Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Price Latimer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi PRICE, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
Alkemis Paint is fundamentally different than traditional latex/acrylic paints. We are the world’s first wellness paint—bringing nature and design together to create healthier, more intentional interior spaces. As one of the only Cradle to Cradle Certified® paints in North America, Alkemis is ethically produced to help customers breathe easier and live more harmoniously. Alkemis is an all-natural, non-toxic, mineral-based formula made from crushed-up rocks, crystals and earthen pigments—making the product safe for all living beings.
Deleterious aspects of the existing paint industry include harmful production practices, dependency on petroleum products, negative environmental and health impacts, plus an end product that is difficult to dispose of, recycle and store. Additionally, paint is the largest contributing source of microplastics in the world’s oceans and waterways. Traditional architectural paints often contain toxic pigments, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), hazardous organic pollutants (HAPs), perfluoroalkoxies (PFAs), preservatives, fungicides, biocides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), solvents, plasticizers, phthalates, Prop 65 ingredients and more, which can contribute to both short and long-term health problems including respiratory issues, damage to the nervous system and organs, endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, autism, birth defects and cancer. Our solution is to offer an innovative and improved architectural paint, harnessing the holistic healing power of natural elements to create an incomparably durable wall coating that comes from the earth.
Although the industry has been moving to low-VOC and non-VOC options, there are very few paints that are truly all-natural, non-toxic, mineral-based or sustainable. There are no companies that offer interior paint with the addition of functional wellness benefits from crystals. These functional wellness pigments may help improve the air inside one’s home, absorb and neutralize chemicals, emit positive ions, reduce stress levels and boost one’s mood, all while maintaining a unique, luminous finish that celebrates the world’s natural beauty.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a multi-media artist and designer who has (gratefully!) had a wide and varied career over the past 25 years across fine art, interior design/furniture, curatorial projects, graphic design, creative direction, branding, hospitality, music, and entrepreneurial endeavors.
What sets me apart from others (in a non-egocentric way!) is my critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. A large percentage of this is innate, but the other percentage has been developed and encouraged through my studies, both in the classroom of some of the foremost design schools (RISD & Parsons), as well as through my sense of adventure, discovery and osmosis of learning by being a continually fascinated and wonderstruck citizen of this beautiful planet. My birthdate is the “day of the integrator”, and this could not be more fitting. I am an analytical amalgamator and artistic assimilator who sees business as a moveable sculpture. I am endlessly enthralled by the concept of gesamtkunstwerk (“total work of art” or “synthesis of the arts”)… how to bring disparate parts and pieces together into an integrated and cohesive whole “experience”. I am also an avid art and design collector, healthy food fanatic, music aficionado, animal lover and interminable traveler to captivating and exotic locales.
I am most proud of co-founding Alkemis Paint with my incomparable business partner/CEO, Maya Crowne. I am most proud that we had the vision to build a paint company together that honors Mother Nature, is better for humans, animals, and the entire planet (and can truly shift an entire industry away from microplastics and petrochemicals), put in 3 1/2 years of research, development, experimentation, blood, sweat and tears, and were actually able to bring it to fruition. Alkemis truly harmonizes all of my passions (art, design, style, environmentalism, color theory, neuroaesthetics, naturopathy, conservation, activism, healing and wellness) with my aptitudes. It feels like every path and project I have ever embarked on in my life has ultimately led me to this collaborative place of purpose.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
The list is vast and numerous, but a handful of the books and other resources that have impacted my entrepreneurial perspective and philosophy are:
“Women Who Run With Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés — Within every woman, there lives a powerful force of instinctual nature, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing despite society’s attempts to “civilize” us into rigid roles that muffle this earthly individualism.
“Interaction of Color” by Josef Albers — Conceived as a handbook and teaching aid for artists, instructors, and students, this visionary and influential masterwork presents Albers’ explanation of complex color theory principles.
“Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk” by Legs McNeil & Gillian McCain — A chronicle of the most iconoclastic, DIY, dissident movement in music history told through hundreds of interviews with the people who really lived it. “It was about advocating kids to not wait to be told what to do, but make life up for themselves, it was about trying to get people to use their imaginations again, it was about not being perfect, it was about saying it was okay to be amateurish and funny, that real creativity came out of making a mess, it was about working with what you got in front of you…”
“Metagenealogy” by Alejandro Jodorowsky — a practical guide to recognizing and overcoming the patterns and influences of the ancestors before you, and how every individual is the product of two forces: the imitating force, directed by the family group acting from the past, and the creative force, driven by the Universal Consciousness from the future.
Anything by Haruki Murakami and Isabel Allende — Magic realism at its finest… it’s important to keep blurring the lines between the supernatural and reality.
Parsons Healthy Materials Lab (online) — The design research lab at Parsons School of Design is committed to raising awareness about toxic chemicals in building products and creating resources for designers and architects to make healthier places for all people to live.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Everything we do, build, and create, we do so holistically, with authenticity, and with intentionality. Our audience is not enormous (yet!), but it is 100% organic and it is growing steadily. Our social media design and strategy are reflected in our out-of-the-box thinking and our unique, nonpareil collaborations with our incredible partners. This is not your ordinary paint brand! We are not trying to do the same thing over and over again that has already been done in this space. There is a lot of pressure to follow trends, especially in the social media space with algorithms dictating our audiences, best practices, and marketing/advertising etiquette. While it is important to be educated, aware and stay abreast of what is going on in one’s industry (or relevant sectors), it’s also crucial to be reflective, listen to one’s intuition, and march to the beat of one’s own drum. I cannot reiterate this enough to young brands starting out. Never sell out, never compromise your vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alkemispaint.com
- Instagram: @alkemispaint
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/price-latimer/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/trashpriest/hmp
Image Credits
Magdalena Wosinska, Annabelle Sadler, Tyler Whiteside, Joe Kramm, Logan Jackson