i + D - January/February 2021 - 48

Material
Matters
Paint
& Color

Winning
Formulas
While color is often viewed as the most important
aspect of paint, the chemical formulations continue
to advance, raising the bar on durability, effects,
and sustainability.
Air quality is a factor that's becoming increasingly
important to paint manufacturers-in the past
year more than ever. " Due to the unprecedented
events of 2020, our homes ... are working harder
for us than ever before, so, by nature, we are
mindful of the impact these spaces have on us
and our loved ones, " says Rick Watson, director
of product information and technical services at
Sherwin-Williams. " We want to practice living
well in all aspects of our homes, including the
coatings we choose to put on our walls. "
Watson says that going forward, designers
can expect to see a continued investment in
coatings that support the wellbeing of a space.
For instance, the company's SuperPaint with
Sanitizing Technology is a microbial paint that
keeps walls sanitized by killing 99.9 percent of
certain bacteria, such as Staph, E. coli, and more.
And SuperPaint with Air Purifying Technology
is a zero-VOC paint that works to contribute to
better air quality by reducing VOCs even from
other sources like carpets and fabrics.

Sherwin-Williams'
color of the year for
2021: Urbane Bronze.
(Image: Sherwin-Williams)

The Paint Laboratory
in Seattle offers
cutting-edge paint
finishes, designerdriven colors, and
custom capabilities.
(Image: Tim Aguero)

Rocky Rochon, interior designer
and founder of The Paint Laboratory
(see sidebar p. 47), says the call
for environmentally friendly paint
formulations is nothing new. " In
my experience, they've been asking
that question for 20 years, " he says.
" The flip side of it is, when you're
looking at being sustainable, you
also have to look at how durable
the product is. "
But paint companies have
come a long way, says Rochon.
In the past, oil-based paints
were considered the most durable
but at the cost of being high
in VOCs. " Paint companies have
worked diligently on making
acrylics more durable, and now
acrylics are getting increasingly
better-and they don't yellow
like oil-based paints. "

Watson says that design pros
should also look to new and more
diverse formulations with various
performance capabilities. " If you're
looking for stain resistance and
washability, styrene acrylic
and acrylic-alkyds will offer the
best results, " he notes. " For
erosion resistance and scrubs,
vinyl acrylic and 100 percent
acrylic are most appropriate to
achieve a higher value. "
PPG's businesses span multiple
industries, which allows the
chemists to draw in technologies
from other sectors. For instance,
a new interior paint that is highly
resistant to water- and oil-based
stains has its roots in the automotive
industry, as does an exterior paint
that has fade-resistant technology.
" It's been really impressive to
see what our formulating chemists
have been able to do, " says
Joanne Currie, senior product
portfolio manager, paint for PPG.

JESSICA GOLDBOGEN HARLAN
has written about the home furnishings industry for
more than 20 years, and her work has appeared in
HFN, Town & Country, Stylus, TastingTable.com,
ALLRECIPES.COM, AmericasMart magazine, and
Yahoo! A culinary-school graduate, she also is the author
of nine cookbooks, including Ramen to the Rescue,
Mason Jar Lunches, and The Little Book of Takoyaki.

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