Notebooks

For all the time and effort that people put into finding that perfect pen, it’s amazing that they will write on just any old paper. Maybe this was OK when you were in 1st grade learning how to spell your name without backwards letters, but if you are looking to upgrade your overall writing experience, take a look at some of the outstanding notebooks below.

Some of my favorite notebooks for everyday use are from the Black n’ Red brand.  Nothing fancy here, however you can’t beat the combination of their simple visual appeal, impeccable quality, and great value.  Sturdy covers, with good quality binding, and most importantly high quality paper that won’t have your writing bleed through.  There are many options to choose from, but I like the coil bound version with polypropylene cover. $7 via Amazon

If making the decision between traditional ruled paper, and graph paper is just too hard for you, the notebooks from Doane Paper will make your day.  The unique design of their notebooks give you graph paper and ruled paper all on one page by using a heavier horizontal line to make up the squares of the graph paper.  Doane Paper notebooks are available as standard legal pads, pocket size journals, and hard-cover coil-bound versions.  $4.50 to $11 via DoanePaper

Whitelines notebooks come in multiple formats including coil bound and book style binding, with your choice of ruled or graph paper style. The paper itself is a very light gray, while the lines are actually white.  The logic behind this design is that the white lines will not distract or interfere with your writing or drawing.  Also, when you scan or photocopy the paper, the lines become invisible.  My personal favorite is the lined A5 with hard black cover and coil binding.  $12 via Amazon

If you are a fountain pen user, or someone who hates when your writing shows through to the other side of the page, the Rhodia Web Notebook is the perfect option for you.  These notebooks use a heavy 90 gauge paper that deals well with just about any ink and is also the smoothest paper you will ever write on.  $20 via Amazon

For the most professional looking notebooks, you can’t go wrong with the Levenger’s Circa system.  These notebooks are not cheap; however their unique disc binding system and high quality cloth or leather covers will make you stand out from the crowd in a meeting.  The disc binding system allows you great flexibility in moving and organizing your notes. $49-$129 via Levenger

Illustrations by Jordan Awan

High Five

Where we’ve been this week:

1. Forbes.com Join the “world’s business leaders” and dive into Forbes’ magazines online presence. Where to start: A great story on classic chair design that includes the Aeron.

2. Wallpaper magazine This magazine’s online site is a well edited world of design. Where to start: New office space. Great place for home office inspiration.

3. Shelterrific A blog launched by founder Angela Matusik in 2006 covers design and interiors. Where to start: Miniature Eames.

4. Designsponge Grace Bonney imbues her  crafty, stylish design blog with an upbeat vibe that makes it a joy to visit. Where to start: The awesome library of sneak peeks.

5. Bloesem A  design blog with a decidedly feminine touch. Where to start: Stephanie Rammeloo’s amazing home (and home office) in Amsterdam.

Unplggd: Speakers

“Nothing screams “high-end” like throwing in a classic Eames Lounge Chair in your living room. We can’t imagine how many meals one must sacrifice to afford one of those, but if you like your speakers just as classy and expensive, these loudspeakers – which takes some obvious influence from the lines and pricing philosophy of the famous Eames piece – may just be the one for you.

Brought to you by Davone Ray, these beautiful speakers are a passive pair, requiring an external amp/receiver to drive them. Just looking at the specs, they seem to be pretty decent already, but at a $6000 price tag per pair, it’s hard not to recommend investing in something more worthwhile instead.
The speakers come in a lovely walnut finish and can be special ordered here. Ships from Denmark.
[Via Boing Boing]

By Anthony.”

Inspiration: Keiko Okamoto

Talented Tokyo-based jeweler Keiko Okamoto shares her home workspace with us and talks about the idea of “beautility”.

How long have you worked from home? I have been making jewelry for about 12 years, the last 10 I’ve been doing it full-time. I have a sweet little workspace in my apartment, so I walk about 5 seconds to work!!

And where is home? I live in the old part of Tokyo. In this area, there are museums,Tokyo National University of Fine Arts, neighborhoods of craftsmen, and Japan ‘s biggest wholesale district. It’s a perfect location for working and I consider myself very lucky!

Describe your style? How would you define your aesthetic? Simple yet elegant! Well-made goods are not just useful but also beautiful. There is a long tradition in Japan of recognizing the perfection and beauty in things you use in everyday life. “Yo no Bi” as it is called, beauty in utility, is considered a very important value.  I get enjoyment out of being surrounded by “beautility”.

How do you keep your office organized? In my case, I don’t need to keep the workspace organized. So everything I think or find is important and has it’s place. Sometimes it’s waiting there for years and sometimes I can use it right away. Somehow all my work is connected and ideas and techniques that might have found there origins years ago in larger or more abstract works resurface. I really like that.

When you were setting up your home workspace what did you keep in mind? I wanted to fill the workspace with bright natural light.

Is there any piece of home work furniture you covet? I love Aeron chairs. The overall ergonomic design of the chair is great. And I especially like the adjustable height foot rest.

What is a desk accessory you can’t do without? I’m a note-taking nut, so paperweights and clips are indispensable. And, likely quite different from a desk accessory – Skype –  for staying close to my friends and customers  around the world even though I’m half a world away from most of them.

What would you change about your own workspace? I’m actually pretty satisfied with my workspace, but I have a great interest in feng shui. I’d like to completely redecorate my apartment based on feng shui.

What do you most love about your space? The workspace has a big window, and I can occasionally see the picture-book scenery.

What inspires you? The first thing that comes to mind is classical ballet. Costume, scenic art, music and etoiles are a huge source of inspiration. And I love to make snap shots of things. I always carry a little camera with me. I’m fascinated by patterns – on a leaf, an iron fence, stone wall, texture of a tree, water-rimples and so on, most of my work finds its origin there.

Morning Coffee: Jaime Derringer, Design Milk

Who? Jaime Derringer, editor of Design Milk

Where? Cherry Hill, NJ.

How do you take your coffee? What brand is it? I’m currently drinking Wegman’s (our local grocery store) brand dark roast, which is actually a bit too dark for me. However, their medium roast was too light. I think I’ll be changing to another brand once I’m through this bag! I always take my coffee with cream or milk of some sort — whatever it is that we have! And, I try to use regular sugar. I was one of those “pink stuff” “blue stuff” “yellow stuff” people for a while, but now I’m back to natural sugar.

Tell me about your coffee cup. I began collecting art mugs about 12 years ago or so. There was no rhyme or reason behind it. Every time I went to a store and saw one, I would snap it up. I now have 9 famous artist mugs. They’re the perfect size for my morning cup — not too big and not too small. Today’s mug is Leonardo Da Vinci.

What happens if you skip your morning coffee? If I were to skip my morning coffee, my day would get slowly and progressively more painful. I need caffeine, sad but true. Without my morning java, around 1 PM I would definitely get a headache, which would last the rest of the day. I would also be quite the cranky pants.

The Playlist: Lisa Jones of Pigeon Toe Ceramics

You will probably do one of three things after reading this interview with Lisa Jones from Portland, OR’s Pigeon Toe Ceramics:

1. Immediately download the eclectic picks from her playlist.

2. Wish the plant sitting in your office was potted in one of her handmade creations.

3. Finally get yourself tuned into Morning Becomes Eclectic (it’s our third mention in a row—get there already!)

Do you listen to music while you work? This is always changing depending on what the studio mood is, but I always tend to return to a few artists, they feel like old friends…The Magnetic Fields, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear. I’ve had Janelle Monae’s album on repeat a lot lately.

How do you listen? We have an iPod docking station in the studio along with a radio so we get our daily dose of NPR.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I have four assistants, and when we’re not making up playlists off each other’s iPods, we’ve got my iPhone plugged in and playing Pandora. It’s like having a built-in DJ in my studio, and I really like the surprise of not knowing what is coming next. It also introduces me to a lot of new music, since I don’t have a lot of free time to read music blogs or scour Pitchfork.

Does music influence your work? Very much so. I tend to gravitate toward music that has a low-fi, natural, spontaneous quality to it, and I think that directly correlates to my aesthetic, which has an understated, homegrown, rustic imperfection to it that provides a nice contrast to my modern design bents. New collections or designs often spring from a feeling I get from a color or a sound—it’s crucial to my whole sensibility. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you just have to blast Queen or Lady Gaga and bust out some work; but for the most part, I use music to create a more meditative work atmosphere.

Where do you find music recommendations? My employees are always great about bringing in new music to the studio; I also have a few friends whose taste I trust that will suggest artists. (Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising.) Morning Becomes Eclectic and our local public radio station’s weekend music program In House also introduces me to a lot of new bands.

LISA’S PLAYLIST:

All is Love, Karen O and the Kids

Tennessee, The Silver Jews

Home, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Still Crazy After All These Years , Paul Simon

The Greatest, Cat Power

Sunflower, Low

Shelter from the Storm, Bob Dylan

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel

Jesus, etc., Wilco

I Feel It All, Feist

From, Dr. Dog

Sons & Daughters, The Decemberists

Parenthesis, The Blow

Images: Lisa Jones and Alicia Carrier

Unplggd: Cafe Security

“Q – I usually work from home, but sometimes I enjoy going to my local coffee shop and doing my stuff there. There are times when I just have all my stuff sprawled out and need to use the restroom. Is there some type of software that’ll tell me if anything gets stolen while I’m away for just a few minutes? I own a Macbook and an iPad, if that helps. Thanks!

A – Here’s a short roundup of potential options:

THE “FEEL GOOD” OPTION: There’s are number of software options out there, but one should avoid ones like PadLock, which causes a piercing alarm to go off whenever your iPad/iPhone is disconnected from your Macbook. The only problem is that it doesn’t address the whole scenario if the thief ends up grabbing both devices, making the software pretty much useless. While some form of protection is good, it’s best to have more than just a single security precaution, even if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

THE SLIGHTLY BETTER SOFTWARE OPTION: Of course, there’s Apple’s Find my iPhone/iPad service is probably the only reason we’d use their MobileMe’s at all given the number of free options out there that provide similar cloud syncing features of the service. TUAW has a good write-up on how to set it up. (PS: A paid subscription is required for MobileMe service) The downside is that it’s only used to track down items after it’s stolen instead of prevention of the device getting stolen in the first place.

THE SLOWER, MORE SECURE OPTION: If you’re looking for the best secure option, having a security lock is probably your best bet. Even if the thing isn’t even properly locked, the impression of added security will deter most thieves.

OR… JUST ASK: For the most part, customers are just friendly folk enjoying their time there as well, doing work just like the rest of us. If you’re just going to disappear for a few minutes, just ask a neighbor next to you to watch your stuff if they look like they’re going to be there for a while. Chances are, others will notice the friendly gesture and will be wary of shady individuals if they try to do anything sneaky!

Got a gadget security tip for coffee shops, airports, and other public spaces? Let us know below!

By Anthony”

Image via Europe a la Carte.

Inspiration: Busyboo’s Vered Carmel

When asked why she blogs web designer Vered Carmel quoted Seth Godin: “What I found interesting is that more than half of all bloggers are doing it for themselves. (Always a good reason to do something). In other words, it’s not for commercial gain or to find a large audience of strangers. Instead, it’s a form of self-expression, a chance to be creative or share some ideas.” And, as she says, that sums up Vered’s approach to her writing. Here she shares her home office and her love of design.

How long have you worked from home? And where is home? Ever since I can remember I wanted to be self-employed and work from home. To me this was the perfect combination of freedom, creativity and self expression while earning a living. First and foremost I define myself as a designer. I specialize in web design and as an autodidact have established some good programming skills throughout the years. This precious knowledge has come in handy when I discovered how much I love writing and as my passion for design and architecture took over I was eager to share this passion with the world and that is how Busyboo got started.

In addition, for the last 10 years my partner and I have been developing Shine, evolving from a web design studio to a company offering online marketing solutions for global high-tech companies – during all of this time we’ve been working from home. You will find us tucked away with our dogs in a quiet neighborhood, surrounded by green fields, oak trees and the sound of birds chirping in the background, since as much as I love the city I’ve always preferred to live and work with the countryside at my doorstep.

Describe your style? How would you define your aesthetic? I would define my style as eclectic since I am inspired from pretty much everything; whether it’s the Japanese style with its modern minimalism or the romantic touch of an English style landscape design.

How do you keep your office organized? I’m thinking here of the physical space but also your computer. Are there any particular programs you find really useful? In general I am a very organized person, and you can see it in my workplace as well, where almost everything I need is within reach. The only thing I struggle with is trying to cover the vast amount of design information out there, going over thousands of bookmarks that continue to grow rapidly every day. It’s amazing, just when you think you’ve got it under control new ones start to pop up.

When you were setting up your home office what do you keep in mind? I was guided by the thought that this will be the place where I will be spending most of my time so I better make it my own. It’s cozy yet practical with lots of books, music, magazines and notes everywhere. It’s my second favorite place at home, the first being my garden where I can relax every morning and start off my day with a positive approach to life and a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

Is there any piece of home office furniture you wish you had? Well, it’s kind of ironic, but I would love the Aeron chair.

What is a desk accessory you can’t do without? My graphics tablet and my 60GB Creative Zen Media Player.

What would you change about your own workspace? I remember I saw on the BBC Homefront TV show where Diarmuid Gavin designed a beautiful garden pavilion with a large open space, spreading out to its natural surroundings and blurring the boundaries between inside and outside – and I thought to myself this to me would be the perfect workspace.

What do you most love about your space? I love that I am surrounded by things that make me happy; the fact that I can lift my head and gaze at my favorite books, design magazines, photographs and the greenery outside my window or take a break and go outside to play with my dog Mikey, a beautiful blue eyed Siberian Husky.

What inspires you? People. Nature. Spirit. Form. Rediscovering the power of simple design.

Five Fabulous: Gifts for Dad’s desk

1. Vitra Nelson Night Desk Clock, $410 Help him count down to closing time in style with this iconic example of mid-century modern design. Get it: Design Public

2. Wood Card Case, $92 Let him make a big impression with this small (and impeccable) handcrafted business card case by Japanese designer Masakage Tanno. Get it: Merchant_4

3. Areaware Magnifying Glass, $24 He can get a better look at important documents—and make like Sherlock Holmes—with this sleuth-y-smart accessory. Get it: Velocity Art & Design

4. Diptych Mapcut, $375 Treat him (and his office walls) to a hand-cut map of his favorite city from artist Karen M. O’Leary. Get it: Studio KMO at Supermarket

5. Juice Box Charging Station, $99 He’ll never again have to ask Mom where his gadgets are when he centralizes them using an electronic charging station. Get it: Hive Modern

Morning Coffee: Unhappy Hipsters

Who? I wish I knew – the clever, hilarious writers behind Unhappy Hipsters remain anonymous. Although we do know they are women and there are two of them.

Where? They are shopping at Trader Joe’s and Peet’s so I think it’s safe to guess somewhere in the United States.

How do you take your coffee? What brand is it? Left: Peet’s French Roast, black. Right: Trader Joe’s Wake Up Blend, soy creamer and a dash of sugar.

Tell me about your coffee cup. Left: Sunshine coffee cup from Hi-Lo market. Right: White ceramic mug, unknown origin.

What happens if you skip your morning coffee? Left: Coffee is never skipped. Right: Mayhem.