Design, Products
August 20, 2012
By Amy Feezor
David Bridges, president and CEO of thelab, a media arts company headquartered in New York City, recently gave us a tour of his company’s space in the Terminal Warehouse Company Central Stores Building, formerly a railroad freight terminal and the location of the infamous Tunnel nightclub (the curved structure in its reception area, above, pays homage to the building’s history). Here, David talks about the advantages of an open, collaborative workspace and gives us a look at thelab’s extensive collection of Herman Miller pieces, both vintage and new. While the photos barely do the large office justice (stay tuned for a video tour coming soon), they do give a glimpse at what it takes to be a thoroughly modern workspace. Read more
Balance, Design
August 10, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Our quick list of this week’s most interesting finds across the Web.
1. The Eames Molded Plastic Chair-packed corporate canteen by UXUS design consultancy at the Nike EMEA Headquarters featured on Enviromeant (Photo above: UXUS).
2. Smart tips on organizing your home office supplies from Unclutterer.
3. “How Do You Manage A Design Classic, When Tastes Change Constantly?” at Co.Design. (This might not surprise you: there’s mention of our Eames Aluminum Group Chairs.)
4. This could make an interesting home office (via Freshome).
5. And on that same note, so could the CUBE by Spaceflavor featured on The Fox Is Black.
6. “Presentation Design Lessons from Charles and Ray Eames” at ethos3.com.
7. The WELD collaborative workspace in Dallas, Texas, spotted on Design Milk.
8. “5 TED Talks That Will Change Your Life” at pickthebrain.com.
9. The inspiring Rainbow Bridge nighttime installation in Tawain (via Trendhunter).
10. Writer Rachel Emma Silverman experiences working remotely in a new way in The Wall Street Journal‘s “My Life as a Telecommuting Robot.”
Photo: UXUS
Balance, Design
July 25, 2012
By Jamie Latendresse
In addition to a shared affinity for Herman Miller (possessing an Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair, Eames Hang-It-All and vintage Eames molded plastic chairs among others), Leslie Roeder and John Eric Byers share similar perspectives on design — producing unique and modern goods for the bath (as well as the swimming pool) together as the creative partnership Goodjoy Design. Take a listen at their latest collaboration: this week’s Playlist. Read more
Design
July 5, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Cheery, streamlined, and as comfortably designed as the loft he calls home, the small rented office of educational consultant and academic tutor Maurice LaBonte offers him the chance to keep his personal and work spaces separate. “Renting is an…indulgence and a necessary professional requirement,” he explains to Apartment Therapy Tech. “I enjoy leaving the house to go to work…It makes me happy.” Get a quick look at his Chicago-based office space (including a glimpse of his vintage Eames molded armchair), then get the full tour at Apartment Therapy. Read more
Balance, Design
June 22, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Here’s a look at what we’ve been reading for the past few days. (What about you? Leave us a link to your favorite post of the week in the comments section.)
1. A hidden home office created from a spare closet, featured on the Home & Garden blog of the Los Angeles Times.
2. “A Love Letter to Plywood,” a short video by sculptor Tom Sachs, in which he declares plywood “a delicious wood sandwich” (via swissmiss).
3. 20 gadgets to help you make the most of the summer — including some great items to help you take your work outdoors — from Netted.
4. Colorful ideas for waking up your home-office decor from Real Living.
5. An artistic way to deal with unsightly cords at Dwell.
6. Architect Sigund Larsen‘s “Shrine” project, a mini multitasking storage solution, detailed at Architizer.
7. Have you ever tried to go paperless in the office? (Via Apartment Therapy).
8. We spy a smart white Eames molded plastic side chair in the home of Mary Jo and Steve Hoffman at Design*Sponge (and also in the photo above, by Mark Andrew of Studio 306).
9. The Ridge House, a rural Canadian hideaway designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, at ArchDaily.
10. A fascinating aerial photo tour of New York City’s rooftops at Co.Design.
Photo: Design*Sponge / Mark Andrew of Studio 306
Balance, Trends
June 21, 2012
By Amy Feezor
“At Work,” a blog from the Wall Street Journal, just reported on a new study by The Conference Board research group about the rise in telecommuting. “The number of employees who work remotely has jumped significantly over the last decade, nearly doubling among all full-time, non-self-employed U.S. workers,” it states. Moreover, 84% of people who worked remotely, either from home or another location, did so at least once a week. That’s up from 72% in 2008.
Along with these growing stats, the research offers a few of the pros that result from working out of a home office, such as increased focus, which can lead to better productivity. Cons, of course, included feeling out of the loop and burned out because of the fuzzy line between “home” and “work.”
Are you part of this growing trend? What are the positives? The negatives? Let us know in the comment section, then take a look at a few thoughts from some telecommuters (and some in-the-know self-employed workers) we’ve featured here on Lifework. Read more
Balance
June 20, 2012
By Jamie Latendresse
Full of great style and wit, Fuzzco is a comprehensive branding, design, and marketing agency in Charleston, South Carolina. While making design and marketing music of their own, the music that fills their ears and offices is often times an integral partner. Along with noting their fondness for the Eames Aluminum Group Executive Chair and their longing for an Eames Lounge Chair, they share with us some fantastic music variety in this week’s Playlist.
Read more
Design
June 14, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Still smarting from the end of this season of Mad Men? (And can we make it through another year without being able to spot the mid-century modern pieces popping up in Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce?) While you wait, get your design fix from a few modern-day ad agencies that Don Draper — or perhaps his design-loving wife Megan — would be proud to call home.
Read more
Design
May 24, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Boundaries can be beautiful — especially since a little solitude might be a necessity for some people to be more creative. But where to find real privacy in the middle of a busy open-floor plan? Here are some ideas we discovered in workspaces across the continent. Read more
Balance
May 16, 2012
By Jamie Latendresse
Affirming his affinity for modern and mid-century modern design, designer Tyler Goodro created Plastolux in 2007. With a razor-sharp focus on interiors, furniture, and architecture from the mid-20th century to the present, Tyler has compiled an impressive collection of arresting images and information on the blog. Currently the creative director at TiLite, an innovative wheelchair manufacturer, Tyler is also developing furniture designs and designing a series of lamps from cut and blasted wine bottles. We caught up with Tyler to see how music fits into his prolific work for this week’s Playlist. Read more