1. Classic ViewMaster Model L with Scenic Americana Reel - Try a little nostalgia with your daydreams and gaze through the beloved ViewMaster toy. It’s the perfect desk-size daydreaming accessory. Get started with the classic viewer and a reel of scenic America. Available at Amazon.*You can even make your own custom ViewMaster reels.

2. Alphabet Factory Blocks - Employ imagination, spatial relations, physics, and motor control for daydreams that add real structure to your life. No login, Bluetooth, or USB cable needed. Just a hand or two and a tabletop. Start building at House Industries.

3. Spun Chair, Thomas Heatherwick for Magis - If your work has you going in circles, try unwinding yourself for a spell in the Spun Chair designed by Thomas Heatherwick. It’s the most comfortable, enjoyable revolution you’ll ever start. Find it at Herman Miller.

4. M4U 2 Active Noise Canceling Headphones, PSB Speakers - If you’re having trouble tuning into your daydreams, try tuning out of your environment for a bit with noise canceling headphones by PSB Speakers. The natural-sounding M4U 2′s are lightweight and comfortable. Fold and stow in their travel case for mobile daydreaming. Get them at Crutchfield.

5. Scissor Chair, Ward Bennett for Geiger - Modeled from the classic hammock deck chair of yesteryear’s ocean liners, the Scissor Chair mixes refined materials and finish option with reclining comfort. Situate yourself near a window, sit back and watch the clouds bend to your imagination. Customize yours at Herman Miller.

6. Marimekko Picnic Blanket - When your workspace starts to close in on you, move your daydreaming to the park for a bit. You’ll quickly forget your worries laying down on this collectible, all-natural fiber Marimekko picnic blanket. At 57″ x 58″ it’s over 23 square feet of daydreaming space. Available on Etsy.

Photos linked within text.

1. Architect Loïc Picquet’s simple, streamlined renovation of this rural guesthouse in the Alsace region of France (via Dezeen).

2. Design*Sponge’s tour through photographer and blogger Jessie Webster’s home in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

3. “Architecture on Repeat: Hypnotic Photos of Seaside Façades” at Architizer.

4. California Museum’s Pinterest page dedicated to its “Ray Eames: A Century of Modern Design” exhibition.

5. Design Milk’s look at the first residential design project — a joining of two neighboring properties into one family home — by London-based design studio Bureau de Change.

6. The impressive collection of Eames Aluminum Group Executive Chairs in the new Infor headquarters in NYC designed by VOA (via Contemporist).

7. The compact and cool Sydney apartment by designer Nicholas Gurney featured at Desire to Inspire.

8. “Elevator B,” an urban habitat for a colony of honeybees designed by architecture students from the University at Buffalo, at eVolo. (Learn why bees are near and dear to Herman Miller in this video.)

9. The 25th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair begins tomorrow and runs through Tuesday the 21st in New York City. Get details here.

10. Did you commute today via bicycle for Bike to Work Day? If you’re still dreaming of riding two wheels to the office, here’s the top 10 places to do so, according to Co.Exist.

Featured in photo: Nelson Pedestal Table by George Nelson

With only 875 square feet to work with, the inhabitants of this New York City space had to think smart — and look up — when it came to bicycle storage. “Storing our bikes was an issue as they’re always visible,” says apartment dweller Jeremy. “Thus, we chose minimal bikes, such that they simultaneously served as an unobtrusive decorative elements when stored in our rooms.” (Photo: Jason Loper for Apartment Therapy)

The Boulder, Colorado, office of advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky serves up plenty of parking space for bike commuters. (Photo: This Ain’t No Disco)

Alone and set against crisp, white walls, a bicycle in the Silver Lake, California-based office of Warren Techentin Architecture makes a striking statement. (Photo: Warren Techentin)

In Los Angeles, a pair of bicycles also go vertical in the home office of stylist Amy Pigliacampo and husband Corey Szopinski. (Photo: Bethany Neuart for Apartment Therapy)

Artist Andrew Neyers uses motorbikes as part of the decor in the upstairs studio of his Cincinnati, Ohio, home. (He’s got two in the space — see them both here). (Photo: Andrew Neyers)

The compact size of artist and designer Ryan Brinkerhoff’s apartment in Columbus, Ohio, ensures that more substantial everyday items, like his bike, must live right alongside his other furnishings. (Photo: Ryan Brinkerhoff)

Andre Andreev and G. Dan Covert of Dress Code (the studio that helped create the stop-motion video for our recent “Everywhere in Your Day” Contest) make ample room for bikes in their downtown New York City space. (Photo: Dress Code)

Top photo: Jay Fletcher

What do you listen to while you work?
The usual suspects on rotation are pop, electronica, hip-hop, two-step/garage, Italo disco, dub, and occasionally, classical music.

How do you listen?
Headphones and studio monitors.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
There are so many, and it’s impossible to list all our favorite ones. The ones that immediately come to mind are: The Life Aquatic, Diamond Atlas, Gorilla vs Bear, Earmilk, The Hype Machine, lyfstyl music blog, Marinate Media, Neon Tape Deck, Hypebeast, High Snobiety, Hearing Gold, Assembly Line Collective, and disco naïveté.

Does music influence your work?
It absolutely does! We also run a boutique record label called Nueva Forma, and Colorcubic handles all of the creative aspects of our artists’ music, from branding to album art to 3D animation/motion graphics. We also organize an annual audiovisual event called Kontrast, which combines our love of bringing communities together with good music and visuals.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Usually by random discovery during late-night YouTube/SoundCloud/music blog trolling and recommendations from friends.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
Michael: Boards of Canada
Christy: Grimes

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is the Eames Chaise on a graphite satin frame in black leather. Music is therapy, and when we listen to this mix, we envision a comfortable chair to lie on. A chaise made the most sense!

Do you have Herman Miller pieces in your office?
In our studio, we use Herman Miller Celle Chairs. We like that they’re 98% recyclable, highly adjustable, and nice looking. They’re great chairs, and we’ve had them for about five years now.

Colorcubic’s Playlist:
1. L.O.V.E., Onra
2. Hawaii (Niva Remix), Blackbird Blackbird
3. Turbulence (), Loveskills
4. Orbit, Teengirl Fantasy
5. What Can I Do (Com Truise Remix), Sally Shapiro
6. The Truest Faith (CFCF Remix), Korallreven
7. Bad Girls, Blood Orange
8. Nazca, NZCA/LINES
9. Dying in Africa, Nicolas Mackelberge
10. Summer Nightrunner, A Gap Between
11. Everything is Working, Games
12. My Fire Burns the Same, The Bear and The Sea

Photos: Colorcubic

Tell us a little about your backgrounds. We’re both creatives who spend equal time working out in the world and from home. I’m a freelance photographer specializing in weddings, portraits, and events, but my work is continually evolving. Kyle’s a web developer for Treehouse, a startup creating an online school for technology learning. We collaborate during wedding season when Kyle joins me as a second photographer.

Tell us about yourselves and your work: what you’re passionate about, what inspires you, and where you’re going. I spent a lot of time studying art and design while in school, and photography has been a natural progression into a field where I can hold onto my creativity and make a living. People, beauty, and happiness inspire me, and I feel fortunate to work with clients during their most joyful times.

Kyle’s worked professionally as a graphic designer, photographer, web developer, and snowboard instructor. He’s driven by a love of nature and simplicity, and created a social backpacking network for the Pacific Northwest called Went Hiking. At Treehouse, he garners inspiration from helping people get better jobs and improve their lives through technology learning.

I think this David Bowie quote sums up each of our lives: “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”

Tell us about your space. What’s your aesthetic? What do you like or dislike about it? I love all things vintage, and Kyle appreciates a more modern aesthetic. Our apartment has taken on an eclectic combination of our individual tastes that we both appreciate.

The apartment was built in the early 1900s and is bursting with vintage charm. Our favorite room is the sun porch, which is gloriously warm and bright and is currently serving as a small library.

We could definitely use an extra room for our office area. Both of our desks are sharing space with the dining room, which isn’t ideal, but it works for now.

There is a SAYL Chair in your office area. Why did you choose it? I was extremely picky about this decision because too many office chairs are bulky and unappealing. We both love Herman Miller designs, so when it came time to choose an ergonomic chair for Kyle to sit and program in every day, it was an easy choice. The SAYL is attractive and comfortable, and I appreciate its low profile and lightweight look. We would definitely recommend it to others!

Photos: Christy Cassano-Meyer

1. NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s inaugural event to showcase and promote design of all disciplines, starts today and runs through May 21.

2. “12 Homes Made from Shipping Containers” at Design Milk.

3. This piece on the power of co-working spaces by the New York Times.

4. Esoteric Survey’s post on photos of the Eames House from the Aline and Eero Saarinen Papers.

5. Dexinger’s look at our new Mirra 2 work chair by Studio 7.5.

6. This mid-century modern home in Phoenix, Arizona, renovated by John P. Twigg and Steve Watson at Plastolux.

7. The light-filled Berlin home by architectural firm + Quehl Miethe featured at automatism.

8. Inthralld’s look at the loft that houses boutique billboard company Prince Media Co. in New York City.

9. Info on “Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America,” an exhibit beginning June 14 at Cranbrook Art Museum, on Dwell.com.

10. Another not-to-be-missed exhibition: Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s retrospective show at Les Arts Decoratif in Paris beginning September 1. Details at It’s Nice That.

Featured in photo: Osso Chair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

What do you listen to while you work?
Recently, I have realized I work best with music that is nearly instrumental but with a slight peppering of vocals which do not take center stage.

I like that it doesn’t demand my attention, which is ideal for concentration. Also it follows the approach to my own work. Most of my work is wrapped around a subtle narrative which is sort of abstract, and I liken that to vocals which are abstract but still add to the song.

How do you listen?
I use Spotify on my iMac while I work. I have music playing from the moment I start to the moment I finish. It’s very integral to the work.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
I like Pitchfork and Stereogum. There is a lot I don’t like about those sites, but they are good for finding new music. Soundcloud is really awesome, and I use Spotify all the time.

Does music influence your work?
Majorly. I couldn’t over-exaggerate this if I tried. Three or four years ago I started to dig a littler deeper into my personal work.

Music is probably the art form that moves me the most. I started keeping track of music that I deeply responded to, and I created a little playlist that I call “Soundtrack to My Work.” Then I would try to approach creating visual work that felt the same way as this music. All of my NOD project and most all of my personal work in the past three years has been made this way.

A lot of this music is vocally abstract and sort of whimsical with a twist of melancholy, and I think you can see that in the work.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
I have been doing a lot of music-focused editorial illustration for the fashion company Aritzia. They have introduced me to some fantastic new music lately. I look through my favorite new bands related artists on Spotify too. I would say that if my peers on Twitter bring up a band a few times, I’ll usually go check it out.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
If my work was a song, I would want it to be this little one minute piano piece called “Row” that Jon Brion made for the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It’s so beautiful. I can listen to it on repeat. I think it feels exactly like the work I try to create, sad but hopeful, childlike but sophisticated.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is sitting in an Eames Lounge Chair oiled santos palisander veneer and black MCL leather. This playlist is for nighttime, hence the dark-colored chair. Preferably listened to in a warm climate, windows down, alone, leaning back, relaxed, and lost in the music.

Andy’s Playlist:
1. Row, Jon Brion
2. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Ryuichi Sakamoto
3. Rain Smell, Baths
4. Garden 1, Teen Daze
5. Undo, The 1975
6. The Great Estates, Freelance Whales
7. Cleam, Mister Lies
8. Want U 2 Know, Different Sleep
9. Accordian, Madvillain
10. Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst, Kendrick Lamar

Photos: Andy J. Miller

1. Beautiful photography of modern interiors captured by Michael Wells via Plastolux.

2. This interview with brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec on the Magis Facebook page.

3. Impressed by the launch of the new home decor site Domaine (and glad to see its love for Charles and Ray Eames).

4. Inspired by clue #4 in our “Everywhere in Your Day” contest: “Insane Photos Snapped From Kites” from Architizer.

5. “Brilliant Words of Advice from 14 Great Graphic Designers” (including Charles Eames) via Co.Design.

6. Contemporist’s feature on the simple elegance of Casa Sulla Morella by Studio Cittaarchitettura in Castelnovo di Sotto, Italy.

7. The fluorescent shades of green, yellow, and blue in this sports hall design in the Netherlands by Slangen + Koenis Architects (via Dezeen).

8. “Bold, punchy, in-your-face sculptures” by artist Matt W. Moore featured at It’s Nice That.

9. Interior Design‘s look back at the ”greatest hits” of Maharam, the textile company recently acquired by Herman Miller.

10. Don’t forget: May 5 is the last day to enter for a chance to win in our “Everywhere in Your Day” contest. Click here to find out more.

Featured in photo: Eames Desk Unit, Eames Storage Unit, and Eames Molded Plastic Chair by Charles and Ray Eames

What do you listen to while you work?
In the morning we usually listen to something mellow and ambient since that’s when we do a lot of our emailing. In the afternoon, we usually put on something with a little more kick, and if it’s going to be an all-nighter then 80′s music is the go to.

How do you listen?
We usually listen to music throughout the day on our Sonos and we each take turns putting on different music. If one of us really needs to focus or our cat won’t stop nagging for food, we throw on some Bose noise-cancelling headphones.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
iTunes and KEXP.

Does music influence your work?
We recently illustrated some idyllic forest scenes for a children’s hospital and we listened a lot to Beethoven’s Symphony No.6 while creating them. That music really invoked the feeling that we wanted to portray and helped us get into the right mental space while we were creating the various scenes.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
KEXP in Seattle is probably our favorite source for new music.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
Ha! This is a tricky one. We honestly have no idea, but it’d be pretty sweet if it could be “Linus and Lucy” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is the Eames Molded Plywood Chair in walnut.

Do you have Herman Miller pieces in your studio, home office (or anywhere else in your home)?
We have several Herman Miller pieces in both our home and office, and while they’re all fantastic, we’d say our favorite is the Eames Aluminum Management Chair. When you’re sitting all day long, it’s really important to have a chair that’s comfortable and supports your back for long hours. And it doesn’t look too shabby either.

Sarah & Ryan’s Playlist:
1. You Send Me, Sam Cooke
2. Heaven or Las Vegas, Cocteau Twins
3. Rebel Girl, Bikini Kill
4. When Doves Cry, Prince
5. Gimme Little Sign, Brenton Wood
6. When Harpo Played His Harp, Modern Lovers
7. Fire Alarm, The Fresh and Onlys
8. Hey, Pixies
9. Daylight Sky, Frankie Rose
10. Vapour Trail, Ride
11. My Prayer, Roy Orbison
12.  My Favorite Things, Tony Bennett

Photos: Lab Partners

Your living and working spaces shouldn’t be a stranger to variety either. Each has its own purpose, needs, and style. Here’s six great options for adding that Herman Miller touch everywhere you live and work.

*Don’t forget to play ”Everywhere in Your Day.” You could win great prizes, including a chance at the grand prize, an Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman!

1. Stool_One, Konstantin Grcic - In your kitchen, space can be a premium. Keep seating stylish and compact at your breakfast bar with Kostantin Grcic’s Stool_One. Sold conveniently in sets of two, the stools come in two heights and in all-black anodized aluminum, or finished aluminum in red or white. Get a couple at Herman Miller.

*No breakfast bar? Pair two Stool_One stools with the Everywhere Standing Height Table for a simple, standalone dining solution.

2. Aeron Chair, Bill Stumpf - The Aeron is the ergonomic support superstar of the office chair world. Create the perfect workspace for mind and body with its breathable mesh upholstery. The Pellicle suspension conforms to your shape while keeping you cool and collected throughout your day. Find all the Aeron options at Herman Miller.

*Need to bring in a collaborator for a bit? Sit them beside you on a Nelson Pedestal Stool, ideal for a quick brainstorm.

3. Eames Sofa Compact, Charles and Ray Eames - Despite its modern, minimalist profile, the innovative Eames Sofa Compact conserves office space without sparing any comfort. Sit three colleagues across from you and pitch your ideas in a comfy, casual review meeting. Add in a Nelson Platform Bench as a showcase surface ideal for layouts, foldouts, or whatever your working on. Configure the perfect Eames Sofa Compact here.

*After the review meeting, celebrate your victory or regain your momentum with a spin in the Spun Chair.

4. Everywhere Flip-Top Table, Dan Grabowski - Of course, not every workspace has the real estate for a dedicated conference room. Enter the Everywhere Flip-Top Table, which enters on wheels naturally, and folds down to create the perfect mobile meeting space. When the meeting is done, fold it back up and roll it on to its next big pitch down the hall. Get yours at Herman Miller.

*Don’t forget to offer cooling comfort and support to your clients and coworkers around the table with a quartet of Setu Chairs.

5. Nelson X-Leg Table, George Nelson - Subtle and uncomplicated, the X-Leg Table is the epitome of elegance through simplicity and function. Choose from multiple depths, heights, and leg finishes, as well as veneer and laminate tops. Its clean design pairs easily with everything – try a white laminate top and surround it with pops of colors from Eames Molded Plastic Side Chairs. Configure your X-Leg Table here, and don’t forget the Eames Chairs.

6. Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Charles & Ray Eames - With the goal of designing a “special refuge from the strains of modern living,” Charles and Ray Eames created the enduring symbol of lounging comfort. The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman symbolize the union of design with innovation and style with pure comfort. Make it your own with a selection of five striking veneers and a wide array of upholstery materials. You’ll forget all about those modern living strains. Get one at Herman Miller.

* You might need to set down some refreshments nearby – try pairing the Eames Lounge Chair with another iconic design, the Noguchi Table.

Photos linked within text.

1. Cool Hunting’s preview of our redesigned Mirra 2 Chair by Studio 7.5.

2. Phaidon’s preview of the Wireframe Sofa by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin.

3. “The Psychology of Seating” at Dwell.com.

4. A look inside the portfolio of Sydney architect Madeleine Blanchfield, which demonstrates “the new Australian aesthetic,” at Desire to Inspire.

5. More from Australia: this simple modern home by architect Jessica Liew in Melbourne (via HomeDSGN).

6. 10 chalets, spas, and sanctuaries that help combat stress via Architizer.

7. This south-facing home just above the Miño River in Spain, built mostly of glass and concrete, at Inthralld.

8. The mix of mid-century modern and vintage industrial style at Irvine-based design firm Mattson Creative, courtesy of California Home + Design.

9. The American Institute of Architects’ top ten sustainable projects of the year, covered at Dezeen.

10. Did you see the making of our “Everywhere in Your Day” contest video? If not, be sure to check it out here.

Featured in photo: Branca Chair by San Hecht and Kim Colin

What do you listen to while you work?
It really depends on what I’m doing. If it doesn’t require heavy thinking, I usually like to catch up on podcasts, mostly from NPR. If it is somewhat design oriented, I tend to prefer down-tempo electronica or classical music.

How do you listen?
Depends on where I’m at. If it is in the office, I usually listen with headphones either plugged into my computer or iPod. I use a Bluetooth wireless headset so I don’t worry about accidentally yanking out my earbuds when I get up or move around.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
I have several Pandora stations and I’ve been meaning to check out Grooveshark.

Does music influence your work?
Not at this point in my design career, but it does help me slow down and pay attention. For songs that I’ve listened to over and over, there have been several occasions where I’ve noticed a particular sound, beat, or rhythm that I didn’t notice before and I try to carry over that awareness to my design process.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Pandora or the iOS App Shazam if I’m out in public and hear something I really like.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
I am just beginning my career in design, so I don’t have a body of work to represent. But I wouldn’t be able to narrow it down to one song or artist, it would depend on the type of space. For example, if it were personal space, like a home or private office, I’d like it to be calming, minimalistic, and relaxed, something like “In the Waiting Line” by Zero 7. If it were a public or social space, it would be something much faster and more upbeat.

The ideal place to sit and listen to this playlist is the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman if you’re relaxing at home or the Aeron Chair if you’re listening at work. I’ve had an Aeron in my home office for almost a decade now. I got it because it was the perfect balance between form and function.

Ray’s Playlist:
1. Viejo Abasto, G-Spliff
2. Gotta Be Love, Joey Youngman
3. Arrabal, Gotan Project
4. Dunk, Noiseshaper
5. Mi Swing Es Tropical, Quantic & Nickodemus
6. Reality Check, Stigmato Inc.
7. Get Enough, Telemark
8. Transcendence, Thievery Corporation
9. Intro, The XX
10. A Little Soul, Pete Rock
11. Yachts, A Man Called Adam

Photos and renderings: Ray Tam

1. This article and video on the Re-Think the Eames show in Milan exploring the “Eames condition,” the “ideal paradigm for a reflection on design understood as a narrative, curatorial, and collective tool.” (Via Abitare.)

2. Craig Steely Architecture’s compelling design for Lavaflow 7, a house on the Big Island of Hawaii, at Contemporist.

3. Inhabitat’s look at the reopening of San Francisco’s Exploratorium, now the largest net-zero-energy museum in the U.S.

4. The clean, compact workspace of graphic designer Alex Yeske featured at Eva Black Design.

5. How many designs by Charles and Ray Eames and Alexander Girard can you spot in “Through Don Draper’s Eyes: A Tour of the Time-Life Building of the Sixties” at style.time.com?

6. This smart bedroom addition (complete with a new home office) featured at Modern Findings.

7. The vibrant Brooklyn home of identical twins Teman and Teran Evans at NYTimes.com.

8. The stand-out Orient IV Residence on Long Island by Ryall Porter Sheridan Architects (via Inthralld).

9. “Why Some Spaces Make Us Feel Right at Home” (penned by Herman Miller’s own Betty Hase) at the Drucker Exchange.

10. A double dose of inspiration from Illinois-based artist Chad Wys: his personal Tumblr and his graphic design Tumblr.

Featured in photo: Eames Sofa by Charles and Ray Eames

What do you listen to while you work?
Any music that helps make Nora a nice space to spend time. New stuff, old stuff, we really like to mix it up. Sometimes it depends on the weather or the time of day, but it’s never just mellow and it’s never just upbeat.

How do you listen?
On a portable speaker system that we can tuck out of eye shot in the store.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Honestly, it’s impossible to pick out just one or two!

Does music influence your work?
Music plays a role early in our creative process because we play music while we think about what we want to the store to be, and later on because we use music to help create the Nora environment. It’s kind of a chicken-and-egg thing — did this song inspire ideas that go into Nora? Or did what Nora is inspire us to pick this song? We haven’t really figured it out yet.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Boy, all over the place. We are lucky enough to get Canadian radio here so CBC Radio 2 is always great, as are the music shows on our own public radio station WDET (which broadcasts just across the street!). Michele, our store manager, gets a lot of music ideas through her husband Christian, and he’s a fan of eMusic. A lot of our music is recommended by friends.

Do you have Herman Miller pieces in your studio, home or office?
All four of us on the Nora team have Herman Miller pieces we love in our homes. We really have a deep appreciation for Michigan’s modern design heritage and Herman Miller is a huge part of that. We love that Herman Miller continues to operate here in Michigan honoring the classics and innovating with new products.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is the Eames Soft Pad Lounge Chair with tilt swivel in Divina Melange #220, a warm light grey. With ottoman, of course. It seems a little sacrilegious to do something other than leather but that Divina Melange fabric is, well, divine. It’s perfect for our mix because it’s so comfortable, and it lets you dream during the mellow parts and dance in your seat when it’s upbeat.

Nora Modern’s Playlist:
1. Sooner or Later, Slumber Party
2. La Belle et le Bad Boy, MC Solaar
3. Beat Control, Tilly & the Wall
4. Losing You, Solange
5. The Late Great Cassiopia, The Essex Green
6. Song for Zula, Phosphorescent
7. Like a Motorway, St. Etienne
8. Autobahn, KraftWerk
9. The Black Keys Work, Erlend Oye,
10. Tombé Pour la France, Étienne Daho
11. Redemption Song, Moodswings with Tanita Tikarim

Photos: Michele Unverzagt

1. Five black and white offices that are “anything but boring” at Apartment Therapy (agreed).

2. Happy to see our Mirra Chair in one of the greenest structures in the world: the new Center for Sustainable Landscapes, designed by Design Alliance Architects for Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory (via Architizer).

3. The “Quiet Motion” installation by designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for BMW i at Milan’s Salone del Mobile 2013 (via URDesign Magazine).

4. More Bouroullecs: check out the brothers’ Steelwood Galva for Magis (a new iteration of their Steelwood chair and stool in galvanized steel and beech wood) along with other photos from Salone del Mobile from Wallpaper* Magazine.

5. And even more from Salone del Mobile: enjoying Snap Assembly’s Tumblr coverage of the show.

6. The solitary Eames Molded Plywood Lounge in this composer’s Wisconsin practice studio designed by Johnsen Schmaling Architects at Dezeen.

7. Classic mid-century chair stencils by Stencil 1 spotted by Design Milk.

8. The sunny Fresno House — nicely situated between the forest and the ocean in Carilo, Argentina — co-designed by Felix Raspall and Federico Papandrea and featured at Dornob.

9. The thoughtfully designed L23 House by Pitágoras Arquitectos in Portugal found at Archello.

10. Patrick Rochon’s eye-popping photos of wakeboarders riding special boards affixed with LEDs at Colossal.

Featured in photo: Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Eames Walnut Stools, and Eames Sofa by Charles and Ray Eames

What do you listen to while you work?
In the office we have a bit of a music ritual. Early mornings tend to be fairly mellow, picked by whoever comes in first. Then, at 10am we tune in via iTunes radio to the KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic radio show. That lasts until 1pm and we usually go the duration — unless the guest in the last hour is driving us crazy. At 1pm we go into a rotation and we usually get a bit loud from 1 – 3pm while we’re trying to get a bunch of shipping done before the UPS pickup.

How do you listen?
We listen through iTunes via Airplay, connected to a fairly vintage thrift store find Yamaha receiver, connected to some old, but very nice Infinity speakers. It’s a handy system because we can all connect via iTunes or Spotify, etc. When I really need to focus and get a lot done, I’ve got a pair of Aiaiai TMA-1 headphones I’ll put on to shut out distractions.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
“Favorite” might be a stretch, but we do listen to Spotify in the afternoons a fair amount.  And naturally, we keep an eye on Pitchfork and the usual locations.

Does music influence your work?
I tend to think music influences everything but it’s often in a behind-the-scenes way. More directly, I know that if we have a lot of shipping to do, some A Place to Bury Strangers might be just what we need to make it go fast.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Most of our new music is introduced via a collection of friends around the country on a small music email list. Usually once a week someone on the list sends out a new band for us to check out. It’s a mix of folk, so we end up with rap to sad-sack music and everything in between.

Do you have Herman Miller pieces in your studio, home, or office?
In my house I’ve got a Nelson Platform Bench and an Aluminum Group Lounge Chair. My daughter usually capitalizes the lounger (“it spins well!”) but my longtime favorite is the bench. Simple, clean, classic. [My partner] Jedd has a few more pieces at his place, he has an Eames Lounge Chair in leather — and I’m not convinced he ever sits anywhere else. His dog, Pinto, is usually found on the Ottoman. He has an Aluminum Group Lounge Chair as well — he found both his and mine at a local vintage shop.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is on a black leather Eames Chaise. It starts off slow so you can relax a bit, and then about the time you doze off it picks up — at which point, no more sitting. That means it’s time to get up and move. 

Mark’s Playlist:
1. Life’s a Beach, Django Django
2. One More Time, Psychic Ills
3. Don’t You Forget It, Allah-Las
4. Love Vigilantes, New Order
5. Let the Day Begin, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (“The original by The Call (his dad) was great, too.”)
6. Borrowed Time, Parquet Courts
7. Build, Destroy, Rebuild, Hanni El Khatib
8. Electric, The Men
9. Anxiety’s Door, Merchandise
10. You Are the One, A Place to Bury Strangers

Mark adds:
This list represents what we’re listening to now with a few throwbacks that seem to pop up in rotation. It’ll likely be different in a few months.

Photos: Mark Hansen

1. The Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair in action at the studio of letterer Erik Marinovich via Warby Parker Class Trip.

2. Inthralld’s tour of visual artist and designer Michelle de la Vega’s garage-to-home conversation (it’s an astounding 250 square feet).

3. This duplex apartment by Paris’s Place de la Madeleine designed and owned by architect Michael Herrmanon (via materialicious).

4. The family home of designer Alice Flynn — a mix of masculine and feminine style — in Avalon NSW Australia, featured on Design*Sponge.

5. More from Down Under: this beautiful home blending indoor and outdoor spaces at Homedit.com.

6. The roundup of smart concrete interiors at Design Milk.

7. This project by MASS Design Group to develop housing for doctors at the Butaro Hospital in Rwanda (via Architizer).

8. The installation created by E/B Office at the Teton County Library in Wyoming that physically responds to the Internet (via The Fox Is Black).

9. Dwell’s look at a modern tree house in Belgium by design firm Baumraum.

10. Did you catch this recent post by Ryan Anderson, Herman Miller Director of Future Technology, at the Drucker Institute’s blog, Drucker Exchange?

Featured in photo: Branca Chair by San Hecht and Kim Colin

What do you listen to while you work?
I usually work to music that pairs well with whatever project is at hand. Could be rock, classical, reggae, hip-hop, or anything else. I’m all over the place with my musical likes and don’t really have too many dislikes, so letting the project dictate the playlist works well for me.

How do you listen?
I’ve had a set of JBL Creature Speakers forever and they’re still getting the job done, plugged directly into my iMac.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Not really. I buy most everything from the iTunes store.

Does music influence your work?
I’m not sure I could highlight a clear-cut example, but the influence is huge. Being a designer is about finding and articulating somebody else’s voice, so picking “project-appropriate music” really helps me get in the right mindset for whatever I’m working on. It’s sort of like method acting, with music establishing a vibe that lets you further immerse yourself in the character you’re playing.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Pitchfork is my go-to for new music, music news, reviews, etc., and my friends have a big influence as well. I’ve also been known to Shazam the heck out of places when I hear something new that I think I might like.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
Geez, I have absolutely no idea. I listen to a ton of Bob Marley & The Wailers, so I guess I’ll go with that. Their music represents a lot of different things to me — places I’ve been, people I’ve known, and experiences I’ve had. Structurally, the songs are often incredibly sparse and tight, yet full of life and personality, which I would say is what I strive for in my design work. Do as much as you can with as little as you can. Drawing that parallel is probably a bit over-analytical, but I’ll stick with it.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
Obviously I’m going with the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman in walnut and black leather. Unique and timeless. That thing is brilliant. My uncle had one and it made an impression on me as a kid, long before I knew anything about design or Charles and Ray Eames. I remember hopping up into it and thinking “whoa, this thing is out-of-control cool.”

Jay’s Playlist:
1. San Francisco, Foxygen
2. Space Invaders, Playback
3. Time to Run, Lord Huron
4. Lost, Frank Ocean
5. Five Seconds, Twin Shadow
6. 17, Youth Lagoon
7. Everybody Knows, Vacationer
8. A Country’s King of Dreams, Caveman
9. Jamie Marie, Girls
10. Warm Heart of Africa, The Very Best

Find more from Jay on Dribbble and Twitter.

Photos: Jay Fletcher

1. This Charles and Ray Eames-inspired post about creative couples (including former Playlister Jenna Park and husband Mark Sopchak) at the Etsy Blog.

2. The dynamic interior of the JWT office in Amsterdam co-designed by Alrik Koudenburg and RJW Elsinga via Ideas to Steal.

3. Edina Sæther’s short series of color-splash photos of the Chair_One by Konstantin Grcic (via Nordic leaves).

4. A look inside the sketchbooks of 10 terrific creatives at Co.Design.

5. The new (and free) Photo-Lettering App by House Industries spotted at Grain Edit.

6. Nice refresher at freshome: “10 Basic Facts You Should Know About Modular Homes.”

7. Dwell’s listing of its favorite Eames films.

8. The stunning and sculptural Hewlett House by MPR Design Group in Sydney, Australia, covered by URDesign Magazine.

9. These treehouses of reclaimed wood by self-taught Japanese designer Takashi Kobayashi (via designboom).

10. “‘I’m Google’ by Dina Kelberman: A Visual Exploration of Google Image Search” at Colossal.

Featured in photo: Air-Chairs and Air-Tables by Jasper Morrison

What do you listen to while you work?
We listen to various kinds of music, from the electronic genre all the way to Japanese pop music. At times, the distant sound of construction work sounds rhythmic. Strange but true.

How do you listen?
We play music through our laptops, and sometimes from the record player. Everyone in the studio listens to the same music. We take turns playing from each other’s playlist. We seldom use earphones, as we communicate a lot while working.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
We have a few decent music shops in Singapore where we get CDs and vinyl. One of them is called “Gramophone.”

Does music influence your work?
The different music we play sets the mood and pace when we work. It’s like a theme song playing in the background for the task you are performing at that moment.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
It’s always in the air. You are [out] somewhere, you hear a nice tune and the next moment you try find out more about it.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
“Ponyo on the Cliff By the Sea.” I think the film created by Hayao Miyazaki represents the spirit of our work. The film is reflected in the theme song as well.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist: The Eames Sofa in black leather.

Studio Juju’s Playlist:
1. All I Need, Radiohead
2. Ellie My Love, Southern All Star
3. Secret Heart, Feist
4. Finch, The Observatory
5. I Love You, Yutaka Ozaki
6. Be Joy, Guitar
7. 15 Step, Radiohead
8. Drifting In and Out, Porcelain Raft
9. Lotus Flower, Radiohead
10. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Ryuichi Sakamoto
11. Wine-Red no Kokoro, Anzen Chitai
12. くるみ (Kurumi), Mr Children

Photos: Rebecca Toh

Tell us about your home workspace. I’ve worked from home for many years — sometimes in a corner of my living room, now in my converted garage or in a donated space in an architect’s office. As long as I’m somewhere I can focus, I can get used to it and work there happily. I have very few things that I need to create my setup besides my computer on a desk and a great chair. I am delighted to say that I have an Eames Aluminum Group Executive Chair that is fantastic — comfortable and durable. A good chair for the kind of work I do is key, and I have a chair that I love.

You established your business in 2011. What led to that point? I had been an architect who later went to art school, taught for a while, and then became a consultant in policy planning. I see great potential for art and design to play a role in other endeavors, like planning. Then, as an experiment in blending things together, I brought a group of car designers together with planners to have discussions, and learn from each other. It was a mixing of values and cultures, as much as an exchange of information. This resulted in a book about cars and planning called The Car in 2035: Mobility Planning for the Near Future. The book has an artistic undercurrent that, for both car designers and planners, is a strange, foreign element. I hope they will think it’s interesting and eye opening, and will broaden the audience for their ideas.

I started the non-profit Civic Projects in 2011 because I realized the book could be only the first of many initiatives that were cross disciplinary and had public benefit, but were not for a client. I wanted to come up with the projects myself, or with collaborators, instead of fulfilling someone else’s scope of work, and I knew these projects would have to rely on donations from other organizations who believed in the ideas and wanted to see the projects happen. I started a for-profit side of Civic Projects as a consulting practice in 2013. Civic Projects Inc. does strategic planning, research, and development. Our focus is automotive, for now. We are working on paths to commercialization for advanced vehicle technology. We will continue to bring as much art and design to the consulting and R&D projects as we can. It will be a wild ride.

What about your work has changed since becoming a parent? Since having kids, I am under considerably more pressure to make money, so that has led me to completely reinvent my practice to fulfill my creative compulsions and try to find a way to be more comfortable. I have not figured it out perfectly yet, but I have to keep trying.

How does working from home impact your work? As little work overlap as possible is crucial for maintaining our family’s mental health. The model that works the best for me is to produce work in my own space, wherever it is, and then have face-to-face meetings, and these are generally one on one or with a small group. The collaborations I do are with many, many people, and some are far-flung, so there is no one place to go where all the collaborators are — that would be fantastic, but doesn’t seem to be the way my practice, or maybe even the world, is going.

Is there any piece of home office furniture you covet right now? Yes, I would really love to have the Ardea Personal Light. Having a task light, especially one that nice, would be truly wonderful. And it would go so nicely with my Eames Aluminum Group Executive Chair.

What inspires you? It’s very important to my practice to be completely open to inspiration coming from multiple kinds of sources and media. It goes without saying that it’s a habit of mind, and a discipline. I was in New York recently for the first time in a long time, and I saw a play by Brecht called “The Good Person of Szechuan” performed by the Foundry Theatre Company at LaMama. That was intense and inspiring: A total artwork. I was also inspired by the treatment of the flagship Juicy Couture storefront, and by the High Line.

I am consistently interested and inspired by graphic design and photography. Here in Los Angeles, my favorite paintings are in the Norton Simon Museum: Marine by Coubet, and The Triumph of Virtue and Nobility over Ignorance by Tiepolo. I have pictures of both of these pinned up in my office. But, of course, being in a forest, driving on the freeway, or being in an airport is also inspiring.

Photos: Kati Rubinyi

Photos of tires and car trunk: Monica Nouwens

Top image: Gabriel Wartofsky

What do you listen to while you work?
I have a pretty broad taste, but when I really need to bury myself into a project, I usually have something electronic or ambient playing. It helps keep me focused.

How do you listen?
I have the studio to myself all day, so I pretty much just blare the computer speakers.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Designers.MX, Pandora, Spotify, Daytrotter, and Audiotree are some of my favorites.

Does music influence your work?
It sure does. When designing anything tech related, I listen to a lot of Kraftwerk and Underworld. One example is the playing cards I did for Bicycle [above]. I also do a lot of illustrations based off of Morrissey lyrics. A lot of great things to work with there.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
My friends are constantly sending me songs on Spotify. Other than that, I usually find new artists on Daytrotter or Audiotree.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
I would have to say Bruce Springsteen. I have been a really big fan for some time now. I love the stories he tells with his songs and I try to do the same with my design and illustrations.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is: the Goetz Sofa in Walnut Veneer, Neon Messenger Fabric, and a Night Crush Fabric for the accent. (My favorite piece has always been the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman. I shall own one someday.)

Luke’s Playlist:
1. One Million Lovers, The Growlers
2. The Sky is Black, Window Twins
3. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Santa Esmeralda
4. Well I Wonder, The Smiths
5. Wrecking Ball, Emmylou Harris
6. Midnight Confessions, The Grass Roots
7. How Long, Ace
8. Born to Be Wild, Steppenwolf
9. In Dreams, Roy Orbison
10. The Partisan, Leonard Cohen
11. Solitary Man, Neil Diamond
12. City of Night, Bruce Springsteen

Photos: Luke Bott

1. Apartment Therapy’s look inside Airbnb’s Eames-filled office in San Francisco.

2. The sliding facade on this home created by London-based architects dRMM and featured at CubeMe.

3. Dezeen’s report that Danish studio BIG has been appointed to spearhead a redesign the campus of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

4. These interiors captured by Toronto photographer Derek Shapton at Desire to Inspire.

5. Collossal’s feature on a sculpture of the last standing tree from a forest destroyed by the 2011 tsunami in Japan.

6. This Chair Alphabet print by Tim Fishlock at Design Milk.

7. Tina Roth Eisenberg’s keynote at South by Southwest Interactive (via swissmiss).

8. More inspiration from swissmiss, this time in Johnson Banks’ “Second Thoughts” interview.

9. Esoteric Survey’s tour of the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

10. The wonderful curiosities filling the home office of the Caselli Avenue Residence remodeled by Schwartz and Architecture in San Francisco (via Inthralld).

Featured in photo: She Said Stool by Nitzan Cohen; Burdick Group Table by Bruce Burdick

Song: Dear One, Pisces
Added by: One by Four Studio

Song: Let It Flow Again, Scha Dara Paa
Added by: Designer Akira Yoshimura

Song: Tighten Up, The Black Keys
Added by: Designer Iris Brown

Song: Again and Again, The Bird and the Bee
Added by: Designer Bettina Nissen

Song: Would That Not Be Nice, Divine Fits
Added by: Designer Matthew Plumstead

Song: The Trapeze Swinger, Iron and Wine
Added by: Studio Gorm

Song: Nothing Can Come Between Us, Sade
Added by: Architect Kathy Dixon

Song: King of Anything, Sara Bareilles
Added by: Rebecca Baust of the Daily Muse

Song: Nasty Tasty, Luminescent Orchestri
Added by: Designers Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler

Song: Vous Et Moi, Django Reinhardt
Added by: Artist and designer Jason Keenan

Song: Holocene, Bon Iver
Added by: Writer Mindy Koschmann

Song: Ethnik, Plastikman
Added by: Artist April Wagner

Photo: Jason Keenan

In honor of Women’s History Month, this week’s round-up presents some of our favorite collaborations with female designers. Working together, these pairings, teams, and ensembles channel the creative energy generated when the genders mix it up.

1. Eva, Eva Zeisel with KleinReid - After approaching ceramic artist Eva Zeisel in 1999, KleinReid began a 12-year-long collaboration, generating an exclusive line of more than 20 handmade designs. The organic curves of “Eva Centerpiece,” an 11-piece set, offer endless variations for display. Find the collection at KleinReid.

2. Mirra Chair, Studio 7.5 - Designers Claudia Plikat, Carola Zwick, Roland Zwick, and Burkhard Schmitz make up Studio 7.5, designers of the Mirra Chair as well as the Setu Chair for Herman Miller. Carola Zwick describes the chairs’ beauty as “not only what you see, it’s also what you feel.” See and sit in a Mirra or a Setu and you’re sure to agree. Find yours at Herman Miller.

3. Branca Chair, Kim Colin and Sam Hecht - The founders of London’s Industrial Facility, drawing fresh inspiration from the natural form of trees, created the single piece of wood Branca Chair to be the perfect modern chair: light, comfortable, and adaptable. Robotically produced, the minimal, durable design is both comfortable to rest in and pleasing to gaze upon. Available in three finishes at Herman Miller.

4. The Scout Regalia Bicycle, Makoto Mizutani and Benjamin Luddy - An amalgam of a mixte bike, an English-Dutch town bike, and a mountain bike, the Scout Regalia unites performance, style, and craftsmanship. The unique design is Mizutani and Luddy’s shared vision of an American-made, truly American bike. Check them out at Scout Regalia.

5. Forage Bowties, Shauna Alterio and Stephen Lloidolt - After completing MFAs at Cranbrook, Alterio and Lloidolt began collaborating on various projects, including Forage. Thanks to their shared affinity for the vintage and deadstock fabrics, the couple’s fresh designs are reaching new-classic status. (We bet Charles Eames would have loved them.) Explore all their hand-crafted products at Forage.

6. Eames Molded Plastic Chair, Ray and Charles Eames - Drawing from their shared playfulness, curiosity, and devotion to a continual design process, Ray and Charles created some of the most iconic furniture designs ever produced, including the first-ever mass-produced plastic chair. More than 60 years later, it remains a style leader in modern design. Choose from multiple colors and bases at Herman Miller.

Photos linked within text.

1. A quick tour inside the Ray Eames exhibit at the California Museum in Sacramento via Esoteric Survey.

2. Le Prado, a warm, welcoming home near the beaches of Marseilles, France, spotted by Design Milk.

3. More from Marseilles, this time from Contemporist: the simple and elegant Vieux Port Pavilion by Foster + Partners.

4. Co.Design’s peek inside a new book on Irving Harper, who designed Herman Miller’s logo and contributed to the design of George Nelson’s Marshmallow Sofa.

5. A surprising house design by Aires Mateus in Leiria, Portugal, found at I Need a Guide.

6. The Makoko Floating School project by NLÉ architects at designboom.

7. Remodelista’s roundup of “smart and skinny” houses in Japan.

8. Great shots by photographer Alan Wanzenberg at Plastolux. (We’re fans of the nicely lit image of a pair of Eames Walnut Stools.)

9. This chat with David Calvin Laufer, who presents interviews with George Nelson, Charles and Ray Eames, and Buckminster Fuller, among others, in his book Dialogues with Creative Legends and Aha Moments in a Designer’s Career (via Peachpit).

10. The renovated LeRoy Neiman Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Be sure to check out its interesting combo of Eames designs and colorful Caper chairs. (Via Retail Design Blog.)

Featured in photo: Eames Molded Plastic Chair; Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair; Nelson X-Leg Table

What do you listen to while you work?
I listen to a lot of things, ranging from mixes, podcasts, and bits and bobs that I find, as well as selections from my vinyl collection. It all depends on how I’m feeling and what type of energy I need to get through my work. I’m a huge fan of soul, jazz, R&B, and funk. I’m currently on a boogie and modern funk kick, and enjoy listening to artlists like Dam-Funk, Onra, Steve Arrington, and Nite Jewel.

How do you listen?
I share a studio with Gavin Potenza, Liz Meyer, and Dan Cassaro. Usually when we’re all around, I listen to music through headphones, either on my computer or iPhone. When I’ve got the space to myself, I listen to playlists I’ve compiled on YouTube through our projection/stereo system setup. When I’m at home, I listen to records on my portable turntable in my room, or through our stereo setup in the living room.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Some of my favorite sites for music are Dublab, Music is My Sanctuary, XLR8R, Wax Poetics, and Boiler Room. I also like visiting my favorite labels — Stones Throw, PPU (People’s Potential Unlimited), Brainfeeder, and Numero Group. YouTube’s also an awesome source for weird and rare stuff. You’d be surprised how much great music I’ve found there simply by clicking on related videos. Honestly though, I think the best way to find music is digging for records. It’s one of my favorite things to do…sometimes you just have to scratch that itch.

Does music influence your work?
I am totally my music, and my work is a direct reflection of that. I tend to gravitate towards upbeat music, and my work feels that way through color and content.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
I find music recommendations through artists I follow on Soundcloud, magazines like Wax Poetics, and, of course, through friends. My friends have varied music tastes, so each one offers a different perspective. One friend recently sent me a video of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers live at the 8th festival of International Jazz in Sanremo, Italy on March 23, 1963. It’s almost an hour of hard bop live! I highly recommend watching it.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
If my work was a song, it would be Stevie Wonder’s “Outside My Window” from Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. It’s cheerful, expresses a lot of joy, and is about one’s unconditional love and bond with plants. A lot of my work thematically deals with nature, the cycle of life, balance, and the complexity of human emotions.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
On a Goetz Sofa in Walnut Veneer, Hydrangea Messenger fabric, and a neon accent color. It’s big enough to listen to my playlist with friends and have a dance party, or just daydream and lounge in solitude.

Grace’s Playlist:
1. What’s On Your Mind, Tony Cook feat. Dam-Funk
2. Sexopolis, Jean-Pierre Mirouze
3. If It Ain’t One Thing, It’s Another, Richard “Dimples” Fields (1975 version)
4. Love Is Strange, Peaches & Herb
5. Still Waters, Jerry Jones
6. Talking About My Baby, John Heartsman & The Circles
7. Superwoman/Where Were You Last Winter, Yesterday’s New Quintet
8. Only My Love Is True, Foster Sylvers
9. Places and Spaces, Donald Byrd
10. By the Time I Get to Phoenix, The Escorts
11. Daahoud, Clifford Brown
12. Prince of Peace, Pharoah Sanders
13. Every Time We Say Goodbye, John Coltrane

Photos: Grace Danico

A number of years ago, Herman Miller conducted research on the “natural preferred habitat,” which are places that our prehistoric ancestors sought to settle in while they were hunting and gathering. In these spaces, they looked for certain features with benefits. One of these was a wide, distant view. With this view from your habitat, you would get a lot of information, like where your resources were located; whether or not danger was approaching; and if there was a clear path available if you needed to move.

As part of the research, we applied this attribute — a view from the natural preferred habitat — inside that of a built environment. We found humans still have this longing for a wide, distant view, just like our prehistoric ancestors. We still want to put ourselves in a place where we can see out and not be seen. This is due to all the helpful information that a view can give you.

As humans, we are also innately attracted to nature (biologist and researcher E.O. Wilson coined the term “biophilia”)—it’s in our genetic makeup and our genetic memory. We have an affinity to and seek comfort in nature, and when we have views of it, it enhances our well being. In fact, there have been studies done in the healthcare arena that indicate that when patients have a view of nature, they heal a lot quicker and don’t need as much medication.

There may be more attention given to nature nowadays because our lives are more hectic. We are always online, always connected, always on, 24/7. It has put us in this continual state of partial attention to everything, without focusing on anything. And that does cause stress. Anything you can change in your surroundings to alleviate stress is healthy — and making sure you have a window view to nature is one of the best, most human things you can do.

- As told to Amy Feezor

Find the above featured Nelson Swag Leg Desk, Eames Molded Plastic Chair, Aeron Chair, Setu Chair and other inspiring furnishings for an elegant and intelligent office in the Herman Miller Store.

1. The inspiring South Yarra Pool House in Victoria, Australia, featured on Contemporist.

2. “The 12 Trends That Will Rule Products in 2013” by Co.Design.

3. This infographic on 29 Ways To Be Creative at DesignTAXI.

4. How do you feel about Yahoo’s move to end work-from-home arrangements for its employees? (Via The Wall Street Journal.)

5. A look at architecture in movies via Architizer.

6. The exhibit on Louis Kahn — one of the 20th century’s most influential, and lesser-known, architects — featured at The Guardian.

7. Tommaso Sartori’s haunting photos of furnishings in a concrete-constructed modern home at Plastolux.

8. Minimalissimo’s peek inside photographer Nicholas Alan Cope’s upcoming book “Whitewash,” which explores the minimalist urban architecture of Los Angeles in black and white.

9. The U Hostel in Madrid (via Ideas to Steal) makes it tempting to consider backpacking around Europe again.

10. The thoughtful details in the Buenos Aires home of architect and chef Marcia Krygier at FvF.

Featured in photo: Paso Doble Chair Outdoor; Eames Wire Base Low Table Outdoor; Nelson Pedestal Table Outdoor

What do you listen to while you work?
I listen to a wide variety of music because as I go throughout the day I need different sorts of sounds to organize my mind around. Usually it will be more ethereal or classically inspired types of music — Doves, Andrew Bird. But if I need something energizing, I mix that in as well — Röyksopp, Delta Spirit.

How do you listen?
I usually listen on my Bose headphones because that keeps all of the outside noise from coming in to disturb my thinking. Sometimes, depending on what problem I’m solving though, I need to move around while I’m thinking. In that case I have Harman Kardon SoundSticks speakers which fill up my small San Francisco space very well. I have tendencies in my listening habits but I try not to stick to anything rigidly in any of my creative life.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
For discovering music Hype Machine is definitely my go-to site. It’s easy to find music that I like and discover new musicians. There’s also usually a plethora of free, linked music to get through there.

If I don’t want to do any active DJ-ing I will likely wind up on Pandora because it’s really good at following my instructions when I tell it about the type of songs that I do or don’t want on a station.

Does music influence your work?
Music absolutely influences my work. It’s not necessarily visible but it helps me to hold together a continuum of my thoughts as I try to digest design problems or develop ideas. If there is a design that I’m working on with a certain visual quality to it, though, I might try to match the musical style to that so that my mind can more easily get into the groove of thinking about that aesthetic and feeling. It also enables me to work better by putting a backdrop to the day so that I don’t become distracted by irrelevant problems or tasks.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
I mentioned Hype Machine earlier, so that’s one major place that I find recommendations. There are lots of different venues for following rabbit trails of new tunes. Just start reading music blogs and you’ll find tons of new stuff. I also do a periodic survey of my friends to see who’s found new music that they think is particularly wonderful.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
My style and way of working varies, but whatever the project, Rufus Wainwright is always a fantastic match. His work is very grand, based in classical composition, but is modern in its execution and has a lot of variety. He shies away from getting trapped into one style of expression, allowing experiences and new knowledge to influence his pieces over time. I subscribe to the belief that a designer should not cultivate their own sense of aesthetics exclusively. Rather, they should respond to the client or design challenges at hand in a way that is tailored to that specific situation, much as a set designer creates space that responds to and enhances the interactions of characters. In this way I think that my personal methods as well as my outcome are represented well by Mr. Wainwright’s own.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman and the Mirra Chair.

I really think this pair of seats would be best, because I don’t like to stick to one thing long enough to get stuck in a groove or to know what to expect next. My playlist goes back and forth between dreamy, free-thinking music and more beat-driven, work-motivating tunes. So between these two seats, both the conceptual idea phase and the design execution phases are accommodated.

Amelie’s Playlist:
1. The Man Who Told Everything, Doves
2. Le Long De La Rivière Tendre, Sébastien Tellier
3. Caravan, Husky Rescue
4. 1969, Boards of Canada
5. Fingers, The Seatbelts
6. Mer du Japon, Air
7. You Hear Colours, Cfcf
8. Special, Mew
9. Vision One, Röyksopp
10. 14th Street, Rufus Wainwright*
11. The Old Days, Dr. Dog*

*Two artists Amélie “could listen to endlessly.”

Photos: Amélie-Phaine Keller