NEWH - Spring/Summer 2010 - (Page 38)

which has helped boost Milliken’s brand visibility according to Hillis: Pure Color, an “aha moment,” as Francis describes it, uses recycled dyes from production runs and is the most environmentally responsible and design-friendly color system in the country; two-dimensional floorplans and three-dimensional renderings were added to Etage, allowing designers to instantly place designs into room scenes while saving energy by favoring the computer over carpet samples; and Wake-up Call, a new carpet for modular rooms, was developed, branded, and marketed as Milliken’s new Guestroom Experience. Laura Roman, Milliken’s director of design, notes that the council has been instrumental in leading Milliken’s overall design direction. Uncovering growing textural trends, for example, led to the creation of Strato Sheer broadloom and tile while collections like Lincoln Park and Sonata were fine-tuned. Working sessions not only strengthen Milliken’s “strategic clarity” and help establish “touch points for the customer and customer experience,” says Roman but the open communication is a boon for designers. “Designers across the board are all facing the same issues in their work and creative process; there are many ways to skin a cat and more ways to design a carpet,” says Anita Degen of Degen & Degen Architecture and Interior Design in Seattle, who took part in the inaugural council sessions. “The most gratifying aspect of being on the Design Council was the exchange of ideas and information within this diverse group of hospitality experts and seasoned designers. It was wonderful and eye-opening to step out of my own yard and into their worlds.” Discussing these different perspectives was a positive for the Design Council believes Roman: “If someone said they loved it, it wasn’t hard for someone to say, ‘I hate it and this is why.’ If we showed a crazy design, it was okay for people to challenge each other. An inside/out approach is hit or miss. But an outside/in approach, starting with high-level concepts and screening down, is more relevant and on the mark.” www.millikencarpet.com Above: The Willow & Lace Collection in neutral hues from Milliken. Opposite page: The Design Council: Front row, from left: Kate Cropsey, Gettys; Andrea Gillespie, AK Designs; Carolyn Henry, Carolyn Henry & Associates; Anita Degen, Degen & Degen; Cheryl Stanzione, Stanzione Associates; Katherine Ingrassia, KI Design; Donna Donohoe, DThree Inc.; Farley Hunter, F.A. Hunter & Associates; and Jan Dufault, Cunningham Group Architecture. Back row: Karin Armstrong-Harrington, Studio One; Christine Shanahan, J/Brice International; and Brian Maloney, Tracy Francis, Steve Hillis, and Laura Roman, Milliken Hospitality. (Not pictured: Todd Pagel, JCJ Architecture.) www.newh.org 37 http://www.millikencarpet.com http://www.newh.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Spring/Summer 2010

NEWH - Spring/Summer 2010
Table of Contents
News
Sustainability: Point of View
Q&A: Kristen Freeland
Have you Seen?
Product Know-How
On the Scene
Cover Story: Milliken
Project: Livingston Restaurant + Bar
Project: Prime BurgerHouse and Crave Deli
Save the Date
New Members
Partner Profiles

NEWH - Spring/Summer 2010