Herman Miller blog: Lifework » discover

Paper Cuts

Cerentha Harris — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:16:59 +0000

For some people procrastination comes in the form of cleaning or tidying (see Cameron Moll’s interview for example). I wish I was that sort of a person. For me it’s all about window shopping. I find myself surfing the net looking at ‘stuff’. I can justify it as part of my job…sometimes! One of the things I’ve been shopping for lately is art. I’m fascinated by all the amazing work you can find online. So I was thrilled to get this tip from Marcia, the Discover editor. A friend of hers sent us a link to UK-based Cut Out Paper. Of course, we were drawn to the ‘Chairs‘ piece above (recognize any of those designs?) But I also really like the ‘Beetles‘ below.

Mark Goetz: A Classic Sofa

Cerentha Harris — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:32:55 +0000

Before my visit to the Herman Miller headquarters in Michigan I wasn’t familiar with the Goetz sofa. Over the course of 4 days I sat in a variety of pieces from Herman Miller’s Modern Classics collection and this sofa definitely holds its own. There’s something really lovely about those high sides sheathed in a finely finished timber veneer. I came away trying to figure out how I could afford one – I’ll be saving my pennies for a while but it is a truly beautiful piece of design. Discover has just ran an interview with designer Mark Goetz or check out this video interview with him.

The Science of Sitting

Cerentha Harris — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:03:59 +0000

Over at our sister blog, Discover, there’s a great post on the science of sitting. As it turns out it’s a lot to do with blood flow to your bottom! Which I guess makes sense. Gretchen Gscheidle, who wrote the post and is a scientist and artist, has worked with Herman Miller on perfecting their designs for decades. She was reacting to a study published in the Chicago Tribune that found the “sitting too much could be deadly”. Don’t you love a newspaper headline? In the 1990s Gretchen began using pressure map technology, “which visualizes what the seat and sitter interface looks like—and how it changes depending on seat construction and the posture of the sitter. These changes translate to comfort or discomfort for the user.” It all sounds rather technical but the results have given us super comfortable chairs like Embody.

For Embody Gretchen commissioned researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Milwaukee’s Marquette University, to measure “the amount of oxygen in the blood flowing to and from subjects’ lower extremities and heart rate–key health measures. It turns out, both improved when users sat in the Embody chair, versus other chairs, doing the same seated tasks in both.”

So, it is OK to sit. Thank goodness. Although, it’s also probably a good idea to get up off that chair – at least once or twice a day. After all, you’ve got to eat lunch after all.

[The photo of the Embody chair above is from se7enthirty's review]

A Tasty Treat

Cerentha Harris — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:00:51 +0000

During a recent visit to the Herman Miller headquarters in Michigan I was lucky enough to sample the pita chips. Now, I’m not necessarily a chips person but these are amazing. Really. Plus they are a nice balance to all those cookies that seem to surface at this time of year. Over on our sister blog, Discover, Marcia posted the recipe. In case you missed it here it is – a little treat for you to enjoy until we return after the break (check back on Monday, December 28).

Marigold Lodge Pita Chips

1 package pita pocket bread

½ pound butter, melted

Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste
Cut pita pockets into wedges. Peel layers of pita apart.
Lay pita on a sheet pan, rough side up. Brush each piece with melted butter. Sprinkle each piece lightly with seasoned salt.
Bake pita at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Note: For best results convection oven should be used for baking.