1. Steelwood Chair and Table - Designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, the Steelwood set unifies the durability of steel with the natural warmth and texture of beech wood. Sturdy, stylish, and in for the long haul, Steelwood will dine with you for many years to come. Find both at Herman Miller.

*For the breakfast bar, check out the Steelwood Stool.

2. Bread Bag, Klaus Rath for Stelton - Fresh baked bread of all kinds find the perfect home in this innovative design. Reshape the bag into to different sizes, and keep the bread warm with its embedded magnet closures. It’s even reversible. See it at YLiving.

3. Birch Serving Tray, Majamoo/Jani Martikainen - Drawing inspiration from fellow Finn Alvar Aalto’s legendary designs, Martikainen’s contoured design is a balanced, high-quality serving tray. Its handsomely proportioned curves even make for a beautiful centerpiece on your dining table. Choose red, white, or black from A+R.

4. Wood and Stoneware Vase, Javier Gutiérrez and Larent Serin - Arrange and re-arrange this contemporary three-piece vase to accommodate stems and blooms of all sizes. The three parts include a stoneware cylinder, a hand-painted wood cylinder, and a hand-painted wood cone. Available in white/silver at Design Within Reach.

5. Tavolo XZ3 Tables - With its serious mid-century-modern style credentials, the Tavolo table, designed by Studio Technico Magis, offers a stylish and sturdy solution for dining or virtually any table-based gathering. Its steel wire base comes in chrome or white epoxy resin; round or rectangular tops are white MDF with polymer covering. Choose yours at Herman Miller.

*Pairs perfectly with the Eames Molded Plastic Chairs with wire bases.

6. Oxy Pitcher, HiromiKim - Its elegant and organic shape is just the first impression Oxy makes on your dining table. The pitcher’s interior contours continue to impress with their spherical shape, facilitating a smooth pour by rolling the fluid out. Made from Limoges porcelain with a two-liter capacity. Find it at Vespoe.

Photos linked within text.

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.

The rack’s colorful solid-wood knobs and welded steel mount stand watch over the cozy, Eames-packed home office of Rustam Babayev in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo: Rustam Babayev)

In Helsinki, Finland, the Hang-It-All takes hold of everyday accessories next to a streamlined workspace in the family home of stylist and visual designer Minna Jones. (Photo: Time of the Aquarius)

Roger and Chris Stout-Hazard of Design Hazards in Austin, TX, complete their home office with two Eames classics: the coat rack and the molded plastic side chair with a wire base. (Photo: Chris Stout-Hazard / Apartment Therapy)

The timeless design greets visitors to the kitchen nook of the Design Office studio in downtown Providence, RI. (Photo: Sarah Rainwater)

Leslie Roeder and John Eric Byers keep coats and accessories contained using the Hang-It-All in the studio of their creative partnership Goodjoy Design. (Photo: Goodjoy Design)

Artist Eamon O’Kane — whose work has focused on classic examples of modern architecture, including the Eames House — keeps the Hang-It-All in a very Eames-approved “work” space: the play area belonging to his sons, Emil and Mikkel. “They provide a constant flow of joy and inspiration,” he explains. “And they continually prove that play is at the root of all creativity.” (Photo: Eamon O’Kane)

Top photo: Anna Dorfman

1. How the house of Charles and Ray Eames created new thinking in modern living, via Inhabitat.

2. Apartment Therapy’s gift guide for a home office.

3. Dwell’s roundup of inspirational shipping-container homes.

4. This interview with Charles and Ray’s grandson Eames Demetrios by the Japan Times Online.

5. On a related note, Ray Eames’ elephants meet real elephants in this short film by Eames Demetrios, uploaded by the Eames Office on YouTube.

6. Silo 468, an interactive light installation built to commemorate Helsinki’s “World Design Capital” status, via Design Milk.

7. Lifehacker’s Most Popular Featured Workspaces of 2012.

8. “The Woman Behind the Eames Chair” at Legacy.com.

9. Useful advice on how to make the most of working from home from the New York Times.

10. The Eameses’ “Powers of 10” Re-Imagined by 40 Artists at Co.Design.

Photo: Francois Dischinger for Herman Miller / Nelson X-leg Tables, Eames Molded Plastic Chairs

Design for Mankind’s Erin Loechner keeps clean and contained spiral notebooks at the ready in her own home-office setup: a laptop, desk, and white Eames Aluminum Group Executive Chair combo.

It’s no surprise that notepads filling the desk of designer and illustrator Alexie Hiles contain the thinkings of an artistic mind.

Neat stacks of notebooks — including Field Notes, a Lifework favorite — await reminders and to-do lists from Rick VanderLeek, a Saugatuck, Michigan-based art director and graphic designer.

Loose-leaf paper notes and tracing paper play a part in typographer Nick Keppol’s Brooklyn home office  — a must-see space which includes, among others, a black Embody chair at the desk and an Eames Wire Base Low Table supporting the printer.

Confirmed doodler: designer and illustrator Katie Kirk, author of the children’s book “Eli, No!,” brain power behind Eight Hour Day, and owner of a pair of Eames Molded Plastic Chairs.

A collection of colorful sketchpads and notes helps keep the workflow flowing for Erin Jang, an art director and graphic designer who runs The Indigo Bunting out of her studio in New York City.

Industrial designer Joey Roth, a Los Angeles resident who frequently works in his backyard, knows that a single notebook can help him streamline his time outside. “When I can, I leave my laptop inside and take only a pen, notebook, and cup of tea or coffee with me,” he says. “The less I take, the more I tend to accomplish.”

Photos: Linked to their sources. Top photo: Carrie Strine and Tim Lahan

Tell us about your background. As a kid I grew up drawing logos, cartoons, and Nintendo game characters with my older brother, Brad. I was always more attracted to simple graphics. Along with drawing I was always taking something apart and trying to rebuild it or re-purpose scrap components for something else. Every day I was making some type of Rube Goldberg machine or drawing in my sketch pad (an 18″ x 24″ spiral bound).

I got my BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD. I moved back to Cincinnati after graduating and got married to my wife Jennifer. We considered moving somewhere else, but made the choice to stay and invest in the city and continue to grow the amazing friendships we had here.

Most of my inspiration comes from word puns, strange human interactions, and the overlap between Art and Design. Some of my favorite artists include Henri Matisse, Charley Harper, Saul Steinberg, M.C. Escher, Paul Rand, René Magritte, and Josef Albers.

I have always wanted to build our own house. I love the concept of the Eames House, Case Study House #8, and the environment it created for their work.

Tell us about your space. Any special considerations that influenced its set up? The studio is the top floor of our house.  I used to have my studio downtown, but after we moved we compressed our residence onto just the first floor to allow for a studio to be combined. The setup is great because I have all my workspaces on one floor.  There is a main studio where I make most of my work, a workshop with all my tools and materials, a music room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The space is very efficient. I can walk downstairs at any time to see my family, eat a snack, hang out, and head back upstairs to work. The idea of the home studio is extremely appealing and I would love to have it also function as a guest house for friends and other artists.

You have a few pieces by Charles and Ray Eames in your office. Why did you choose them? They are just as nice to look at as they are to sit in. Every line is so simple and beautiful. They are easily the best chairs we own.

Photos: Andrew Neyer

1. The Tokyo home of designer Daisuke Genma featured at The Selby.

2. Wallpaper’s “Best Business Hotels of 2012.”

3. Pleased to spot our Eames Molded Plastic Side Chairs on the cover of the latest issue of Lonny.

4. Also happy to see our Aeron and Embody chairs on Lifehacker’s list of Five Best Office Chairs.

5. A look at work by visionary industrial designer, urban planner, and futurist Norman Bel Geddes at NYTimes.com.

6. “13 Desktop Wallpapers To Kickstart Your Creativity” from 99U.

7. This interview with illustrator Darren Booth at The Great Discontent.

8. The interior design of this modern LA home by Guilherme Torres at Ideas to Steal.

9. Desire to Inspire’s look at this space by Bulgarian design firm Fimera.

10. How many Herman Miller pieces can you spy in Business Insider’s tour of the Squarespace offices in NYC? (Above, in a photo by Daniel Goodman.)

Photo: Daniel Goodman / Business Insider

What do you listen to while you work? It depends on what type of job we are working on. Normally we start our day with some creative works (like ideation); very calm, peaceful classic piano or violin will fit the scene very well. Then we might encounter some prototyping or technical works which requires more hand than brain. We would then choose more energetic tones like Trance or New Age (Jamiroquai is awesome). Occasionally, we’ll mix in some very nice vocals like Dido and Enya.

How do you listen? We will play the music through our Harman/Kardon Soundsticks II, which connect to the laptop.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? iTunes is simply convenient enough.

Does music influence your work? It definitely does. But not in a direct way. When we are start a new project, we flip through books and images and soak ourselves completely in the music we like. It’s almost like a secret place where all the amazing inspirations came from.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I [Yoo-kyung Shin] have a very close friend who knows a lot about music; she influences my musical tastes a lot. Hanhsi’s father also has a really amazing collection of classical CDs. We are by no means the expert that he is, but that’s where all our classical music comes from.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Clint Mansell.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist: An Eames Molded Plastic Armchair with Rocker Base. It is simply amazing: conforms to your back comfortably, rocking gently back and forth. It’s like a sweet dream.

LOGICAL ART’S PLAYLIST – Logical Art tag-teamed their playlist. The first five songs are from Yoo-kyung, and the last six are from Hahnsi:

1. Lady, Modjo
2. Virtual Insanity, Jamiroquai
3. Something About Us, Daft Punk
4. Think About’Chu, Asoto Union
5. U Remind Me, Usher
6. Holding On To Nothing, Agnelli & Nelson
7. Crazy, Alanis Morissette
8. Ghost of a Rose, Blackmore’s Night
9. Sand In My Shoes, Dido
10. First Movement, Clint Mansell
11. Summer Palace, Peyman Yazdanian

Photos: Logical Art

Why did you start Rich Brilliant Willing? Where have you been; where are you going?

Alexander Williams: After graduation, we decided to share a basement studio space in the East Village as a place to bounce ideas off each other after work. We designed a small gallery space together for an art dealer that one of us was working for, and the energy in the process became addictive. We started working on some easily producible furniture objects after that. By 2008, the recession meant two of us had lost our day jobs — and it was an opportunity to spend most of our time in the studio.

Theo Richardson: Today, as we’ve evolved, I’m excited about two things: One, we’re getting better as designers via our involvement in manufacturing, and two, developing our own work, we have fewer constraints when it comes to pursuing our ideas.

What inspires you in your work?

Theo Richardson: I’m inspired about applying our efforts to affect greater change in living and working environments via larger distribution networks. We’re working on ways to make our product more accessible.

Were there any special considerations that affected the way your studio is set up? What do you like or dislike?

Charles Brill: I wish we had more space to spread out! Our space is divided between shop/building space, and an office space with a glass sliding door. We enjoy having visitors, and being central in Manhattan is important to us.

You scored a few vintage Eames molded plastic chairs for the studio. How they add to your workspace?

Charles Brill: They are great for an small office because they stack, are lightweight, and appear visually simple.

See the above featured “Delta” series lighting and more at richbrilliantwilling.com.

1. This look at the offices of Ray and Charles Eames at OfficeSnapshots.com.

2. The 6 Things You Need To Look For in a Home Office Chair from Apartment Therapy (well said!).

3. Stylish laptop cases and bags at Design*Sponge.

4. A sneak peek of the forthcoming Domino special issue from Curbed.

5. We toured this home designed by architect Christopher Polly on Contemporist in Sydney….

6. …then headed southward to check out the peaceful Marion Bay House in Tasmania (via Habitus Living).

7. Charmed by this paperweight found by Ideas to Steal.

8. Getting around to reading “Get To Work By Meeting Procrastination Head-On” from Fast Company.

9. The Minds of Modern Mathematics iPad app in honor of Ray Eames’ centennial.

10. And as the makers of Eames molded plastic chairs, we have to agree with Dwell: Color makes people happy.

Photo: Mirra Chair from Herman Miller