRENTS of colorAn artful and award-winning terrazzo floor illustrates an ancient medium’s new design possibilities.

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TAKE A VIRTUAL WALK

To see video of this project, as well as find more information onmaterials and maintenance from General Polymers, visit STIRonline at swstir.com.

>>


WHY USE TERRAZZO?

• It’s luxurious. Terrazzo creates

timelessness and opulence that give any

space a unique sense of event. “You’re

creating from raw material,” says David

Franceschina, a general contractor

with General Terrazzo. “Terrazzo is a

handmade product, a piece of art.”

• It’s cost-effective. Originally invented

by Roman builders as a low-cost flooring

material, terrazzo is a highly durable

floor treatment. “Maintenance is very

inexpensive,” says Linda Beaumont,

a Seattle-based artist who works with

terrazzo. “And it looks better with age.”

• It’s green. Terrazzo requires only water

and neutral liquid cleaner for

maintenance. “It’s a sustainable product,”

says Franceschina. “And there’s recycled

content—old marble and glass. Those

elements are very intriguing to architects

and building owners.”


hen Una Elias decided to remodel her Connecticut vacationhome, she called architect and interior designer Abby Suckle,who had also helped her remodel her New York City apartment.Like many clients, Elias bombarded Suckle with pictures. But Eliaswasn’t just offering inspiration; she was asserting her style. All

she needed from Suckle was a little advice on her color choices. “I spent two hours with her on the Connecticut design,” says Suckle. “I didn’t

have to do much.”It’s not that Elias doubts Suckle’s expertise. She’s just acting her age. At 42,

Elias is on the tail end of the baby-boom generation of people born between 1946and 1964. Like Elias, many have time and money to invest in newly empty nests,retirement dream houses and second homes. And when it comes to planning their mid- and late-life dwellings, baby boomers — the leading edge of whomcame of age during the free-expression years of the mid-20th century — are “as independent-minded as they were in the ’60s,” says New York-based DorothyKalins, founding editor of Saveur and Metropolitan Home magazines.

Kalins, a boomer herself, says her generation doesn’t follow established conventions.While their parents might have handed over the reins (and the checkbook) to designersfor the latest look, “We realized that one style or another was not going to define us.What was important was that we could do any style that we wanted,” she says.

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Baby boomers, still as independent-minded

as ever, are re-imagining their living spaces —

and influencing design while they’re at it.

THE REINVENTION

BOOM


B y A N D R E A G R A Z Z I N I W A L S T R O M

Sally Leider, a watershed teacher

and life coach, found design

inspiration in her Tibetan rug.


Now that the peak of the independent-minded boomersare turning 50, they’re creating a new model of adulthood,with a middle stage focused on renewal, according toAmerican Demographics. Modern maturity, in the boomerplaybook, is not about fading into retirement but rather

an opportunity for reinvention. With their children grown and their time and resources

their own, boomers are pursuing their personal passions, whether that means trekking to Tanzania or painting their dining

room deep purple.

Desire to be differentThe style choices of America’s 78 million boomers are wide and varied.Lisa Peck of Pisa Design in Minneapolis says the most consistentdesign thread among her boomer clients is a demand to be differentand authentic, mixing personal pieces into a unique design scheme.She has one boomer client couple, for example, whose entire home

is musically themed to match theirshared passion for guitars.

Eclectic pieces, includingtravel treasures, are in highdemand. Even if they don’t

purchase them while on a trip,worldly boomers want guests

to know where their furnishingscome from, says designer Ann Newton

Spooner of Charlotte, N.C. When SallyLeider, a boomer teacher and life coach who

works with other boomer clients, selected aTibetan rug for her Minnesota home, she

became so interested in the rug’s origins that shesought out a workshop on Tibetan rug history.“Not keeping up with the Joneses is how boomers

are keeping up with the Joneses,” says Peck. In spite of theiridiosyncratic leanings, there are signs of boomer trends. Peck

sees a lot of style-defining color. Serene neutrals are welcome,as are energetic (and retro) orange and lime green.And shades of red and yellow are boomer favorites that cross state

and style lines, says Spooner, a color specialist. While her boomer clientssometimes show their age by incorporating heirloom pieces withupdated classical pieces, their color choices remain youthfully

exuberant. “Red is very strong, as is yellow.”(Back in Manhattan, Elias’ sleek

apartment features a three-room-long yellow wall.)

Kalins has a theory as towhere at least part of the colortrend comes from. “Red makestechnology more friendly” for

5 Tipsfor MakingBoomer Clients Happy

Baby boomers can be fiercelyindependent, but there are stillways design professionals caneffectively help.

1 Let them take the lead. No one knows

what boomers want better than they do.

2 Design for the ages. Provide suggestions

on universal design and convenient

features that boomers might otherwise

miss (or avoid).

3 Think “last remodel.” Keep in mind

that boomers will probably need to live

with their choices for decades to come —

and the older they are the less likely it is

they’ll remodel again.

4 Don’t think “old.” Think “vital, active,

engaged and aware.”

5Make memories. Incorporate travel

and personal pieces into a strong design

foundation, but beware of

sentimentality or nostalgia.



boomers, who are learning that an iPod is not an apartment for one.“Refrigerators are red, coffee makers are red,” she notes. Nostalgia mayplay a part, too. “Painting a wall red was something we did in the ’60s.”

Spooner has a less glamorous explanation: Boomers don’t see colorsthe same as they did when they were younger. Bolder colors are easier tosee through no-line bifocals. Though some are loath to admit it, agingfactors into boomer design selections.

Eternal optimists A study commissioned by Hanley Wood, a media and informationcompany for the housing and construction industry, found that onlyone in 10 boomers professed to being worried about life after 60.Perhaps hearkening back to idealistic earlier years, most said they aregoing to take aging “in stride.” (Hanley Wood publishes STIR magazineon behalf of Sherwin-Williams.)

“This generation wants upscale living with less complication,”says Frank Anton, CEO of Hanley Wood. “They want their homes to be manageable, temperate, affordable, flexible and accessible.”That’saccessible as in — shhhh — wheelchair-friendly wide doorways, easy-to-operate faucets and lowered toilet seats that go easy on arthritic hips.

Mid-50s baby boomers Mark and Kathy Shook are planning ahead. The couple recently remodeled the main living spaces of their Arizonahome and plan to update their upper-level sleeping and bathing areassoon. On the to-do list are a no-step, doorless shower for safe entry. “And aspa tub will soothe the aches and pains” of aging bones, says Kathy. Someboomers don’t have a choice. Universal design accommodations are nowcode on residential remodeling and new construction in New York.

Regardless of the reason, boomers “want finishes in their homesthat are easily maintained, like tile flooring and smooth surfaces oncountertops,” says designer Denise Walton of Scottsdale, Ariz. TheShooks, who are Walton’s clients, installed travertine marble floors and granite countertops, demonstrating yet another boomer trait: a preference for high-quality materials. “They want to have time to

Eclectic pieces, includingtravel treasures, are in highdemand. Even if they don’tpurchase them while on a trip, worldly boomers wantguests to know where theirfurnishings come from.


For boomers, eclectic

is in. Travel often

inspires design choices,

such as this traditional

African mask from the

Gauteng Province.


relax and not be repairing and replacing things,” says Walton. “Theywant to do it right and not have to do it again.”

Not surprisingly, one-floor homes, including airy downtown lofts, makefor carefree and stylish living where convenient access to grocery stores,restaurants, theaters and coffee shops is a bonus. The savviest businessesare locating in neighborhoods attractive to the massive boomer population.

Room for the grandkidsMinneapolis architect Bruce Knutson fits many boomer trends. He isamong the 60 percent of boomers who say they will downsize. “We wentfrom 5,000 to 1,380 square feet and set up our home like a downtownloft,” he says. “The kitchen is in the center,” for ease of entertaining — a priority for boomers who finally have the time to linger.

Although social interaction is a high priority for boomers, a largemajority have a “me-centric” vision with little interest in catering totheir kids’ or aging parents’ needs, though many happily makeexceptions for grandchildren. Knutson, for example, dedicated the entire lower level of his home to his four grandkids. An impervious floor, a chalkboard, toy storage, and a pool just outside the door keep the little ones close. Knutson says his grandchildren never want to leave.

And like most boomers, Knutson wants to “age in place” at hishome. So do the Shooks, who plan to live out their years in the foothillsof the Phoenix mountains.

Place is key for many boomers, according to Leider. That includesherself. “I grew up in a setting where there were a lot of beautifulviews of the river and landscape,” she says. In addition to her work as a life coach, Leider is a watershed-protection educator and advocate who has returned to her roots on the St. Croix River. She says thatthe place boomers settle, whether it represents a return to roots or a new perspective, can be critical in identifying self. For Leider, a mood — a sense of sanctuary after busy years in the workforce — tops any particular design feature. And her home on the river evokes a desire for outdoor living and environmentally conscious values — boomer ideals germinated during those impressionable“flower power” years.

Wherever and however they choose to live, baby boomers are intent on renewing their spaces to reflect their own renewed outlookson life. Elias said in the past she was more concerned about whatpeople thought. She’s getting beyond that — and her home reflects atypical boomer’s quest for authenticity. “You walk into my house, andyou say: ‘This is Una,’” says Elias.

Whatever their style, boomers and their dwellings represent amassive market that design professionals can’t afford to neglect. ■

Andrea Grazzini Walstrom is a Minnesota-based freelance writer who specializes

in architecture and design.

Although social interaction is a high priority for boomers,a large majority have a “me-centric” vision ... though manyhappily make exceptions for grandchildren.

An ‘off-the-wall’ palette brings new life to an urban Pittsburgh loft.

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SECOND stage

Every major city has its old industrial

area. Downtown Pittsburgh has the Strip

District, which through the centuries was

home to iron and steel mills, foundries,

and a cork-cutting factory — built in

1860, then rebuilt in 1901 after a

massive fire.

After the company closed its doors in

1974, the building sat vacant for years.

But its prime location overlooking the

Allegheny River made it an attractive

candidate for urban renewal. The old

brick building, designed by well-known,

turn-of-the-century architect Frederick

Osterling, is now the Cork Factory, a

trendy urban loft development.

(continued)

B y K I M I E I S E L E


Ann Mullaney, an attorney and baby boomer who worksout of an office in the area, was an early believer in theStrip District’s potential. In 1991, she and her husbandbought a building only a block away from the CorkFactory, in anticipation of new development on theriver. They own and operate an Irish pub there.

“I like the urban lifestyle,” says Mullaney, who became a leader in the effort to bring life back to theStrip. As president of Neighbors in the Strip, an associationof merchants and residents working to preserve andrejuvenate the area, moving into the Cork Factory herself was botha personal dream and a demonstration of her commitment to the area.“The development of the Cork Factory was really critical for theneighborhood and for the extension of revitalization of downtownPittsburgh,” she says.

To make her ninth-floor loft her home, she turned to interiordesigner Barb Terrick. At first, Terrick had trouble with the “rubble.”That’s what she called parts of the original interior space left intactby the architects when they renovated the factory into lofts.

“I call it rubble because that’s exactly what it looks like — cement floors,plaster on the ceiling, stain marks, pipes, plumbing all exposed,” she says.

Although the exposed elements were appealing for their historicalreference and industrial charm, they presented a design challenge. “The rubble is interesting, but it can be cold,” Terrick says. “It had to be softened up.”

A colorful solutionSo that is what Terrick did: with color. Fourteen Sherwin-Williamscolors, to be precise: a unique palette that included chartreuse, purple,blue and copper.

“I chose off-the-wall colors, but I was confident they would allwork,” Terrick says. “You can’t put run-of-the-mill colors in this loft.”

Originally a wide open space with 14-foot ceilings, the loft was

divided by a series of 8-foot walls, creating an effect ofmany layered surfaces.

“To do it all in one color would have been so boring andwouldn’t have made the place come alive,”Terrick says.

She used bright greens and purples on the walls,along with a deep rust hue called Copper Bangle (SW 1350) matched from an older Sherwin-Williams

palette using the SherColorTM color matching system. “It’s just a warm color,”Terrick says. “You walk in and

immediately want to sit down and put your feet up. That’s the effect it has.” (Copper Bangle is no longer included in the

Sherwin-Williams color palette, but Terrick had kept a sample, and herlocal Sherwin-Williams store created a custom mix for her based on the original color formula.)

Terrick chose Sherwin-Williams Duration Home® in matte and satin finishes, a washable and mar-resistant low-VOC (volatile organiccompounds) paint. “It’s easy to work with,” she says. “It’s a goodweight, durable but not too heavy. The painters liked it, too.”

While many clients might have balked at the unusual palette,Terrick says her client was open to anything. Mullaney says she trustedTerrick’s instincts. “People who do this kind of work see things that youjust don’t see. They have the vision,” she says. “We’ve had many guestsover, and the first thing they notice is the colors. They blend andbalance. It’s a very open space, so you can see all the colors at once. But somehow they all work.” ■

Kimi Eisele is a Tucson, Ariz.-based writer who just completed her first novel.

Stillwater (SW 6223)

Copper Bangle (SW 1350)

(This color is no longer part

of the Sherwin-Williams

color palette but can be

custom-mixed at your local

Sherwin-Williams store.)

Tupelo Tree (SW 6417)

Mediterranean (SW 7617)

Sassy Green (SW 6416)

Hearts of Palm (SW 6415)

Radicchio (SW 1560)

Bold Brick (SW 6327)

Dromedary (SW 7694)

Dapper Tan (SW 6144)

Smoky Topaz (SW 6117)

Light Coffee (SW 1321)

Bolero (SW 7600)

Fine Wine (SW 6307)

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Walk through the Cork Factory at STIR online at swstir.com. Click onResources under STIR Library.

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When Barb Terrick designed the interior of this loft apartment in

the newly renovated Cork Factory, she wanted to make the most of

its spectacular site.

Located on the ninth floor of the building known as “the Tower,” the loft

has many large windows and a sweeping view of the Allegheny River.

Terrick looked for colors that would bring the palette from the city

and river into the apartment.

“With all the glass and the river as a backdrop, I wanted you to feel

like you were floating,” she says.

She also chose furniture and fabrics that complemented that floating

feeling — a boomerang-shaped glass table, glass pedestals for lamps

and an area rug that reflected the various colors in the room.

“You really do feel like you’re in touch with the river when you walk

in there,” Terrick says.

BRINGING THE ALLEGHENY INSIDE

Designer Barb Terrick’s vibrant

color scheme started with a key

ingredient: confidence.



STIR: What do you find so fascinating about glass?DC: The transparency. Very few materials have that:plastic, ice and glass. Light coming through glass is so magical. The Chartres Cathederal in France hasvery famous windows, and [even from a greatdistance] you can see a 1-inch square of ruby redglass. It’s that powerful.

STIR: You earned a degree in interior design, thenswitched to sculpture and glass-blowing. Whatinspired you to change course? DC: I had been working with glass for a couple ofyears on my own. One day, I was working with meltedstained glass and I blew on it and got a bubble, whichwas unusual. I got so excited about it that it signaledto me that’s what I wanted to do.

STIR: What’s your process when making color choices?DC: I don’t have a process. I just have a feeling: “Let’s make this oneblue.” It just comes naturally. There’s not a color I haven’t worked with,and in every degree, from very transparent to opaque. The colors comein rods from Germany, and we have 1,000 colors altogether. We refer to them as numbers, like “15 blue.”

STIR: How does your medium affect your use of color?DC: If you blow a certain way, the glass goes more opaque ortranslucent. Blue and yellow don’t always make green. Glass is lesspredictable because colors heat at different temperatures. Blues andblacks get hot faster than reds and yellows. If a hot color is next to a cool color, it will blow out softer. When you reheat it, it can get allbumpy. You just have to be careful and take it slowly.

STIR: You pioneered the use of collaborative teams to create largeinstallations. What’s the biggest color challenge of workingcollaboratively on big pieces?DC: Different people on the teams do different things. I always have

other people blow for me since I lost the sight of my left eye in a car accident. Sometimes I have justa colorist who works on an entire piece. Color goes onblown glass at many different times, and differentpeople blow the glass differently.

STIR: How has your use of color evolved during yourlife as an artist?DC: I happen to be doing a lot of work in black now,with the foundation all black and colors put on thesurface. I’m not sure what started it. I hadn’t done itbefore; it’s a dramatic difference from my earlier work.

STIR: You developed a polymer material that you callPolyvitro. What is it, and what motivated you to create it?DC: It’s a type of plastic. Sometimes I want to do apiece that’s too heavy for glass. Polyvitro weighs half

as much as glass and it’s more durable. You can’t break it. If I’m doing a piece for outside, I can cast parts larger than I can with glass.

STIR: What colors do you surround yourself with at home?DC: I like green a lot. My kitchen is all enameled custard yellow. My studio doesn’t have much color, in the glass-blowing shop. Where I draw and paint, I have outdoor carpet — blue — because I use a lotof water when I draw, and it’s messy.

STIR: What impact has technology had on glass-blowing?DC: Very little. All the tools are the same as they were 2,000 years ago.The furnaces are almost the same, although the kneeling ovens arenow computerized, so they’re very accurate. It’s one craft that’schanged very little. ■

Dale Chihuly is credited with revolutionizing the American Studio Glass movement, transforming its

premise from a single artist working alone to a team collaborating on massive, multipart installations.

Yet Chihuly’s work remains distinctively his own, a color-drenched celebration of organic forms.

Clearly INSPIREDPioneering glass artist Dale Chihuly remains captivatedby the unique colors and character of his fragile medium.

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SEE VIDEO OF CHIHULY’S WORK

Visit STIR online at swstir.com and click on Resources under STIR Library.>>


“Blue and yellow don’t

always make green.

Glass is less predictable

because colors heat at

different temperatures.

Blues and blacks get

hot faster than reds

and yellows.”

—DALE CHIHULY

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A commercial interior design firm introduces sustainable building practices to a just-emergingmarket, coloring its walls — and the horizon — a hopeful shade of green.

Red light, GREEN light

reen building projects present specialchallenges, and that can be especiallytrue in places where environmentally

sound building practices are still in an earlystage. Just ask Jill Mendoza, president ofIndianapolis-based commercial interiordesign firm i.d.o. incorporated — InnovativeDesign Offerings.

In Indiana, green building has been slowto catch on for both political and practicalreasons. “Electricity in the state is among the cheapest in the country,” notes Mendoza.“Plus, one of the largest incinerators in theMidwest is in Indianapolis, which takes thepressure off landfills.” Further hamperingdemand for green building is the state’s lackof incentives to motivate developers. Only sixprojects statewide have achieved Leadershipin Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)certification. Neighboring Illinois, by contrast,

claims at least 202 certified projects,according to the U.S. Green Building Council,the organization behind the LEED ratingsystem for sustainability in structural design,building and operation.

In fact, until recently, i.d.o. hadn’treceived a single request for green projectwork from its corporate, health-care,hospitality and educational accounts.Mendoza decided the firm couldn’t afford

to wait to begin its learning curve. So, from the corner office stepped a willing,trailblazer client: Mendoza herself.

Learning on the job“We were following green building for ourown professional development and wantedto learn what it would take and to test ourparticular market’s readiness,” she says.Purchasing a 5,000-square-foot single-storyoffice building to use as their laboratory,Mendoza assigned i.d.o. project associateDonna Metallic the task of dividing staffersinto teams responsible for LEED certification,public spaces, private spaces, lighting andfinish materials, with the latter two teamstaking the lead on color.

Color may be a visual medium but, ingreen building, its specification depends first

upon the sense of smell. LEED certificationstandards for indoor air quality mandate that paints and coatings contain low-emitting materials for the benefit of thoseapplying the finishes and occupying thespace. Working with Sherwin-WilliamsArchitectural Account Executive ShaunWilliams, i.d.o. went for the lowest of the low, choosing Harmony® from the company’sselection of GreenSure® lines because of its

no-VOC (volatile organic compounds)formulation and deep tinting base.

“Five to 10 years back, there were mostlypastels available in our low-VOC products,”says Williams. “Today, all of our colors can bemade in the low-VOC formulations, so there’sthe option of bright, vivid shades thatinvigorate spaces like i.d.o.’s.”

And the designers there knew it. “Thecolor conversations went on for months!”says Metallic. All 12 i.d.o. associates hadinput. “The younger associates wantedbrighter colors. For a while, the palettebecame very blue. Then they had to pull meback because I had a lot more green,” sherecounts. Two directions emerged: a warm,“safer” palette featuring chocolate brownsand golds, and the winner, a cooler wash of sky blue, apple green and sienna.

B y K I T T Y S H E A

Color may be a visual medium but, in green building, its specificationdepends first upon the sense of smell.

TranSglass vases

by Artecnica


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The palette at i.d.o. reflects

a careful compromise among

passionate design associates.


PALETTEENTRY

SW 0008 Cajun Red (wall behind art)

SW 6240 Windy Blue (wall)

SW 6133 Muslin (wall)

SW 6716 Dancing Green

SW 6504 Sky High (ceiling)

OPEN OFFICES

SW6240 Windy Blue (wall)

SW 6133 Muslin (wall)

SW 6716 Dancing Green (wall)

RESOURCE LIBRARY

SW 6240 Windy Blue (exterior conference room wall)

SW 6133 Muslin (interior conference room wall)

SW 6504 Sky High (ceiling)

KITCHEN

SW 6242 Bracing Blue

SW 6716 Dancing Green


The clear, crisp colors infuse the spaceand its inhabitants with energy andinspiration, an outcome they anticipatedbut didn’t formulate. “As designers, we’reaware of the psychological aspects of color,but those were the icing on the cake, notthe driving force behind our selections,”says Metallic.

The designers also inherited elementsfrom which they had to work backwards.More than two-thirds of the furniture andfurnishings in the new building came from their old offices — including suchsignature eye-poppers as perky greenconference-room chairs — earning i.d.o.LEED credits under the category “ResourceReuse.” A brand-identity process under-taken in 2001 and its resulting colorscheme similarly exerted influence. Andnew picks, such as brown-toned corkflooring, whose installation won a LEEDnod under “Rapidly Renewable Materials,”played right into basic color-wheel theory:opposites attract.

Opposites attract, indeed: “Even ourmost conservative clients like the space,”says Metallic.

“When people walk in, they can’t quite put their finger on what makes the space feellike it does,” says Mendoza. “It’s the color,combined with the fact that we’re pushing 30 percent more fresh air through the system,we’re emitting more natural light with colorsreflecting that light, and we’ve used naturalproducts so there aren’t fumes in the air.Integrating all those elements, you’re in amore natural environment.”

Inroads are being made outside i.d.o.’scolor-revved walls. A year later, the firm hasone green client project on the board and ahandful of RFPs outstanding. “It’s still atrickle, but green building is starting to filterinto our community,” says Mendoza. “I’d liketo think we were catalysts in that.” ■

Kitty Shea is a Minnesota-based freelance writer

who specializes in interior design.

CYCLING & RECYCLINGAmong the categories for which LEED awards

credits toward certification is “Alternative

Transportation, Bicycle Storage and Changing

Rooms.” Secure bike parking and shower

facilities make it possible for i.d.o. employees

to pedal to and from work, saving on fuel.

The firm also scored for “Recycled Content”

by specifying products that had past lives

as something different, including:

• Herman Miller Aeron desk chairs

containing 62 percent recycled content,

including recycled pop bottles.

• Bentley Prince Street carpet that uses

mineral residuals from the global paper

recycling industry in its backing.

• Herman Miller Resolve System workstations

using recycled steel as well as reclaimed

wood (primarily sawdust) generated by

other wood process operations.

• TranSglass vases designed by Emma

Woffenden and Tord Boontje through

Artecnica, made from recycled wine

and beer bottles.

To keep the recycling circle going, i.d.o.

provides bins for recyclable paper, glass

and plastic at each workstation and in

the community kitchen area.

>>MORE ON RECYCLING MATERIALS

To link to manufacturers’ Web sites, go to STIR online at swstir.com and click onResources under STIR Library.

Aeron® chair by

Herman Miller, Inc.

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ew is no longer a “don’t” when itcomes to exterior painting. And even if there’s rain in the weather forecast,

painting jobs don’t have to be postponedwhen you rely on Resilience,® Sherwin-Williams’ new exterior paint formulated withits exclusive MoistureGuard™ technology.

With Resilience, newly painted exteriorsdevelop resistance to moisture twice as quickly, in just two hours, rather than the four-hourminimum most exterior latex paints require.

“It’s a technology breakthrough that allowsyou to schedule painters with assurance, nomatter what the forecast,” says Steve Revnew,director of marketing, product development, for Sherwin-Williams’ Architectural Coatings. And no matter what the climate, Resilience is agreat-quality choice with excellent hide and durability unmatched by the competition. And, painters will appreciate its easy application.”

Resilience also has a low (50 grams per liter) VOC, so it meets themost stringent of environmental requirements.

When the ultimate in durability is the most important factor in anexterior painting project, professionals can rely on Sherwin-Williams

Duration® Exterior Coating formulated withPermaLast,® a state-of-the-art acrylic co-polymertechnology. This technology maximizes “filmbuild” — the thickness of the paint layer applied— which is 70 percent higher with Durationcompared with other top-line exterior paints.Higher film build ensures a more durable,flexible layer of protection that won’t peel orblister. And only Duration promises one-coatcoverage on repaints, a significant benefit fortight schedules.

The Sherwin-Williams exterior lineup alsoincludes SuperPaint Exterior Latex, which hasbeen enhanced for improved application andhiding, and lower VOCs. Duration, Resilienceand SuperPaint all contain the exclusiveVinylSafe™ color technology, which allows

you to use darker hues on vinyl siding and cellular PVC substrates. Inthe past, homeowners were limited to the same or a lighter color paint,because dark colors would absorb heat and damage the plastic vinyl.With VinylSafe technology, darker hues resist heat, opening up arainbow of color choices.

Sherwin-Williams’ A-100® exterior formula has also been enhancedfor better hiding, application and lower VOCs. And both SuperPaint andA-100 exterior paints offer Advanced Resin Technology, which deliverssuperior adhesion and color retention, resisting frost in cold conditionsas well as mildew, fading, peeling and blistering in hot and humidconditions. Plus, all of the Sherwin-Williams exterior products (except fora high-gloss sheen) can be applied in temperatures as low as 35 degreesFahrenheit, which helps to extend the exterior painting season.

If you have questions about which coating might be best for yourparticular application, please consult with your Sherwin-Williamsrepresentative or a local store. ■

D

Technology innovations expand painting options — so you can schedule and choose colors with confidence.

B y K I M PA L M E R

Superior exteriors

Sherwin-WilliamsDuration Exterior

The ultimate indurability with one coat onrepaints and twocoats on new work.

Sherwin-WilliamsResilience

Excellent hide and durability,plus revolutionarymoistureresistance.

Sherwin-WilliamsSuperPaintExterior Latex

Superiorperformance withimproved hidingand applicationand lower VOCs.

Sherwin-WilliamsA100

Trusted performance ata great value withimproved hidingand applicationand lower VOCs.

EXTERIOR COATINGS AT A GLANCE

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C O L O R T E C H

LEARN MORE

Visit STIR online at swstir.com and click on Resources under STIR

Library to learn more about these products and their benefits.

>>


F I N A L T O U C H

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Those bewitching baby blues aren’t what they appear to be. Only

three pigments are present in the human eye: brown, yellow and gray.

Those pigments combine in different ways to create the range of eye colors

that we see. Eyes that look blue contain a bit of yellow and little to no brown,

while eyes that look green have a lot of yellow and some brown. And if brown

eyes seem sincere, perhaps it’s because they’re the only eye color that isn’t

masquerading as another. The sometimes-shifting eye color known as hazel is

actually a multicolored eye: often a brown ring around a lighter, blue- or

green-appearing center. Green eyes are actually quite rare, present in

only 2 percent of the human population. Perhaps that’s why

green was the eye color associated with the deities

of Chinese and Greek mythology. ■

s t i r

PRSTD STDUS Postage

PAIDCenveo

Sherwin-Williams400 1st Ave. N., Ste. 200Minneapolis, MN 55401

paint on comfort.

SW 7608 | ADRIFT

We know you’re not just specifying a color, you’re specifying a mood. And whether you want to

make your space relaxing or invigorating or somewhere in between, we have the hues to help. So

choose Sherwin-Williams COLOR™ and take comfort in knowing that your room will feel exactly

the way you intended. To order large size color samples and fan decks, go to sherwin-williams.com

or contact your local Architectural or Designer Account Executive.

©2007 The Sherwin-Williams Companysherwin-williams.com

Architect and Designer Answerline 800-321- 8194

from the collection™

SHERW1362_Comfort_9.125x9:Hanleywood 1/23/08 4:45 PM Page 1

Documents

STIR 5.1 2008