Inspiration

Late last year we took some time to consider ways to improve our sampling program for designers. Through this process, we realized several key factors:

• Most sampling programs have the potential to create a lot of waste
• Although we compost nearly all of our scrap materials here at our Pacific Northwest finishing facility, we realized that many of our clients may not know that the memos they use on their project boards can actually go into the compost bin. Or, more importantly, that they might not even have access to a composting program in their immediate area
• When a designer is finished with a particular memo, it might still have a useful life with another client or another project

We have offered our Take Back® initiative to reclaim used shades and draperies since 2006 (we refurbish and donate or recycle used shades to keep them out of the landfill); ultimately this exercise inspired us to expand this end-of-life consideration to memo samples.

Our marketing team spent the next few months researching, designing, pitching and revising ideas, and we are excited with the solution we developed and the reduced the footprint it represents.

Starting this past winter, we began shipping every memo order in a unique, patented package: our memo envelope is used both to send out new memos and collect ones no longer in use.  Not only do we get the chance to reuse or recycle memos, but the process only requires the use of one envelope.  The bonus?  The the envelope is printed on sustainably sourced paper.

Do you have a sustainability story you’d like to share?  We’d love to hear your thoughts.  Join the conversation here at our Twitter feed or at our Facebook page.

41^st Marin Designers' Showcase

Last week our product development team made their way to Toronto to participate in the 14^th annual Interior Design Show, Canada’s largest contemporary design fair. Attending seminars from notaries such as Matali Crasset, Fabio Novembre and Bjarke Ingels offered them the chance to glean inspiration from some of the world’s most innovative design minds. Surrounded by creativity, it wasn’t hard for them to find inspiration, and they came home brimming with new concepts and ideas.

One of the most talked about featurettes at the show was a collaborative design project in which more than twenty Architects, Interior, Fashion and Graphic Designers re-imagined the MAGIS Julian Children’s Chair. Designers flocked to the chair displays, facinated at how each chair reflected the designer's unique design perspective and medium. The chairs were displayed throughout the show and our team brought back pictures of these fun and whimsical chair designs to share.

At the end of the show, each chair was auctioned off to raise money for, among other projects, ONEXONE's Pediatric Wing at the Mirebalais Hospital in Haiti. This made the insight they provided into some of the greatest minds of the design world even more valuable.

We cannot wait to explore one of the most prestigious showhouses in America, and are thrilled to have our handcrafted natural window coverings featured in Suite II of the Marin County Designer Showhouse.   A sincere thank you to Lindy Donnelly for specifying Erthweave EW141g Gavea as PanelScreen. We think it will provide the perfect framework for a window with a truly amazing view.

The home is called Villa Belvedere and boasts stunning panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay from every room. At approximately 15,500 square feet, on over an acre of land, the property embodies elegant waterfront living.

Learn more about the project:

You can explore this showhouse for yourself beginning in February.

Daily Tours: February 1st through 26th
Tuesdays thru Saturday, 10am - 3pm
Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Lunch Every Day: 11:30 am – 2 pm ($20)
Closed Mondays

TICKETS: $30 general | $25 for 62+

Can't wait for opening day? You can explore the showcase's website at http://marindesignersshowcase.org/home.html, find them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

We recently caught Yves Behar’s presentation at the 99% Behance Conference, and were inspired to share.

Throughout presentation, he shares his perspectives on bringing innovate design to life, including the adoption of sustainability, starting the design process with questions rather than answers and building partnerships to spur better design solutions.

We hope this video inspires your approach to design as much as it has ours.

Since the early days of the Roman Empire, milestones have been used to mark distance traveled on a journey. Over the past decade, in the many miles we’ve traveled and hours we’ve worked, it has become our tradition to celebrate these milestones. With that traveler’s spirit in our hearts, we are excited to celebrate our most recent milestone, the launch of the 2011 Reference Kit.

Months in the making, the new three piece kit features an updated Specification Guide, simplified Price List and Measuring Guide and newly designed Handcrafted Natural Window Covering Brochure. We are proud to say that we believe it is our finest kit to date.

If you would like a copy of your own, please contact your local showroom or call our Customer Relations department at 888.582.8780.

In conjunction with this Reference Guide Kit, we have also updated hfshades.com. We would love you to explore the updates on both platforms, and let us know what you think.  Please send us your feedback at hfmarketing@hfshades.com.

Our two most recent Automation CEU presentations were held at the Boston Design Center and Merchandise Mart in Chicago during fall markets.  Both presentations attracted more than 150 attendees, confirming our belief that interior designers are eager to learn more about Automation and how to make their designs as functional as they are sophisticated.

But what really made these presentations so dynamic was the interaction of our team and the attendees and the conversations sparked between the designers themselves.  The opportunity to discuss past successes and challenges in this new and developing segment was an invaluable learning experience for everyone involved.

Thanks to everyone who attended, and we encourage all designers to join in the conversation at our next round of seminars. New events are posted weekly at our events calendar - check back frequently to find events in your area or register for one of our online CEU accredited seminars.

For centuries, jute has been one of the world’s most versatile natural fibers. Even today, it is second only to cotton in terms of world wide usage, consumption and production. Part of its versatility lies in that the jute fiber itself has both textile and wood fiber characteristics. This allows it to be used to make everything from rough cloth to a textile with silk-like finish. It can even be processed into pulp and paper.

The jute plant renews rapidly, growing to maturity in a short 4–6 months, and as a rain-fed crop has little need for fertilizer or pesticides. It is a bio-degradable, naturally decomposable and recyclable fiber (jute can be recycled multiple times) making it among the most environment-friendly fibers cultivated today.

These are among the many reasons that our design team chose to use jute for our latest KottaWeave Collection Update. The seven sheer designs feature the natural heathered look inherent to the fiber while offering the strength, durability, UV protection and sound and heat insulation desired in a high quality window covering.

OTHER BLOGS IN THIS SERIES: Water Hyacinth | Ramie

Don’t miss the Green Spot and Sustainability Timeline at NEOCON 2011. You’ll find our Liniedge® Collection featured on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart in this special section for products that are green, eco-friendly and sustainable. Criteria for product selection included LEED Capability, Environmental Performance, Innovativeness, Green Design & Sustainability.

They chose to highlight our Liniedge Collection for several key reasons:

• Each weave is crafted from rapidly renewable fibers that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable
• It is 100% handcrafted, using traditional wooden handlooms and time-honored weaving techniques, saving energy by eliminating the use of electric machinery
• All Liniedge Collection materials are bulk-shipped to our Northwest Finishing Facility to minimize our carbon footprint
• We offer the industry-first Take-Back™ initiative, a program designed to keep used shades out of landfills at the end of their useful life
• All shades are handfinished in the USA at our Pacific Northwest finishing facility

The initiative was conceived as a way to provide continuing sustainability education in the largest LEED certified building in the world. We are thrilled to have been included in this year’s feature, which will be on display through 2011.