Laurie Hessemer has lived in a lot of places, but when she decided to mine her background in green building supplies, she chose Colorado. Paint, she reasoned, is an affordable home-improvement commodity, especially for people who decide to stay and fix up their homes instead of selling, and that's how she conceived of New Era, the only store in the metro area that specializes in paint products that are free of those polluting volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The cost for consumers, she says, is competitive with other types of paint, but here's what you will live without if you switch: paint odor and toxic fumes. Plus, VOC-frees come in a rainbow of hues and can be custom tinted. New Era is painting the town green.