Balance, Design, Products, Technology
February 10, 2012
By Cerentha Harris
Where we’ve been this week…
1. Treehugger for their “Most Beautiful Street in the World” post.
2. Apartment Therapy for this home office tour.
3. Design*Sponge’s wonderful wrap up of home office spaces.
4. Design Milk for their Designer DeskTop Wallpaper series.
5. MujiUSA has some very sleek minimal designs for the home office including these acrylic organizers.
6. Luludi for their cool way of incorporating plants into the home office – hang them on the wall.
7. Cleverhands shop on Etsy has a interesting alternative to the pencil case – check it out here. Good for home office workers on the go.
8. Vienna-based designers Less & More create beautiful wooden desk organizers. You can see them here on the US-Supermarket site.
9. Design Notes funny post on a new game – “Six Degrees of Cranbrook”.
10. Desire to Inspire’s post on a cool Toronto office.
Balance
February 8, 2012
By Rebecca Niederlander and Iris Anna Regn
Felicia Filer has been the director of the Pubic Art Division for the Department of Cultural Affairs in City of Los Angeles for more that 15 years. In this post she shares the music she loves to listen to at work.
What do you listen to while you work? I mostly listen to Jazz during the day when I work, either instrumental or with words. I will pepper in some Soul or World Music if I need a boost! Erica Badu, Adele, Aretha Franklin, Corinne Bailey Ray, Angelique Kidjo or Toots Thielmans will always makes me happy! As the evening nears, I tend to play something a little more moody, like Gretchen Parlato, Jeff Buckley or Esperanza Spalding.
How do you listen? Since I have my own office I don’t have to wear head phones when I listen to music. I generally listen through the speakers on my computer. I try to keep the volume at a respectable level, yet still serve my need for the music to change my atmosphere.
Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I listen to Pandora on occasion.
Does music influence your work? Listening to music while I work helps me to stay calm. My job can be tremendously stressful. Mostly I am responding to people streaming into my office all day long with problems. I try to use a creative approach to solve the complex and challenging issues surrounding art and politics, such as how to continually provide cultural and artistic services throughout the City of Los Angeles with diminishing human and financial resources. Music helps me to think outside of the box when searching for innovative solutions to these concerns.
Who influences your musical taste? My daughter Brynne. She is part of an acoustic/indie duet called Le-Ti. She gives me a new mixed-cd about once a quarter with some amazing music on it. That really pushes me to keep expanding my musical taste. I find that the time of day or the beautiful California light and sunsets will also influence what I listen to!
What song or artist best represents the work you create/ If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Well, it’s the end of the year and everybody wants everything completed right now, so I would have to say today my work feels like the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch.
Felicia Filer’s Playlist
Esperanza Spalding, Fall In
Bobby McFarren, Invocation
Adele, Rolling In the Deep
John Coltrane, A Love Supreme
Wayne Shorter, Dance Cadavarous
The Beatles, Blackbird
Emanative & Ahu, Turn Your Lights On
Erykah Badu, Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long
Gretchen Parlato, Winter Wind
Azymuth, Free As A Bird
Jeff Buckley, Grace
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
February 7, 2012
By Cerentha Harris
One strategy for preventing the loss of portable devices like the iPad or smartphones around the house is designating a “landing station“. Most people just drop their phones and tablets on their desk or kitchen counter, but setting up a specific spot with a holder is a better idea if you’ve got a habit of always misplacing your device even though you swear, “I put it right here”…
Constructed of oiled oak harvested from German forests, both the Objekten DOCK Box and Dock Tray are available in light and dark oak versions, and each providing a handsome way to not only display/view your favorite screened device, but also offering the “landing station” to keep clutter at bay and decrease the chances of “now where did I put that _____?!”
By Gregory Han
This story appears in partnership with Unplggd, a site for people who embrace technology and design in their home.
Balance, Design, Products
February 6, 2012
By Iris Regn
At a Pecha Kucha event for the American Institute of Graphic Artists last year, graphic designer Andrew Byrom presented a series of takes on what a business card should – and shoudn’t – be. His son passed out a wooden card made literally from “The Desk of Andrew Byrom”. Andrew’s witty presentation softened his rigorous rethinking of the function of graphic design, and the involvement of his 9-year-old son made it a family event. Currently, the Eames exhibition that Andrew curated and designed with Deborah Sussman for Pacific Standard Time is at the A+D Museum. Here Byrom speaks about his work, how he works and Ray and Charles Eames.
You established your firm in 1997. What led to that point? After graduating from The University of East London in 1996 I worked briefly in the design department of Routledge, a leading academic book publisher. In 1997 I opened my own design studio in London and worked for various clients including Penguin Books, The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, The Industrial Design Centre, Time-Out Online and The Guardian Newspaper. Around this time I also began teaching graphic design at The University of Luton and Central St. Martins.
I moved to the states in 2000 to teach at Northern Illinois University. In 2006 I moved to Long Beach were I am a Professor at California State University. I divide my time between teaching, designing for various clients and playing with my sons Auden, Louis, and Julian.
I have recently been commissioned to design typefaces and type treatments for The New York Times Magazine, UCLA Extension, and Sagmeister Inc.
Above: A quote from the Eames’ on Byrom’s dining room wall.
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Balance, Design, Products, Technology
February 3, 2012
By Cerentha Harris
Where we’ve been this week…
1. Inhabitat ran a post on a beautifully designed little prefab cabin inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
2. Interior Design magazine “10 Questions with Konstantin Grcic“ - who designed, among other pieces, Chair_One.
3. Huffington Post for their piece on the Eames’ film “Powers of 10″.
4. Co.Design on how plywood change the world…look out for pieces by Ray and Charles Eames.
5. Architizer for Drew House - an amazing building that includes a tubular section for the living area.
6. The Office Stylist for her post on 22squared’s cool office space.
7. Cubicle Refugee for her lovely, color-driven tumblr blog. Lots of eye candy during your coffee break.
8. Pinterest has so many good boards loaded with home office ideas but make sure you check out Design Studio for really eclectic mix of images.
9. Poppytalk for her home work space post.
10. Habitus for their interview with BassamFellows.
Balance, Design, Products
February 2, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Hot cups of tea and mugs full of coffee not cutting it on chilly mornings? Warm up your workspace with these easy picks.
1. Under Desk Heater, $89.00 Created to fit right under your desk, this soft plug-in floor mat provides extra warmth to legs and feet looking for relief from a winter-y workday. Get it: warmlyyours.com
2. Plus-Minus-Zero Heater, $389.00 Infuse your workspace with a little extra color using this lively compact design. Get it: Generate
3. Crane Space Heater, $34.99 Retro cool (in a way only a space heater can be). Get it: Amazon
4. Bionaire Ceramic Mini Tower Heater, $53.45 With a digital thermostat controls, LCD display, and remote control, you might feel like it’s your own robot of warmth. Get it: Amazon
5. Anna Little Ceramic Heater Stadler Form, $79.99 Add this streamlined design to your desktop and turn up the heat. Get it: Horne
Images linked to their sources within the numbered text
Balance
February 1, 2012
By Cerentha Harris
Bloomberg Businessweek has just posed an interesting question in their Debate Room. They ask if businesses are more efficient and employees more productive if people work remotely instead of out of one central office? Nathaniel Borenstein argues that there are undeniable financial savings for a business of their employees work from home while Ben Waber weighs in on the other side of the debate pointing out the communications deficit that is bound to occur when some of your staff aren’t in the office. How do you work? And does it work for you…and your boss?
Photo: Paul Raff Studio
Balance, Design, Products, Technology
January 30, 2012
By Cerentha Harris
In his latest series UK-based photographer Todd McLellan takes old technology – a typewriter or rotary phone – and explodes them, meticulously laying out every tiny screw and bolt and wire to create beautiful images. Here he shares his 3-studio workspace and a few things that inspire him.
How long have you been working as a photographer? What drew you to shooting? I graduated with a BFA in 2002 from the from Alberta College of Art & Design. Assisting for 4 years I officially started shooting full time in 2006. I originally went to college to specialize in graphic arts/design, but changed my major after the first year. I really had a hard time sitting in the same room working on drawings all day. Photography allows you the freedom to explore the environment around you. I appreciate this and wanted to fully discover the medium.
Tell us about your workspace. Any special considerations that effected the way it is set up? I actually share a workspace with two other photographers. It’s a large setup with a car studio and two smaller studios. I feel very fortunate to have the freedom of space. The first part of the series started in the studio space but found some of them would take me far too long with many interruptions. I recently moved it to my office above the studio and am able to work on the projects much easier.
Your new work, Disassembly, strips down electronics to their elements. You’ve managed to capture a real beauty in the bits and pieces that come together to form once ubiquitous pieces of technology. The typewriter and rotary phone certainly no longer have a place in our home offices. Was there a reason you didn’t choose a laptop or cell phone? Most everything that I have taken apart has been mechanical. If you press a button or turn a knob you can physically see it doing its job. They are very interesting and complex inside. New technology although very complex, is not on a level you can see physically. I have taken apart my iPhone before and inside there are minimal parts.
What inspires you in your work? Things I see, sounds I hear, conversations with people, it’s amazing what can come up if you let your mind wander.
Balance, Design, Products
January 27, 2012
By Cerentha Harris
1. Bloomberg Businessweek for their piece on the SAYL chair.
2. Saltsurf.com’s blog is beautiful. Even if you don’t surf or have never been to the beach this blog takes you away from your desk for a few minutes and lets you indulge in gorgeous shots of beach and ocean. Plus their new canvas totes would hold your laptop rather nicely. Enjoy!
3. Design Observer for Adam Harrison Levy’s review of A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor. Sounds like a fascinating book.
4. Milo Paper for their cool notebooks. They’ve dubbed them “Men’s Collection” which is a shame because they really would be perfect for women too. So don’t be put off. Check them out – you can even personalize them.
5. SF Girl By Bay has revamped her site and now there’s even more great interiors for home office inspiration.
6. An Organized Nest for their 6 tips on dealing with mail – real snail mail not email.
7. Oki Ni for this awesome messenger bag/lap top carrier.
8. House Beautiful gives us a nice slideshow of 16 different home office styles.
9. Architizer for this amazing house by Blank Studio. It’s in a town called Superior at the base of the Superstition Mountain range in Arizona.
10. Brain Pickings for Maria Popova’s thoughtful post on Charles Eames (including a great link to an Eliot Noyes essay on Charles).
Balance
January 26, 2012
By Cerentha Harris
Last year we checked in with professional organizer Angela Kantarellis about getting ready for tax season and this year we look at the sorts of organizing mistakes you can easily avoid in your home office.
Angela: “It’s 2012, a brand new year wide open with promise and possibilities. If “get organized” is one of your new year’s resolutions again this year – let’s look at what might have gotten in the way in the past and work to change it in the future. I’ve compiled a list 7 Organizing Mistakes to Avoid in 2012 to help you sidestep the most common roadblocks to a well-organized workspace.
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