1. Five black and white offices that are “anything but boring” at Apartment Therapy (agreed).

2. Happy to see our Mirra Chair in one of the greenest structures in the world: the new Center for Sustainable Landscapes, designed by Design Alliance Architects for Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory (via Architizer).

3. The “Quiet Motion” installation by designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for BMW i at Milan’s Salone del Mobile 2013 (via URDesign Magazine).

4. More Bouroullecs: check out the brothers’ Steelwood Galva for Magis (a new iteration of their Steelwood chair and stool in galvanized steel and beech wood) along with other photos from Salone del Mobile from Wallpaper* Magazine.

5. And even more from Salone del Mobile: enjoying Snap Assembly’s Tumblr coverage of the show.

6. The solitary Eames Molded Plywood Lounge in this composer’s Wisconsin practice studio designed by Johnsen Schmaling Architects at Dezeen.

7. Classic mid-century chair stencils by Stencil 1 spotted by Design Milk.

8. The sunny Fresno House — nicely situated between the forest and the ocean in Carilo, Argentina — co-designed by Felix Raspall and Federico Papandrea and featured at Dornob.

9. The thoughtfully designed L23 House by Pitágoras Arquitectos in Portugal found at Archello.

10. Patrick Rochon’s eye-popping photos of wakeboarders riding special boards affixed with LEDs at Colossal.

Featured in photo: Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Eames Walnut Stools, and Eames Sofa by Charles and Ray Eames

Don’t Forget To Blink
Many of us dramatically slow down our rate of blinking when we’re staring at a glowing computer monitor. Blinking helps to naturally lubricate your eyes, and not doing so makes you dry out and feel uncomfortable. Force yourself to blink frequently as you’re working on the screen. You can even get some help blinking if you must.

Drink (Water)
Help your body by staying hydrated. It’s even easier when you’re working from home, where you can use your favorite glass and always get chilled water instead of a drink from a communal water fountain. If you’re finding yourself hankering for a drink, it’s already been too long. Set “hydration nudges” to remind yourself if you’re not getting enough liquids.

Posture and Ergonomics
If you’re going to be sitting at your desk for a while, make sure you’re comfortably and properly doing so. Find yourself a good ergonomic chair and sit properly at your desk. Keep your wrists and hands comfortable as well with an ergonomic keyboard. (Check out this roundup of ergonomic keyboards highlighted by Apartment Therapy several years ago.)

Clean Air For All
If you’re seeing floating dust particles in the glow of your computer monitor, it’s time to get yourself an air purifier. If it’s stuffy and dry, you’ll need a humidifier. You can even bring a little green into your office to help with the air quality and make yourself feel better.

Get Up And Walk Around
Don’t just sit in your chair all day. Move and stretch a bit. You can even exercise directly from your chair. Keep your body healthy and your blood flowing to your head for a healthy day at the office. Here’s got a great set of 10 exercises you can easily do in the office in just a few minutes.

For more tips on ergonomics and staying healthier in the office, click here.
Original post by Jason Yang. Used in partnership with Apartment Therapy Tech.

What do you listen to while you work? I listen to a wide range of music — anything from Sigur Rós to Rammstein to Lana Del Rey. I guess what really matters is what I am working on or if I am “working” at all. I usually just leave it on shuffle, it is a good way to weed out the “how did that get there?” songs. Lately I have been on a remix kick; there is a lot to sift through to find the good remixes, but they are out there.

How do you listen? When I’m at home, I use headphones plugged into my Mac to block out all of the distractions and so that I don’t become a distraction to the rest of my family. (I still need to put a door on my den). At my daytime gig, I listen through a set of old Labtec speakers that still sound pretty good. There are four of us in our office and we all share the “DJ” responsibilities.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? My favorite places to find music are blogs and Tumblr sites. (Recently, I have been finding some really nice remixes by just searching the keyword “remix” from my Tumblr dashboard.) SoundCloud also has some pretty nice tracks. Friends and coworkers are always sharing their music finds as well.

Does music influence your work? I don’t think music directly influences my work, but I am willing to bet that subliminally it plays some role. I really can’t dive into a project without it. When I am working on something that is repetitive or doesn’t require a whole lot of thought — populating a website, for example — I like to listen to something that has a pretty good repetitive beat and seems to keep me on task. On the other hand, if I am creating something new (branding, for example), I like to listen to music that has more of an epic or dramatic feel.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I usually find recommendations through friends’ blogs or Facebook pages. I really don’t find myself actively seeking new music; it just happens to be wherever I am looking for inspiration in one form or another. It is hard to say who influences my musical tastes; as of late, it has been my kids. I have a 10-year-old, a 7-year-old, and one coming in June. They are really starting to get into music and I often find myself asking, “Would my kids listen to that or is that suitable for my kids to listen to?” I also think that what influences me changes — it comes and goes with what is happening in my life.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? That is tough question. I think that could change from time to time as well. It would need to be a creator, someone who can take ideas and thoughts and make a great piece with them. Lately I have really liked the work of Pogo. He takes bits and pieces and assembles them to make a great song — complex yet simple.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist: I have always loved the Eames Soft Pad Lounge Chair and Ottoman (tilt swivel, four cushions, arms, white base and frame with black leather). It has a tech feel while being a comfortable lounge chair — epic.

TYLER’S PLAYLIST:

1. Dead Hearts, Stars
2. Juke Joint Jezebel, KMFDM
3. Fostercare, Burial
4. Glosoli, Sigur Rós (Tyler says, “this video is epic.”)
5. Expialidocious, Pogo
6. My People, The Presets
7. Young Blood, The Naked and Famous
8. Kings and Queens, 30 Seconds to Mars
9. Waiting for the End, Linkin Park
10. Comeback Kid, Sleigh Bells

Photos: Johnny Trevino, except first and last, Kim Fetrow

P.S. Check out Tyler’s post on restoring these vintage Herman Miller Eames Shell Chairs.

1. Eames Walnut Stool, Charles & Ray Eames - Like Mom, Ray Eames was one of a kind. Her background as a sculptor helped her create these versatile mid-century modern gems to accompany Charles’ chairs for the Time-Life Building in New York. Choose from three unique sculpted silhouettes in solid walnut. Get one at Herman Miller.

2. Bread Board, from Epicurean - No more crumbs on Mom’s floor! The Epicurean Bread Board’s smart design catches and contains the crumbs, leaving her counter clean. Head to the flip side for a smooth, daily food-prep surface. Choose from slate or natural, both NSF- and FSC-certified. Find it at Epicurean.

3. Bezel Case for Apple iPhone 4/4S, from Qmadix - Mom looked out for you all those years, now with the Qmadix Bezel you can protect her iPhone for her. Its ingenious slide-locking mechanism fits her phone perfectly, while its aircraft-grade aluminum tooling fits her hand perfectly. Mom (and Siri) will thank you. Slide one on at Qmadix.

4. The Market Bag, from Moop - Your mom probably carried just about everything in her bag at one time or another — from your bottle to breath mints, from tissues to toys. Now you can give her a hand with the Moop Market Bag. Made from 100% cotton rosewood corded canvas, it’s the perfect go-everywhere, do-everything bag for the lady who goes everywhere and … well, you get it. Bag one at Moop on Etsy.

5. Teardrop Vase, from Urbana Design - Mom will cry tears of joy when she sees the flowers you get her (hint, hint) in this unique teardrop vase from Derek Chen’s Urbana Design. Choose any of six different veneers and four resin colors, in three sizes. Perfect for any flora on Mother’s Day. Get one at Urbana Design.

6. Wonder Woman Cuff, Tina Frey Designs - Let’s face it, there’s only one true Wonder Woman in our lives — and that’s Mom. Beautiful and brave, she’s the ultimate superhero. Remind her of her amazing powers with Tina Frey’s handmade resin Wonder Woman Cuff. Choose from eight heroic colors, at Tina Frey Designs.

Photos: Linked to their sources within text