Balance, Products, Technology
March 23, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
“Headphones can be one of those tricky tech items that can throw us for a loop. There are so many specs to look for and to make sure are on your check list — it can get a little confusing. We’re afforded the luxury of reviews and scouring the internet to find the best headphones on the market.
This story appears in partnership with Unplggd, a site for people who embrace technology and design in their home.
Design, Products
March 23, 2010
By Amy Feezor
Yes, they’re everywhere: on your computer, your cell phone, your iPod (and for a lucky few, in your head). These days, calculators come standard. But there’s still something that says “I mean business” when you keep one out on your desk. Take a gander at our five favorites
1. Dolmen Calculator, $45.00 A desktop calculator with beauty and brains—it comes in a dark wood with aluminum trim and features settable currency and tax functions. Get it: Unica Home
2. Jet Calculator, $30.00 Slightly nerdy divided by chic plus a whole lot of bling. Get it: Greener Grass Design
3. Top Solar Calculator, $24.95 This eco-friendly pick received the “Good Design Award” in 2007 from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Japan. Get it: Lincoln Stationers
4. 10 Key Calculator, $60.00 The big, chunky keys of this unique calculator mimic the 10-key pad of a keyboard (bonus: hook it up to your computer and it will act as that key pad). Get it: Charles & Marie
5. Ela Pocket Calculator, $18.00 Sharp, smart, and doesn’t try to take up too much desk space. Get it: Unica Home
Images linked to their sources within the numbered text
Design
March 22, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
A nice addition to our Monday Inspiration series, this is a clever twist on the bulletin board. I came across this jewelry designer‘s studio in the Etsy Open Studios set on Flickr. It’s a smart use of a common-place office item. See more at Self-Made.
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
March 22, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Matt Eastwood, an Australian advertising executive and the blogger behind things i have seen, shares his Sydney home and office.
You work as creative director of DDB Group but you also blog from home. How long have you worked from home…and where is ‘home’? I started “things I have seen” about 12 months ago. What originally began as an online scrapbook of my favourite things has gradually turned into something resembling a second job. I work in a creative industry already, but I’m extremely passionate about design and architecture, especially having renovated 3 houses over the years. Home is a two bedroom terrace in Paddington, NSW, which was once an art gallery. It’s my sanctuary. I’m surrounded by some of my favourite design pieces, from furniture to art to sculpture to objet d’art. I feel very creative there.
What is the biggest difference between your office and home workspaces? Home is just for me. In an office environment you are forced to accommodate a variety of tastes. At home, it’s all about me and my partner. I love an uncluttered, minimal space, with heart. At work I spend most of my day in meetings, helping channel creativity on behalf of client’s. At home, it’s all about my own personal creative journey. The view from my study at home is stunning. I look out over the whole property, right down to the garden and swimming pool at the back. And because my study is on the mezzanine level, I feel like I’m up in the trees. It’s extremely relaxing.
Is there any form of technology that really inspires you and helps you in your work? I’m a Mac man through and through. I remember reading a quote, “the best technology is the technology you don’t see.” That’s what Mac is all about for me. You’re never aware of the technology invading your workspace, it just sits quietly behind you and enables you to be creative. The iPad is the thing I’m waiting for. I haven’t been as excited about a piece of technology for a long time. As a blogger, I feel like it really free me up. It will me allow to “create” from wherever I like. I can’t wait.
How do you organize your home office? I’m thinking here of your physical space but also your virtual space. My home office is extremely organised. “Freedom from Chaos” is one of my mantras, at home and at work. At home, everything except my rather large collection of design and architecture books, is hidden away. The same is true of my virtual space. My desktop is empty, apart from 2 icons – the hard drive icon, and a folder marked “blog”, where I keep reference images of things I’ve stumbled across. I use Apple’s “Time Capsule” to ensure that everything is backed up. Another brilliant example of technology you don’t see. It just works away in the background, without any involvement from me. I love it.
What item from your desktop can you not do without? What item do you wish you had? I couldn’t do without my “Magic Mouse” (Mac’s new mouse). It really is the perfect device. It gives my total control over my online experience. I feel like it is perfect. Although I wish I had a Wacom Bamboo Tablet. I’m considering one at the moment. But I’m also waiting to see if the iPad will perform some of the same tasks.
What is your favourite piece of furniture in your office? I sit on an Eames Aluminium Group Chair that I had specially upholstered in white mesh. I saw them in The Sanderson Hotel in London and had to have one. It’s such a beautiful piece. Of course, it’s wonderfully comfortable, but it’s also beautiful as a piece of sculpture.
What inspires you? I’m inspired by simplicity, in architecture, design and art. Van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion is like my version of a chapel. It borders on a religious experience. I’m humbled by its brilliance. But it also inspires me to create beautiful things. I guess that’s why I created “things I have seen”. I wanted to share the things that give me that same feeling of humility.
Photos: Jason Busch
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
March 19, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Our week on the web…
1. Cool Hunter Australian Bill Tikos founded this hub for creativity in 2004 and it has blossomed into a great design source. Where to start: I’m always slightly overwhelmed by the amount of content here. Let the Hot Picks at the top of the homepage guide you. Or to see how the corporate world works head over to Offices.
2. Writer’s Rooms In case you missed yesterday’s post on Jane Austen’s “office” I wanted to list this great Guardian series again. They’ve rounded up a ton of contemporary writers and interviewed them about their workspaces. Where to start: They are all fascinating!
3. Metropolis P/O/V This is Metropolis magazine’s blog. A great way to dip into the world of architecture and design between issues. Where to start: At the top…
4. Felt and Wire A cool site (thank you Pentagram) devoted to design, paper and print edited by arts and design journalist Tom Biederbeck. Where to start: A funny essay from illustrator Laura Tarrish on her home workspace.
5. Please Enjoy This is the online home of Ji Lee – a graduate of Parsons and a creative force to be reckoned with! Where to start: I can’t decide between his great Parallel World project and the Abstractor.
Design, Products
March 19, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Josh Leo sent this photo of his home office to Lifework last week and I am thrilled to share it with you. I’d love to see more colorful home workspaces. You can leave them in the comments section or email me directly at cerentha_harris@hermanmiller.com.
Josh, who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, says: “I saw your blog post about the use of color in offices and thought I would share mine! When my wife and I bought our house 2 years ago, this room used to have clouds painted on the a wall and the other walls were mint green. I needed an office (I do freelance video and design work) so I decided to go with a bit of a bold color. I already had a number of wood pieces and a white iMac so I decided to continue that color scheme with the addition of a moss green. The Eames circles on the wall added a bit of visual interest and the contrast between the white and green really makes it a fun room to work in. I updated the desk and storage units just two months ago when I got a new computer. I must be honest, when looking for desks I dreamed of having an Airia Desk or Enchord Desk (both fit the color scheme perfectly) but alas, my budget isn’t quite big enough for those purchases…yet.” You can see more images of the office in Josh’s flickr page.
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
March 19, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
Artist Abbey Hendrickson is the voice behind Aesthetic Outburst, a blog that tracks the comings and goings of Abbey, her husband and their two children. She manages to balance all the facets of her life with a really appealing grace and humor (plus there’s some cool kid’s projects thrown into the mix!)
How long have you worked from home…and where is ‘home’? Home is in upstate New York, a little town between Ithaca and Binghamton. I’ve worked from here for just under one year.
What does an average work day involve? I have two kids under the age of three, so my day starts pretty early. I work between naps and late at night, whenever I can find a free moment to jump on the computer or sneak into the studio.
Is there any form of technology that really inspires you and helps in your work? I’m absolutely addicted to our MacBook Pro. I was reluctant to make such a big purchase (and argued with my husband about it), but it quickly became my favorite thing.
How do you organize your space? I’m thinking here of your physical space but also your virtual space (any particular software or program that helps keep things under control?) If my space isn’t organized I feel overwhelmed, so I‘m always trying to come up with new systems to help. This also applies to my desktop; it needs to be clutter-free or I freak out. The software programs that I use most are Bridge and Photoshop. I’m a visual person and Bridge is great for organizing images.
What item from your desktop can you not do without? Super sharp pencils and Pilot precise pens are must-haves.
What piece of office furniture would you most like to change? I’d like more storage, so I would probably change my desk. If I had time to sit at my desk for more than a fifteen-minute stretch, I’d definitely have to change my chair. For now everything seems to be okay though.
What inspires you? The little moments in life are what inspire me the most. Seeing my sleepy children in the morning; watching my husband play outside with our two-year-old; long games of Scrabble; red wine and good food; lingering visits from friends and family; those are the moments that I’m talking about.
Balance, Design, Technology
March 18, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
The faster the network connections, the better people can work at home and on the move. Google thinks more speed for more people is the answer. It’s planning to test a network that will deliver the Internet over 1 gigabit per second fiber connections “in one or more trial locations across the country.”
Holland, Michigan, where Herman Miller’s Design Yard facility is located, is one of the communities vying to be chosen. From now until March 26, residents can nominate the city and make the case for why it should be chosen. All you need is a Gmail account. Here’s hoping that Holland will be chosen (and that you’ll help by nominating the city).
Via Discover.
Balance, Design
March 18, 2010
By Cerentha Harris
How streamlined can an office get? Jane Austen worked at this tiny walnut table revising Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. It is part of the excellent Writer’s Rooms series run by the Guardian.
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