In love with each other and design, Brendon Breen and Justine Alcantara arranged to have their engagement photos taken at our LA Showroom. Surprised and flattered, we wondered what led two young design enthusiasts to pick such an unconventional venue.

Why have your engagements photos taken at Herman Miller’s LA showroom?
Justine: For me, engagement photos tell a lot about a couple, and I wanted ours to be a reflection of us. I wanted to capture our personalities.

Brendon: All the credit goes to Justine on this one. I actually wasn’t bright enough to conjure up such a brilliant idea. She knows my passion for modern classics, and we wanted a location that would really tell our friends and family who we were. That is when she came up with the idea for the Herman Miller showroom. Not only could we have great photos sitting in our favorite pieces, but the architecture of the building itself was stunning as well.

Both of you are self-professed design enthusiasts, can you share was that means?
B: I guess it’s as simple as saying design runs my life. More than a hobby, or even a career, it is who I am.

J: For me, it’s simply just a love, respect and appreciation for good, clean design. I love it all, interior, graphic, typography, and event design. I love how inspired I feel every time I encounter something out of the ordinary.

Does design have a role in your everyday lives?
J: Yes, it really does. Although I don’t come from a design background, I am constantly educating myself. At first, you may not notice that design plays a part in your life, but for us it shapes our decisions and even our mood.

B: Design as a whole runs everyone’s lives, from the pants you put on every morning to the car you drive. For me it runs deeper than that; design can offer a more stimulated, happier lifestyle. As a collector of classic modern furniture, I compare design to a fine painting. People have a certain feeling when they look at art; that is how I look at furniture, as well as all modern architecture.

Do younger generations view design differently than their parents? How so?
B: I definitely think the generations view it differently. Good design was more of the norm in the past. Homes, cars, clothing etc. were done “right.” People are taking notice of that and you can see the influence in fashion, furniture, and architecture designed today. In my opinion, design in the past was not as disposable as it is now. Our parent’s generation would have bought a home, or an Eames lounge, and kept it for 30 years.

J: I agree with Brendon, we are in a generation of constant change. With that, we consistently want the newest and greatest. I would say the biggest difference is the growing number of people aware of good design.

Can design change the world?
J: Most definitely. Design is everywhere! It is basically a blueprint on how we function in our everyday lives. If done correctly, the possibilities are endless.

B: With out a doubt. With the world growing, and demands seeming impossible, the design community will have to become more innovative and resourceful.

Long before transforming into Los Angeles’ first LEED CI Platinum building, our showroom had a past. Located in Culver City, the building began its life as a cloth diaper manufacturer in the mid 1950’s. As the area changed and manufacturing left, the building lay unused until a becoming a warehouse for mens’ suits in the 1980s.

When Herman Miller purchased the building in 2007, the there were few people who questioned the decision. In order to meet our environmental standards, both the structure and the interior required extensive renovation. Design by TVS Design, 20 percent of all materials used were made with 500 miles of the site, and 85 percent of all construction was recycle and diverted from the landfill. These, among many other efforts, resulted in the building being honored with LEED Gold certification and the interiors with Platinum–the first, and still only, Platinum commercial interior in LA.