ICON - The magazine of the American Society of Interior Designers - (Page 34) ble manufacturing process and valuable product. Industry codes, safety standards, costs and sustainability factors need to be considered as well as its application in interior environments. Yet without an effective marketing strategy and buy-in from the design community, these material innovations and product developments won’t find their way into the built environment. Something Familiar While some people continue to look outside the box to invent new materials, many designers and materials experts find that some of our most basic, overlooked materials can be truly innovative. Whether using these materials in their pure form or breaking them down to re-invent or re-purpose them, these materials offer both familiarity and ingenuity. Dent and Reigi both agree that the use of wood has become more complex and interesting, as designers are finding ways to curve and color it as well as it break it down to use the fibers for inventive design solutions. Dent also highlights paper products such as Paperstone Certified, solid surfacing made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper; Counterfeit Green, shredded, solid surfacing produced from recycled counterfeit money; and Dial Tones, Know Your Material World The materials we use have great impact on the beauty of an environment as well as the health, safety and welfare of those who come into contact with that environment. “The more you understand the underlying material, the better you can understand how to use it and improve it. Understanding a material’s properties as well as its limitations will help you find better uses for it,” comments Dent. In today’s fast-paced world, designers and clients are always wanting to know what’s new and what’s next. As interior designers advance their understanding of both basic and revolutionary materials, they will also increase their value to clients with the ability to deliver environments that provide both form and function.] Jenny S. Rebholz, Allied Member ASID is an interior designer and journalist with a passion for writing about great design and educating the public on design issues and trends. See the Resource Guide on page 78 for additional resources and information about “Innovative Materials.” Counterfeit Green, made from 100 percent recycled paper from shredded counterfeit American dollars, is used to create high-density sheets that can be nailed, screwed and sectioned as well as sealed, painted or finished similar to wood. InformeDesign® Research on Innovative Materials Summaries of these, and other studies related to this article can be accessed from the InformeDesign® Web site at www.informedesign.umn.edu. Characterization of Pearlescent Coatings, Color Research and Application Electrochromic Window Systems, Lighting Research and Technology Furniture Materials May Affect Indoor Air, Indoor Air Nylon Yarns and Carpet Performance, Textile Research Journal Properties that Decrease Chenille Shrinkage, Textile Research Journal Recycled Fabrics for Sound Absorption, Textile Research Journal 34 ASID ICON | THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS MATERIAL CONNEXION wall covering made from 50 to 70 percent recycled Japanese telephone book papers as interesting paper based products. “I love simple, working class materials that are used in inventive ways,” comments Reigi. She finds the creative use of plywood, felts, splinter boards and other common, industrial materials to be truly innovative. “I am never disappointed if a designer figures out how to solve a design problem with, let’s say bubble wrap, rather than one of my products,” muses Reigi. “I like to see people taking chances.” http://www.informedesign.umn.edu
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.