What do you listen to while you work?
NPR or Joao Gilberto. Never get bored of his music no matter how much I listen to it.

How do you listen?
I stream music from my laptop to wireless speakers in my home/office.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
iTunes is my go-to source to purchase music.

Does music influence your work?
Absolutely, it can very inspiring! I stumbled upon this phenom violinist named Amadeus Leopold (formerly Hahn Binh) one day and I was so blown away by his talent. I was feeling lazy that day, but it ended up to be a productive day creatively just by listening (and watching) him play.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
I love old classics like Gilberto and Ella so I tend to stick with what I have and cycle through them. Once in a while I will search for contemporary artists that I like (like Pink Martini, Diana Krall and Madeleine Peyroux) and see if they’ve come up with a new album. It’s not a person, but a place… Paris. I fell in love listening to Ella when I was studying there. (Am I sounding like a cliche?)

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
Hands down Pink Martini (for their sheer eclecticism and style) and Amadeus Leopold (for making me want to take the risk and be bold in what I do).

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
The Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair in Red Aniline Stained Birch Veneer. It’s bold yet subtle, refined, and comfortable to sit in. Just the way I like my music.

Max’s Playlist:
1. Summer Wind, Madeleine Peyroux
2. A Correnteza, Lisa Ono
3. Just in Time, Nina Simone
4. Desafinado, Joao Gilberto
5. The Stars of Track and Field, Belle & Sebastian
6. Amado Mio, Pink Martini
7. Lullaby of Birdland, Sarah Vaughn
8. Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
9. Body and Soul, Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
10. Maybe You’ll Be There, Diana Krall

Photos: Max Gunawan

1. Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Upholstery, Charles & Ray Eames - Adding upholstery to the already soft curves of Charles and Ray’s Plywood Lounge Chair creates a doubly delightful sitting scenario. Choose from a multitude of colors including red. From Herman Miller.

2. Alvin Spin-O-Tray - Does your beloved have a lot of office implements? Organize them in the round with the twirling Spin-O-Tray. Everything becomes easy-reach on this office organizer. Find one at Hand Eye Supply.

3. Chair_One Stacking (Set of 2), Konstantin Grcic - Highly sculptural, the Chair_One combines openly spaced design with perfect comfort for a distinctive seating experience. Available in red and sold in a set of two, perfect for a couple of Valentines. Find yours at Herman Miller.

4. Les Perles Candleholder, Y’a Pas Le Feu Au Lac and FX Balléry - “Y’a pas le feu au lac” loosely translates to “no need to hurry.” The individual hornbeam wood “pearls” of this innovative design can be arranged and rearranged on a whim, creating an ever-changing candleholder. Available in single or three-piece holders, in three colors including red. Get one at A+R Store.

5. Eames Sofa Compact, Charles & Ray Eames - Consider the eye-catching contrast of the iconic Eames Sofa upholstered in rich Divinia Fabric. The sleek and minimalist lines are dramatically enhanced in vibrant color, creating a striking centerpiece to any contemporary space. Find this combination and many more at Herman Miller.

6. Faribault Soho Throw - Producing wool blankets and throws for nearly 150 years, the Faribault Woolen Mill Co. lets you cuddle up with quality beneath its Soho Throw. Measuring 50″ x 72″, in whipstitched 100% wool. Get yours at Vetted.

Photos linked within text.

1. “The Untold Story of How the Aeron Chair Was Born” at Co.Design.

2. 12 backyard office pods from Inthralld.

3. Designs by Charles and Ray Eames (molded plastic chairs, an Eames Aluminum Group Side Chair) found by Automatism.

4. Jauntsetter’s tour of Zubehaus, the upstate New York home owned by Fab.com founder Bradford Shellhammer.

5. This clip from 1967 featuring Walter Cronkite previewing 21st-century technology — and his foreshadowing of how it could change the way we work at home — via FORA.tv.

6. Six things to know when setting up a home office from Kiplinger.

7. The light and airy home of Jesper and Majbritt in Copenhagen, Denmark, spotted by Lovenordic Design Blog.

8. ArchDaily’s look at Interstice, a settlement house from the 1930s rehabilitated by Fabi Architekten BDA in Regensburg, Germany.

9. The just-opened AETHER shop in San Francisco made entirely of shipping containers (and decorated with a pair of Eames Lounge Chairs) via The Fox Is Black.

10. Normann Szkop’s inspiring aerial photos of tulip fields in the Netherlands at Colossal.

Featured in photo: Eames Sofa; Eames Wire Base Elliptical Table; Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with upholstered seat and back

“Chewbacca prefers the Eames DKR2 chair,” states owner Lori. (We like her taste in her vintage wire chair’s two-piece “bikini” leather padding.) (Photo: stutefish at Flickr)

This cat lays claim on an Eames Sofa Compact. (Photo: carissapod :: fish parade at Flickr)

A white Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair with a wood dowel base paired with a bright throw makes a relaxing naptime spot. (Photo: neko-yanagi at Flickr)

“Charlie” stands tall next to the “Eiffel Tower” base of his owner’s Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair. (Photo: goodiesphoto at Flickr)

Contributor Jamie Latendresse’s Siamese cat “Kitty” takes up residence on his Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair. (Photo: Jamie Latendresse)

Top photo by Peter Stackpole; drawing by cartoonist Saul Steinberg; LIFE Photo Archives, 1950 (hosted by Google)

What do you listen to while you work?
What I listen to is all over the map, though I think it probably trends towards electronic music where the lyrics are not the primary focus. More atmospheric in the morning and more energetic in the afternoon. There is an absolutely amazing public radio station here called 89.3 The Current who will play Afrika Bambaataa, Tom Waits, and LCD Soundsystem back to back and then a fantastic local band. So I will stream them some mornings.

How do you listen?
I typically use my iPad to stream music via Spotify to my stereo using an Airport Express Base Station. Having one less app open on my computer while I work is nice.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
When I actually buy music these days, which is increasingly rare, I use eMusic. They were always a great source for smaller label bands and musicians but now offer big label artist too. I almost solely use Spotify to listen to music. It has completely changed the way that I “collect” music. On occasion I’ll use Pandora because their stations are better than the Spotify Radio option.

Does music influence your work?
One of the things I love about music is how musicians continue to invent and come up with new sounds and structures. It is this spirit of invention and newness that inspires me and influences my work.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
I have to admit that the main source of influence is the online music guide, Pitchfork. They have turned me onto a lot of great music.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
That is a hard question. I’d like to think that my work is well-edited and minimal, maybe like a good pop song.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
The ideal place to listen to my playlist is the Aeron Chair with polished aluminum base and Black Tuxedo Pellicle fabric. Combining that chair with your work surface and my playlist will result in some inspired work. I promise!

Matthew’s Playlist:
1. Reunion, The xx
2. Headcage, Matthew Dear
3. Jupiters, Four Tet
4. Cherokee, Cat Power
5. Crawlersout, Purity Ring
6. About to Die, Dirty Projectors
7. The Hours, Beach House
8. The Maker, POLIÇA
9. Interstellar, Frankie Rose
10. Love Play, School of Seven Bells

Photos: Matthew Plumstead

What do you listen to while you work?
At work, I have four coworkers and we all play our music at some point of the day. (For this music selection, I tried to be more sober and include music that I think my coworkers will like.) We mostly listen pop, indie rock, and hip-hop. (This last one is my fault).

When I work on my personal projects at my studio or at the ceramic shop, I listen to a very large selection of music. I could blast salsa on my headphones one day and the next one be listening 90′s pop, I guess it depends on my mood.

How do you listen?
At my day job, I use the computer speakers just because we like sharing our music with each other. At my studio and the shop, I use some red headphones my brother gave to me on my 24th birthday. All of my working spaces are shared, but I’m sure that if I had my own I would be using very loud speakers.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
The Fader, NPR, RCRDLBL, Grooveshark, YouTube.

Does music influence your work?
Yes it does. When I was working on my totem (a stackable planter), I sculpted the model while listening to music with my headphones. At the beginning when I needed to do all the hard work — basically beating down a lot of material until I had the  overall shape — I was listening to Calle 13. While the process was going on, the music I was listening to was changing. It took me about two months and by the end, I was listening to Prince.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
I find them at blogs, Twitter, and the radio. I am also constantly sharing music with my friends and my brother via Dropbox.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
Shadowboxer by Fiona Apple.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
The Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Wood Base in Red Aniline Stained Birch Veneer Seat and Back. It’s comfortable and robust, yet beautiful. A modern classic that will always stand out.

MARTHA’S PLAYLIST:
1. Get Free, Major Lazer
2. Your Voice, Santogold
3. Milk and Honey, Prince Fatty
4. You Don’t Love Me (No No No), Dawn Penn
5. Man Down, Rihanna
6. My Boo, Inoj
7. Trick Me, Kelis
8. Frontin’, Pharrel Williams
9. Girl Like You, Snoop Dog
10. Hypnotize, Notorious B.I.G.
11. It Was a Good Day, Ice Cube

Photos: Martha Alvarez

Tell us about yourself: What you’re passionate about, what you’re proud of, and where you’re going. Fabric of My Life is my own little corner of cyberspace where I document my favourite inspirational finds, be it interiors, homewares, fashion, or well-designed products that make me go “ooooh!” I started my blog when I was freelancing as an interiors stylist as a way of cataloguing all the things I liked in one place — but it has grown into so much more than that now. I’ve made so many great friends and connections through my blog and have had several fantastic experiences as a result of it — the best being selected this spring to take part in BlogTour NYC, a week-long design tour of Manhattan with 14 other interiors bloggers.

What inspires you in your work? Everything inspires me! Although I write mainly about interior design and homeware products, I draw inspiration from all areas of my life — friends, film and TV, magazines, being out and about in my beloved London…. The whole city is abuzz with energy just now, as we surge forward from the excitement of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations to the imminent Olympics; the whole atmosphere is simply electric. Hearing the athletes talk about their preparations for the games, their dedication, and their ambitions is so inspiring and the increasing sense that we can actually do this — put on the greatest spectacle in the world — is truly, truly exhilarating.

Tell us about your home workspace. Were there any special considerations that influenced its setup? I live in a rented flat, so my main consideration is how to fit a dedicated “workspace” into my bedroom. Luckily, I have the largest room in the house and have been able to zone off a corner to set up a mini office. This is probably where I spend most of my time, catching up on emails, blogging, scouring the Internet for inspiration. I love that I have a window next to my desk – it’s great to have natural light to work by and a little bit of greenery outside to offer a moment of quiet contemplation while waiting for the next wave of inspiration to hit. I like how long my desk is — it’s great for laying out press pack materials and samples to order my ideas for posts. I keep things (somewhat) organised with desk accessories from Ording and Reda and Muji, and surround myself with photos of my friends, mementos from trips, and images ripped from magazines to keep me inspired. I would love to have an Anglepoise work lamp, but for now, my white lamp from IKEA does the trick.

You have a new SAYL chair. How do you like it? I am incredibly lucky to have had my SAYL chair gifted to me by WellWorking, a West London-based company that provides office furniture and ergonomic solutions for the workplace and home. I was introduced to them through my blog.

The chair was chosen for me based on my answers to questions regarding my height and build and how I use my work area. Before I got my SAYL, I had an industrial-style brown leather chair that I had bought at a car-boot fair. I loved it despite it being very impractical, so I had actually been very hesitant to change chairs. But as soon as I sat in the new SAYL I was a convert. WellWorking came to my home to “install” the chair and it was adjusted to my height and my desk, meaning that from the very first time I sat down to work in it, I was the most comfortable I’ve ever been sitting at my desk. I use my chair not just for work, but for leisure, as I often sit up at my desk watching TV on my laptop. The webbed back supports me perfectly and the recline (which I’ve always hated in other chairs) is an absolute dream.

Do you have other Herman Miller pieces in your space? This is my first Herman Miller piece, and I would most certainly have more if I could. In an ideal world, I would love to have a Nelson Swag Leg Desk and an Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair. I saw the fascinating Eames: the Architect and the Painter documentary recently and would very happily have anything by Charles and Ray Eames in my home. Their design aesthetic was simply stunning.

Photos: Kate Baxter

What do you listen to while you work? It varies day to day, depending on my mood, the weather outside, and if I’ve had my three cups of morning coffee. A nice slow start to the morning could begin with M83, while only a few hours later I’m listening to something on the opposite end of the spectrum, like Converge.

How do you listen? While at the office/studio during the day, I listen with headphones. It’s a shared space, so I can blare the music without affecting anyone else, and it really helps keep me focused. At home, freelancing at night, I have fallen in love with my Jawbone Jambox. It’s a Bluetooth wireless speaker with great sound that sits nicely on a shelf. I tend to play music at a lower volume at night so it’s perfect. I think I should be their spokesman.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Absolutely. Rdio has changed the way I listen to music. It sounds kind of cheesy to say, but honestly, it has allowed me to take music with me everywhere I go, is great for discovering artists, and allows me to connect with other designers and what they’re listening to throughout their workday. And the interface is gorgeous. Very well thought out and designed.

Does music influence your work? Music sets the tone for each project I work on. As soon as I’m pulling a new job in, I’m finding a sound and atmosphere that fits with what I’m wanting to communicate visually. Sometimes fun, sometimes dark, sometimes I just need background music to help me zone out.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I find 99% of my new music recommendations on Twitter and Rdio. The majority of people I follow on both services are friends and other designers. A lot of designers tend to be music snobs and overly picky about music, so while it can be at times annoying, it makes it easy to find good new stuff that’s great to work to.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Meatloaf. No question. Big and boisterous, while at the core, simple. And the dude likes to eat.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist: The Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Wood Base. That chair is gorgeous. It’s so simple and modern. I’d say that’d be a right pairing for these great tunes.

BRYAN’S PLAYLIST:

1. The Reflection of You, Bear in Heaven
2. Wild, Beach House
3. Lafaye, School of Seven Bells
4. Dreamlike, Vacationer
5. Soft, Washed Out
6. When to Let Go, Violens
7. Reaching Out, Nero
8. Bavarian #1 (Say You Will), Miike Snow
9. All of Me, Tanlines
10. I Can’t Stay, Ben Browning

Photos: Tom Barrett

1. Song: Iron Galaxy by Cannibal Ox | Added by: Artist & Designer Matthew Shlian

2. Song: The Once and Future Carpenter by The Avett Brothers | Added by: Artist Amy Helfand

3. Song: Shoes by Tiga | Added by: Designer & DJ Bethany Shorb

4. Song: Peng! by Iron & Wine | Added by: Freelance Writer Joelle Alcaidinho

5. Song: Back in Our Town by Ivy (with additional music & lyrics by James Iha) | Added by: Jenna Park of Whimsy & Spice

6. Song: 20 Years by The Civil Wars | Added by: Kristin Appenbrink of RealSimple.com

7. Song: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey | Added by: Designer & Illustrator Katie Kirk

8. Song: Down in the River to Pray by Alison Krauss | Added by: Writer Elizabeth Jenkins

9. Song: Rorschach by Loscil | Added by: Janine Vangool of UPPERCASE Magazine

10. Song: Hot Summer Night by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals | Added by: Photographer Nicole Hill Gerulat

In Featured Photo: Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair; Eames Walnut Stool; Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman; Eames Storage Unit