Design, Products
June 11, 2013
By Amy Feezor
We’ve been intrigued by a story recently making the rounds of a Littleton, Colorado, couple who discovered the chair they purchased a year ago at a yard sale was actually an original Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair from 1946. Sarah Keepers and James Hull paid $5 for the design. They had been keeping the chair in their garage and were about to donate it to charity when Sarah happened to turn it over and notice its Herman Miller label. After confirming its origins with a local Herman Miller Workplace Resources office, they learned that similar first-edition chairs by Charles and Ray Eames have fetched anywhere from $14,000 to $150,000.
It’s certainly a tale of good luck, a good deal, and good design. And just for the record, the video interview of the couple calls Herman Miller’s founder “J.D. Du Pree” (it’s D.J. De Pree, but we won’t hold it against anyone) and refers to Charles Eames as “Chuck,” but it’s still a remarkable story that we think would have made them both smile. Check it out here.
Design, Products
May 2, 2013
By Amy Feezor
Today’s clue in our “Everywhere in Your Day” Contest takes its inspiration from the continual design journey of Charles and Ray Eames. For these designers, everything was a process and an exploration. And when they married and began working together in the 1940s, part of their journey involved exploring seating solutions crafted from one piece of material — a curved, single-shell form in which the seat and back are one. Read more
Balance, Design
May 1, 2013
By Jamie Latendresse
Soon after moving to the Bay Area in 2007, Ryan Meis and Sarah Labieniec collaborated on a letterpress announcement for friends and family announcing their new digs. They enjoyed their collaboration so much, they founded Lab Partners to continue to explore their shared creative passions. With a focus on design and illustration, Sarah and Ryan approach visuals with a combination of imagination, storytelling, and craft. This week’s Playlist has the creative pair storytelling with music. Take a listen at what they have to say.
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Design
April 15, 2013
By Amy Feezor
In our regular office tours, we often see studios that serve as co-working spaces for the creative professionals who work there. It’s not often, though, that we get to hear these studio mates talk about each other’s work. In this thoughtful interview with illustrator Julia Rothman, we not only get a glimpse inside her workspace, but also get a glimpse of the admiration she has for the women with whom she shares the office: artists Caroline Hwang and Meredith Jenks. Get to know them all in this week’s tour. Read more
Design, Products, Trends
March 22, 2013
By Amy Feezor
Take a look at what we’ve been reading this week.
1. “Cut and Paste: Paper Became a Passion for Designer Irving Harper” from Interior Design magazine.
2. Hipstamatic’s office, as reimagined by design firm Envelope A+D, at California Home + Design.
3. The Los Angeles Times’ coverage of Toyo Ito, winner of this year’s Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious award in architecture.
4. Japanese architect Shigeru Ban’s temporary pavilion made from cardboard tubes at the IE School of Architecture and Design in Madrid (via Dezeen).
5. 10 inspiring quotes from the Eames family at Dwell.
6. News from PSFK that Amsterdam’s DUS Public Architecture is set to develop and create a house using a giant 3D printer.
7. The New York Times‘ feature on the 14-year renovation of the home of Scott Omelianuk, editor of This Old House.
8. “Don’t Write off the Poster,” Eye Magazine‘s look at the collaboration between the UK’s V&A Museum and the Royal College of Art seeking to prove that the poster has not been killed off by digital media.
9. “Steve Jobs: Architect” at Design Observer.
10. The opening of artist Christo’s “Big Air Package” in Germany, reported to be the most expansive indoor sculpture ever created (via designboom).
Featured in photo: Eames Molded Plywood Chair, SAYL Chair, Nelson Platform Bench
Balance, Design
February 20, 2013
By Jamie Latendresse
Max Gunawan is an architect and industrial designer with an inspired light above his head. After leaving the corporate work world, he grabbed that light and created Lumio – a multi-purpose, portable lamp that looks like a book. After a wildly successful run on Kickstarter, Max is off to manufacture his first production run. But first, we asked Max to shed some light on his musical inspirations in this week’s Playlist. Take a look and listen.
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Design, Products
January 10, 2013
By Amy Feezor
There’s a lot of inspiration to be found in this recent post by Apartment Therapy Tech exploring a host of shared creative workspaces. “Optimized for collaboration, these studios are proof that collectively we can create something greater than ourselves,” states contributor Chris Perez. “The mix of individuality and expression in these spaces is visceral, inspiring — just looking at them encourages you to create something.” We couldn’t agree more. Here are several that caught our eye. Read more
Balance, Design
January 2, 2013
By Jamie Latendresse
Born and raised in Michigan, Evernote’s Jeff Zwerner attended high school at Cranbook. Connecting with the noted institution’s design resources, Jeff gained an early appreciation of Cranbook’s — and Herman Miller’s — role in American design history. The impact is clear amidst his collection of classics including Eames Molded Plastic and Plywood Dining Chairs, and Case Study units among others.
Jeff’s work ranges from product and experience design, to designing Evernote’s building and physical workspaces. Previously Jeff founded the SF office for Hamburg-based Factor Design, launching products for Apple, Google and Coca-Cola just to name a few. Take note of Jeff’s diverse work and listening habits in our first Playlist of 2013.
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Balance, Design
November 23, 2012
By Amy Feezor
Here’s what we’ve been reading throughout this holiday week.
1. The Real Parque Loft in São Paulo by Brazilian architect and designer Diego Revollo, via Design Milk (as is the photo above).
2. The thinking behind the Eames “x-base” at Eames Designs.
3. The use of color in the GMG House by Pedro Gadanho in Portugal via Yatzer.
4. The guest post on a rooftop apartment in Paris (nice Noguchi Table and Eames Molded Plywood Chair) over at sfgirlbybay.
5. This mid-century modern home in Denver shot by David Lauer (whose home office we recently toured) on Plastolux.
6. The open and airy church-turned-loft in the Netherlands featured on ArchDaily (we like those Magis Bombo Stools tucked into the kitchen area).
7. Could these tree tents at Cool Hunting be an interesting outdoor-office option?
8. The cliff-hanging Casa del Acantilado in Alicante, Spain, at Minimalissimo.
9. This public library concept featured at The Fox Is Black.
10. Thisispaper’s look at the serene Case Inlet Retreat in Puget Sound, WA.
Photo: Via Design Milk
Design, Products
November 5, 2012
By Jamie Latendresse
Today marks the launch of the Herman Miller Collection, a comprehensive portfolio of furnishings inspired by George Nelson’s vision of the “continuing creation of a permanent collection designed to meet fully the requirements for modern living.” For every environment from home to office, the Collection presents beautiful solutions with an array of updated classics and new designs. Get a first look with these six new selections.
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