NEWH - August 2006 - (Page 20)
technology enables design
by Tracy Francis
When we think of technology, our
thoughts often go to guest check-in,
keyless room entry or wireless
Internet access. But technology also
drives design. Many design breakthroughs trace their impetus to
technological innovations or to new
applications of existing technologies.
Design is the artistic expression of
technology. In carpeting and wall
covering, we’ve derived many
design benefits from new technologies. The continued evolution of
modular carpet allows designers to
use carpet tiles as building blocks,
composing dramatic large-scale
patterns on the floor. For this design
advantage as well as its high-performance, flexibility and ease of
installation and transport, modular
carpet is increasing in hospitality
specification. More than 43% of
hospitality designers now specify
modular carpet, according to a
Floor Focus survey.
More recently, the innovation of an
adhesive-free
technology
has
impacted wall coverings and modular carpet. The technology led to
the development of 180 Walls™, a
high-design textile fabric that is easily applied to walls without the use
of adhesive. Aside from its aesthetic
advantages over vinyl wall cover-
ings, it installs more easily and
enhances indoor air quality. Another
adhesive-free technology, Traction
Back®, was engineered for modular
carpet.
At Milliken, we are continually finding new ways for technology to
inform design. Our designers and
collaborators work in multi-functional teams to explore new avenues to
articulate art through technology.
This year has been a particularly
exciting year for a team of interior
designers, graphic designers, decorative artists and design technologists who came together to create a
new design approach called étage.
A first in modular carpet, étage
allows designers to select multiple
layers of color and pattern and use
them in different combinations to
create hundreds of pattern possibilities. Milliken makes the layering
technology available through a proprietary interactive digital tool that
turns layers off and on at the designer’s command to instantly produce a
range of options. Designers use the
system to customize patterns right
on their computer, potentially saving valuable and costly design time.
To develop the approach, Milliken
worked with a multifaceted team,
including Donna and Brian Donohoe
and Ovid Pope of D-Three,
Glendale, CA;
Bryan Shackle,
Sarah Marek
and Chrystie
Koshiol
of
Cuningham
G r o u p ,
Minneapolis;
and Tracy Lee
Stum of Art for
After Hours,
Ventura, CA.
The collaborative partners
worked sepaMilliken booth at the HD Expo
20
rately in their creative process and
achieved their results through different methods. But all embraced
author Elbert Hubbard’s mantra,
“art is not a thing; it is a way.” And
they sought new ways to express art
through Milliken’s latest generation
of
Millitron
High-Definition
Patterning technology.
The D-Three team’s goal was to create more dimensional and experiential designs by layering color and
pattern. “We want to create vibrant
living images in our interiors,” said
interior designer Donna Donohoe of
D-Three. “Real life has dimension
and color. Our hospitality guests
deserve that magic and richness of
experience.” Using PhotoShop®, the
D-Three team overlaid images like
gossamer sheets. “We were inspired
by historical research into printed
cotton designs,” said D-Three’s
technology specialist Ovid Pope.
“We combined contemporary
graphic styles with traditional print
motifs. The detail, variation in hue,
color gradients and visual textures
produce vibrant, dreamlike
images.”
Award-winning artist Tracy Stum,
who creates trompe l’oeil work and
street paintings for Madonnari festivals, also layered artwork. However,
her inspiration was Baroque,
Rococo and contemporary art, and
her medium was painting. “I draw
from a vast library of decorative
painting techniques to create
designs that have the look of handmade, layered fabric and paint,”
She said. “The finished result is
something you can’t get on a computer, as irregularities occur during
the painting process that make the
piece more authentic, organic and
one-of-a kind. There is beauty in
imperfection.”
An artist, Stum said “I think in sepa-
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - August 2006
NEWH - August 2006
Letter From the President
Upfront
Contents
Hospitality News
In the Community
Form and Function – Technology That Truly Enhances Design
The Entrepreneurs 10 Commandments
The Power of Design: Good Design = Good Business
Katrina Relief Effort
Technology Enables Design
Technology Can Take You to a New Level
88th Annual NeoCon World’s Trade Fair
G2E Institute and Red Rocks Casino Resort and Spa
New Beginnings
Los Angeles Scholarship Winners
HD 2006 Expo Recap
Washington DC Chapter Takes Up the Torch for School From the Heart
Contributors
Coming Events
NEWH - August 2006
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