Mar 23, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore

Pink Durat Countertops Bring Artist’s Aesthetic to Kitchen

Artist Sharon Knettell paints beautiful dancers with the skill of a master. After seeing her exquisite images, the fact that she just remodeled her kitchen with pink Durat countertops, from CaraGreen, makes perfect sense. Her kitchen is another medium for her to impart her artistic vision. Sharon did all the design work, research, and floor plan for the space. She told us that she caught a lot of grief for the color from people in the business. She heard, “it’s so bubblegum” and “Barbie, think of the resale value”. But now, everyone who sees it loves it.

Sharon said, “When I first was planning the kitchen I knew I wanted something modern and striking, but the design had to respect the architecture of the house, a 1905 New England carriage house in Woonsocket, RI. Ultra-modern Sleek Italian design would not cut it. I love black and white and the sharp contrast, gives, I think, a more contemporary edge to the traditional Shaker cabinets. The kitchen is galley shaped, and the bottom black cabinets visually recede making the space appear bigger. The counter therefore had to be an element that bridged the gap between the strong contrasts. I did not want all the usual suspects - neutrals, plain white or something as overused and boring as granite. Seeing Durat 150 pink was a eureka moment. Perfect! I love pink. It was not a coral pink or grey beige pink, but a lovely cool raspberry pink. I am a painter so perfect color is important to me. I also researched the quality of the material and found that it was highly regarded.” Sharon uses the kitchen heavily and says the counters are great for rolling out dough. The material resists stains and cleans easily.  And, “it always looks fresh and bright – a joy in the morning”.  The fact that Durat is sustainable and contains 30% recycled content and is 100% recyclable is a bonus.

Contractor - Ocean State Property Services
Back splash and wall glass mosaics - Bisazza
Black and white cabinetry - Crown Point Cabinetry
Range hood - Kobe Range Hoods
Sink - Elkay Avado Undermount Sink | EFRU3219
Stove - GE Appliances
Stacked washer and dryer - LG
Faucet and dish liquid dispenser - Hansgrohe
Refrigerator - Jenn-Aire
Dishwasher - Whirlpool
White German porcelain cockatoo , 'Earle' - Ebay

For more information on Durat, which comes in over 60 color choices, contact usdurat kitchen by artist sharon knettell.

 

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Mar 23, 2011 Author: Carrie Moore

Visual Studies Initiative at Duke Creates Durat Bench To Mirror Logo

The Visual Studies Initiative at Duke University converted their logo into benches made of Durat. The logo, which was designed by Chair, Hans Van Miegroet, is a colored barcode design. After a steering committee member saw Durat’s Raita bench in a magazine, the striking resemblance to The Visual Studies Initiative logo got them thinking the benches would be a great addition to their space. The idea gained momentum and CaraGreen worked with Durat and Duke to facilitate the custom order. Rachael Brady, co-director of the initiative, put the logo into Photosho p, pixelated it, counted the relative width of the stripes, and made it into a spreadsheet that was given to Durat for manufacturing. With Durat’s extensive color selection, the logo colors were easy to match. To efficiently ship the benches, both in regards to cost and carbon emissions, eight Durat bench tops were ordered without the bases. Duke opted to have the bases made by a local metalsmith, Leo Gaev, who was able to replicate Durat’s design.

The benches are installed at their two facilities, one of which is an old warehouse, and the modern aesthetic complements its urban industrial feel. The benches are also functional for the space, which is bustling with students. The durable material is easily cleaned. Rachael Brady told CaraGreen that the benches “helped the branding of the department and had been extremely well received.”

For samples of Durat or more information on custom Durat furniture, contact us.

The Visual Studies Initiative at Duke University converted their logo into benches made of Durat. The logo, which was designed by Chair, Hans Van Miegroet, is a colored barcode design. After a steering committee member saw Durat’s Raita bench in a magazine, the striking resemblance to The Visual Studies Initiative logo got them thinking the benches would be a great addition to their space. The idea gained momentum and CaraGreen worked with Durat and Duke to facilitate the custom order. Rachael Brady, co-director of the initiative, put the logo into Photosho p, pixelated it, counted the relative width of the stripes, and made it into a spreadsheet that was given to Durat for manufacturing. With Durat’s extensive color selection, the logo colors were easy to match. To efficiently ship the benches, both in regards to cost and carbon emissions, eight Durat bench tops were ordered without the bases. Duke opted to have the bases made by a local metalsmith, Leo Gaev, who was able to replicate Durat’s design. The benches are installed at their two facilities, one of which is an old warehouse, and the modern aesthetic complements its urban industrial feel. The benches are also functional for the space, which is bustling with students. The durable material is easily cleaned. Rachael Brady told CaraGreen that the benches “helped the branding of the department and had been extremely well received.” For samples of Durat or more information on custom Durat furniture, contact us.The Visual Studies Initiative at Duke University converted their logo into benches made of Durat. The logo, which was designed by Chair, Hans Van Miegroet, is a colored barcode design. After a steering committee member saw Durat’s Raita bench in a magazine, the striking resemblance to The Visual Studies Initiative logo got them thinking the benches would be a great addition to their space. The idea gained momentum and CaraGreen worked with Durat and Duke to facilitate the custom order. Rachael Brady, co-director of the initiative, put the logo into Photosho p, pixelated it, counted the relative width of the stripes, and made it into a spreadsheet that was given to Durat for manufacturing. With Durat’s extensive color selection, the logo colors were easy to match. To efficiently ship the benches, both in regards to cost and carbon emissions, eight Durat bench tops were ordered without the bases. Duke opted to have the bases made by a local metalsmith, Leo Gaev, who was able to replicate Durat’s design. The benches are installed at their two facilities, one of which is an old warehouse, and the modern aesthetic complements its urban industrial feel. The benches are also functional for the space, which is bustling with students. The durable material is easily cleaned. Rachael Brady told CaraGreen that the benches “helped the branding of the department and had been extremely well received.” For samples of Durat or more information on custom Durat furniture, contact us.durat bench at duke visual studies initiativedurat bench at duke visual studies initiativedurat bench at duke visual studies initiativedurat bench at duke visual studies initiative

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Mar 06, 2011 Author: Jessica McNaughton

New “Green” Certification by The Sustainable Performance Institute

The opportunity to be certified as “green” is now being extended to design and construction firms. The Sustainable Performance Institute (SPI) has launched a program that will recognize firms that can deliver on their promises of sustainability. The program has undergone a pilot phase in Boston, and takes the form of yet another credit based system that rewards leadership, project delivery and strategy among other criteria. The cost of certification can range from $2000 - $6000 per office, with an additional charge on a per office location of a few thousand dollars more.

What does this really mean for the green design and building landscape? Probably not much, YET. There are two programs available today, B Corp and Green Plus, that both offer programs for certification of a company based on an assessment of current practices via a questionnaire or survey and some feedback and reporting. Both focus on environmental and social responsibility, with B Corporations having a stronger lean toward triple bottom line performance and corporate governance.

The real problem with these certification programs is adoption, recognition and demand. High profile firms need to get on board with the programs quickly, then a critical mass of firms meeting the criteria needs to be achieved to be recognized as a “standard” and ultimately, “certified” companies must be demanded by the end customers. The timeframe for a widespread roll out, mass adoption and implementation to the point where clients will only engage with a firm that is “Green Firm Certified” is likely years away. But, the intention is good, and the push towards elevating the firms that truly “walk the talk” in sustainability is in the right direction.

More information on the Green Roundtable’s SPI certification can be found by clicking here. 

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