In the Spirit of Optimism
Maybe it’s the start of the new decade or just twelve years of unbroken practice leading us in this direction, but our vision for Grain as we enter 2020 is one of complete and total optimism. We started this business with the personal goal of working creatively in partnership along with the deeper intention of social and environmental responsibility.
As our business has grown and shifted over the years from practical solutions such as recyclable non-toxic shower curtains, to human-centered projects such as developing sustainable income opportunities for weaving cooperatives in Guatemala, to designing furniture and objects from natural materials and finishes that you can trust to be clean and safe for your home and family, we are always exploring what is possible within this artisan economy.
Our excitement at the moment is circling around our new studio space under construction here on Bainbridge Island (follow along via Instagram stories). We hope to move into the first building by the end of winter and can’t wait to share more about how this new space and our new tooling will allow us to extend our local manufacturing capabilities through the integration of new technology.
As we prepare for our move, we are also taking on a deep assessment of our processes to gain insight into where there are opportunities to be better social and environmental stewards. This includes an evaluation of our current carbon footprint and a plan for how we can eliminate or mitigate all of our emissions by the end of the calendar year.
We will get there through a number of internal efforts such as converting to 100% renewable energy as we move into our new studio buildings, making changes to how and where we source materials, reducing the non-recyclable/non-compostable waste we produce and participating in carbon offsetting and insetting programs for what we cannot eliminate.
Hopefully it goes without saying, but we would not have the opportunity to apply this vision without the support of our amazing staff and collaborators past and present, the independent design community and friends and family cheering us on.
Even more important has been the support of our customers and clients - some of whom have been buying shower curtains from our garage before we even had a business license. So along with optimism, gratitude is and will always be, at the center of all that we do.
