The fact that an inherently simple product, like Ideapaint’s CREATE, allows the mind to imagine so many creative possibilities, is what makes the product truly amazing!
We met with Laila Al-Yousuf from the new Say Studio and Maja Kozel of Maja Kozel Design to review Ideapaint’s CREATE to share their thoughts and where they feel it works best.
The Ideapaint mantra is all about making collaboration as easy and seamless as possible. By creating a product that converts most on-porous surfaces into writable surfaces, the dry-erase paint manufacturer effectively gives new life to our seemingly innocent white-board markers. By removing the physical boundaries posed by traditional writing surfaces, ideas and thoughts are free to flow. And the bigger the canvas, the more inviting it is. You may not be comfortable sharing space on that small whiteboard, but you’ll definitely enjoy brainstorming together on your office wall.
How do you envision IdeaPaint’s CREATE being used in a space?
Maja: It’s great to have this as an accent wall in any type of interiors, be an office to have this in a collaboration area or your home in a corridor, a public space, or restaurant, where people can temporarily leave their mark! It’s an exciting element to add to a space.
Laila: The product’s so flexible, making it easy for us interior designers to specify it on most type of projects and areas, irrespective of industry type, even in residences. The way I see it is being used to make any space feel more open and collaborative, even small meeting rooms or offices where space is a concern.
As if it wasn’t flexible enough, Ideapaint gives users an option to depart from traditional white walls with its Clear finish – a transparent finish that’s applied over an existing surface to transform it to a dry-erase writable surface. So if you’ve got a colour scheme you want to stick to or amazing decals you want to show-off, the clear coat is perfect.
The writable surfaces don’t have to end where the gypsum wall does. Like we said – any non-porous surface will do. So go ahead and paint on wood, MDF, metal or even glass. Just make sure it’s smooth. Irregularities and undulations tend to get magnified with its high-glossy surface.
In what aspects do you see it as better than alternatives?
Maja: You don’t need any extra reinforcements in a wall or surface. You can simply apply it wherever you want. And it’s better than wallpaper because you don’t see joints.
Laila: A whiteboard is just so small and limiting. It’s great to have a boundless canvas for those free-flowing ideas. I personally love the CLEAR cost. I just love the fact that I can specify a wall and wood panel together on the same wall, and make them both writable. The alternative would be looking at different finishes.
In case you’re wondering if the installation’s going to be a challenge… don’t. But the product does come with a caveat; using the specified roller brush results in an ‘orange peel’ like textured-finish. The finish, while very smooth and is no hindrance to the writing experience, might bother the perfectionist among us. But a smooth finish can be achieved if you spray paint.
The product itself is sold in DIY kits, with clear instructions on the inside. And it’s available in 50, 100 or 200 SQF; so you can quantify the right amount to buy. And what’s more, it’s a single coat paint!
It’s hard for us to pin down an exact target audience for CREATE. The versatility of the product sees it being placed in areas ranging from a meeting room, classroom, kids bedroom and even an entire corridor of a private office. The sustainability front is covered as well, with the product being Greenguard Gold Certified.
What was the experience like?… any likes or dislikes?
Maja: Nice that you have options in terms of colours and it’s possible to have an extra layer with a magnetic option with their other products! I’d personally prefer if we didn’t have to deal with the orange peel-like finish. Would be great if it came in a matte finish too! And neat-freaks better watch out, you need to have the specific pens and cleaning products; otherwise, you might end up with a wash of colour on your white wall.
Laila: Smooth, seamless and so much fun! But, I can see the texture being a problem with some clients and users.
Ideapaint’s CREATE is probably one of the most innovative products we’ve come across in a while. And definitely, one that gets our creative juices flowing. Simply knowing you can use your wall as a mind-dump is a comforting and exciting thought, at the same time.
