If the autumn leaves have fallen and the Halloween candy has dwindled, then the holiday season must be upon us. As you gear up for the imminent arrival of friends, family, and festivities, explore a a few superb seasonal-starters with these six ways to a holiday table.
Take a look at what’s on our radar this week.
1. The Selby’s latest tour featuring illustrator Richard Haines and student Ji Tan in Brooklyn.
2. This look at Belgium-based graphic designer Davy Dooms’ apartment at Plastolux (and in the photo above by Niko Caignie).
3. The Eames Molded Plastic Chair reimagined for the reDesign 2012 gala at the Textile Museum of Canada.
4. “4 New Reasons (As If You Need Them) to Justify Working from Home” per U.S. News & World Report.
5. This cheery roundup of brightly colored front doors at Design Milk.
6. The Case Inlet Retreat by MW/Works Architecture in Puget Sound, WA, featured at TheCoolist.
7. Charming Eames toys spotted at EamesDesigns.com.
8. Skyscrapers designed to make you happy if you work in them via Co.Exist.
9. Creative home library designs at Decoist.
10. Yves Béhar’s “Designing for the Future” talk at the Chicago Humanities Festival.
Photo: Niko Caignie / Plastolux
We recently took a look at the workspaces of creative types (like Ray Eames) who find inspiration in excess, an “organized chaos” of sorts. But what about the opposite: those who flourish in a more orderly office? Get a glimpse at few desks whose occupants stay on task by staying tidy — then leave us a comment to let us know what kind of space keeps you motivated, and why. Read more
This week gives us the rare pleasure of peering inside at one of our own. Mindy Koschmann is a writer at Herman Miller and a blogger for Discover, the sibling blog to Lifework. As a writer, it’s no surprise that Mindy is drawn to stories, be they in books, cinema, and of course, music. Literally surrounded by Herman Miller chairs, Mindy tells us her work’s musical story in this week’s Playlist.
Graphic designer and painter Ricky Watts spends the workday in a studio in Sebastopol, CA, that he once shared with his grandfather, Arthur. Today, Ricky’s Embody Chair shares the space with an Eames Lounge and Ottoman first owned by Arthur and his family. Take a look at the workshop and hear the story behind the Eames piece — as told in a charming recollection from Ricky’s mother. Read more
Imagination, collaboration, and innovation characterize the work of internationally recognized designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. From furniture and home accessories to distinctive organic forms and structures, the brothers’ designs are at once intriguing and effective, while uniquely accenting the environments they inhabit. Take an exploration of their work with these six eclectic creations.
If you will be in the Midwest before the end of January, don’t miss the brothers’ exhibit “Bivouac” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The exhibit is open now and continues through January 20, 2013.
Here’s a look at everything we’ve been reading over the past week.
1. The New York Times‘ interview with Hilda Longinotti, George Nelson’s former secretary and oftentimes furniture model (check her out alongside the Nelson Marshmallow Sofa in the article’s featured photo).
2. “A Rare Look at the Eames Office’s Graphic Design” from Co.Design.
3. Wowed by the Thesayboat houseboat designed and owned by Marek Ridky in the Czech Republic, spotted at Design Milk.
4. Could you spend time working in the Cocoon 1 by Micasa Lab? (Via Inhabitat.)
5. The Pandora office in Chicago (full of Eames Aluminum Group Management Chairs, Eames Soft Pad Management Chairs, Mirra Chairs, and more) designed by Eastlake Studio, featured at Inthralld (photo above).
6. Last summer’s LIGHTlab 5.1 installation designed by VAV Architects in Helsinki, Finland, as detailed at CollabCubed.
7. The Best Business Hotels of 2012, according to Wallpaper*.
8. This serene collection of contemporary design photos shot by architectural photographer Hélène Binet featured at NOWNESS.
9. The SAYL Chairs gracefully supporting the Skullcandy office in Zurich, Switzerland, at ArchDaily.
10. This inspiring townhouse in Lisbon, Portugal, with vertical gardens and a rooftop pool — a “unique link with nature” in the middle of a busy city — found at Dezeen.
Photo: Eastlake Studio via Inthralld
With a recent move from Los Angeles to Denver, photographer David Lauer traded a view of the Pacific for view of the Rockies. Take a look at the space he’s created in his new mid-century-built home – the headquarters of his growing architectural photography studio. Read more
Designers Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler unite conceptual thinking with experimentation to design award-winning design products, furniture, installations, and more. Within Studio mischer’traxler, their design process strikes a balance between craft and technology, and encompasses modern themes like sustainability and human interaction. In this week’s Playlist, Katharina and Thomas offer a distinctive mix of songs for us from their Vienna-based studio.
It’s easy to see why we would take notice of the Re-Ply Chair, a Kickstarter project currently making appearances in several design blogs. Inspired by a simple form — a folded piece of paper — the minimalist recliner by architect and designer Dan Goldstein utilizes cardboard and a straightforward steel base to create seating that is permanent, durable, and surprisingly comfortable. Its material finds strength in Goldstein’s patent-pending manufacturing process, which includes stacking, cutting, laminating, molding, and folding layers of heavy-duty corrugated fiberboard into a sturdy shell. (Does this sort of innovation sound familiar?) Additionally, the Re-Ply offers a sustainable design: all the cardboard material comes from used boxes, its other components are as green as possible, and the entire chair can be recycled. But what truly caught our eye? Re-Ply’s popular upcycled prototype takes shape using our own Herman Miller shipping boxes — interesting timing, particularly since Herman Miller just won the Reusable Packaging Association’s inaugural Excellence in Reusable Packaging Award. Take a look at more photos of the Re-Ply here, and learn more at kickstarter.com. Read more