Six Ways to Hang It All Up

There’s no getting around it. Sometimes you just have to leave things hanging. Here are six innovative ways to do just that. Read more

Classic: The Eames Hang-It-All

What does the Los Angeles County Museum of Art do when they need a vintage Eames Hang it All for their California Design: Living in A Modern Way exhibition? Head straight to Daniel Ostroff, editor of EamesDesigns.com, Hollywood producer and design scholar, who sources not only a vintage piece but finds it in its original box. LACMA’s request didn’t come out of the blue - in the past year San Francisco’s MOMA, Yale and the Indianapolis Museum of Art have consulted with Ostroff for design scholarship.

“When LACMA announced that they were doing a California design exhibition which overlapped with my area of focus in studying applied art I looked for ways to assist the show’s curators – my friends Wendy Kaplan, Bobbye Tigerman and Bill Stern,” says Ostroff. “With regard to Eames designs I appreciated how selective they were. They had already sourced an Eames surfboard coffee table from Joel and Margaret Chen who have been generous supporters and donors to LACMA at a very high level.”

The Chen’s Collecting Eames show which we wrote about here on Lifework is another Pacific Standard Time exhibition – this time devoted entirely to Ray and Charles Eames’ extraordinary body of work. It was the Chen’s who had the Hang It All in their extensive collection. “Connecting Bobbye and Wendy and Bill with Joel Chen was easy – we all know one another.”

Chen let the LACMA curators choose and they picked the one in the original box from the first year of production. “It is the only precisely dated example because it comes with its original box postmarked first year of production,” says Ostroff. “Plus the Eames Office designed the box and label. This is “new old stock” as the original buyer never used it.”

Photo credit: Box images by Grant Taylor

Holiday Gift Guide: Jordan Awan

This is the last of our contributor’s gift guides. Jordan Awan, who is an art director at The New Yorker, and a valued member of the Lifework team, reveals his wish list.

During the holidays, this sturdy Stanley Flask ($20) should never leave your inside coat pocket. Rust and leak proof, it’s as aesthetically pleasing as it is practical; use it to make holiday travel bearable, or simply to enjoy an extra dose of winter cheer. Order one from DWR or head to the wonderful Brook Farm General Store in Brooklyn.

Playful and beautiful, the Eames Hang-It-All ($179) has become an essential part of both my apartment decor and my daily routine: it’s always my last stop on my way out the door and my first when I return. The Hang-It-All really does hang it all; pile on bags, coats, scarves, sweaters, hats, and anything else (if you can bear to cover it up, that is!) Designed in 1953 by Charles and Ray Eames, it’s available from the Herman Miller Store.

M&Co.’s Bodoni watch ($105) is, to me, the Platonic ideal of a watch. Designed by Tibor Kalman in 1984, it’s lightweight, comfortable, and has a perfectly proportioned face which elegantly shows off the understated Bodoni numbers. It’s as timeless as a timepiece can get. Buy it from MoMA and show your good taste.

Designed in 1951, Isamu Noguchi’s Akari table lamps ($145) are functional sculptures that look at home in any setting. The soft glow they emit is an easy way to warm up a room on a cold winter night. Buy them from MoMA or the Noguchi Museum in New York; otherwise check out all the beautiful lamps for sale in the Akari Store.

Hillside makes heirloom-quality scarves ($80); no matter how light my jacket is, on a cold day my scarf keeps me toasty. If you live in New York, head to In God We Trust for the best selection; if not, check out Hickorees, but do it quickly, before they sell out.

Holiday Gift Guide: Heather John

With Thanksgiving safely behind us we begin to looking forward to the rest of the holidays. This year Hannukah starts early – December 1 to be exact. So we’re going to start our gift guide early too! I asked five Lifework contributors to put together their wish lists for the holidays. Here is Heather’s and as you’d expect it has a particularly foodie bent. Look out tomorrow for Brian Greene’s list. If you’re shopping for Christmas this will certainly give you lots of time to get inspired before the rush sets in.

Happy Holidays!

Cerentha

(PS – don’t forget the Herman Miller holiday event runs until December 13. We are offering 15% off selected items and a fast ship service.)

The very best gifts to give are the ones you’d like to receive. And so I hope my husband is reading about all the lovely generous gifts I want to give, hint hint. But seriously, my gifty picks center around what is in fact my very, very favorite part of the holiday season: parties! So whether you’re the cooking in the kitchen or decking the halls, here are a few must-haves for making the seasonal scene.

1. WMF Profi-Plus Stainless Steel Ball Whisk, $30 at MoMa Unlike many kitchen utensils that rate high in looks, this one actually works. It has become my absolute favorite whisk, particularly when it comes to cleanup as there are no crevices for food to get stuck in. Also, the design means that the ball rods can generate more whipping action using less effort. It’s in heavy rotation in my kitchen and on my gift list.

2. Muji Water-Repellent Apron, $22.95 Can we talk about how totally chic this Japanese apron is? I love all things Muji for simplicity of design, and this apron is no exception. Perfect for the hostess on your list—you know, the one who actually cooks and looks good doing it.

3. Vange’s Desile Folding Chair, $335 It seems like I’ve been on the hunt for good folding chairs for a very long time. This bamboo eco-friendly version is the holy grail of folding chairs. Cut from a single 20mm slice of board, when closed, the chair is pancake flat (100 chairs = 2 linear meters).

4. Lanvin Crystal-Embedded Suede Ballerina Flats, $770 Good taste starts with shoes, and I love Lanvin’s update on the classic ballerina with this flirty little Swarovski crystal bow. To stay on your toes for the month of merrymaking ahead, forgo the heels and slip into something more comfortable.

5. Eames Hang It All, $179 I’ve been wanting this Eames Hang It All FOREVER! And this year I’ve found a way to give AND receive. I’m wrapping it up and putting it under the tree for my toddler who will love the colorful hooks. As parents, we make sacrifices…

6. Heath Ceramics Winter Scarlet Dip Bud Vase Set, $110 A friend once said she was suspect of those who seasonally decorate—and while I think she was talking gourds on mantles and lawn ornaments, I have to believe she would make exception for Heath’s seasonal bud vase set in seductive suede red, ruby red and linen white.

Design For You: Eames Hang-it-All

Our Design For You contest continues. Here’s a peek at the work desks of Charles and Ray Eames – the designers behind our next prize, the Hang-It-All. Ray Eames designed a variety of toys and furniture pieces specifically for children, including this wall-hung coat rack in 1953 for Tigrett Enterprises Playhouse Division. It was reissued by Herman Miller in 1994.

Enter to win a Hang-It-All by going to the Design For You contest page.

Below is Charles Eames’ desk. The last image is Ray’s desk. I love the chaos of both workspaces – Ray more so than Charles!

Above: Ray Eames’ desk.

Images via Eames Office.

Five Fabulous: Wall-Mounted Coat Racks

1. Eames Hang-It-All – Select Edition Nearly six decades ago, Charles and Ray Eames designed the much-loved Hang-It-All. And as of August 15, a new version is available with solid walnut hooks instead of colorful balls. Could we be more excited? Get it: Herman Miller

2. Symbol Coat Rack, $410 During the summer, this rack by Desu Design looks lovely with vibrant anodized hooks that lay flat. But come fall, the hooks pull out to hang cozy coats, scarves, and hats. Get it: Horne

3. Hang On Wall Hanger, €67 The disorderly look of clothes carelessly thrown in piles inspired British designer Jade Barnes-Richardson’s coat-hanger creation. Get it: Normann Copenhagen

4. Coat Range, $195 This functional snow-capped landscape by Brave Space leaves little impact on the real frontier—it’s made from excess material from the Brooklyn-based furniture company’s cut sheets. Get it: Supermarket

5. Sticks Coat Hanger, £164 This unique space-saving rack from Scandinavian designer Stina Sandwallis was created to evoke the feel of a Swedish forest. Get it: Funktion Alley