1. Evo Millennium Pen, Burt Rubin - Reflect on and relieve years of cramped hands with the polished, elegant design of the Millennium pen. Commended by the Arthritis Foundation for its relief of pain due to arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, its a shining example of ergonomics at their best. Pick one up at the MoMA Store.

2. Magis Déjà-vu Stool, Naoto Fukasawa - Like a refined sculpture of solid mercury, Fukasawa’s Déjà-vu Stool glimmers in its polished aluminum construction. The perfect compliment to a contemporary kitchen bar or pass-through, the stool is available in approximate 30″ and 26″ heights. Choose the perfect size for your space at Herman Miller.

3. Hot.It Electric Kettle, Alessi & Wiel Arets - With a streamlined shape and a polished luster, this electric kettle is both high-performance and high-design. Heat water quickly and handle it easily thanks to its thermoplastic lid and handle. Holds approx. 48 oz, in mirror-polished stainless steel. Find one at A+R Store.

4. Cutter Mirror, Rezon - Anyone who has spent production time in the studio will appreciate this unique design-focused accessory. Resembling a long tab of disposable cutter blades, the Cutter Mirror adds a bit of unique and minimal style to your studio entry or home foyer. Available at Vespoe.

5. Bourgie Table Lamp, Ferruccio Laviani - This re-imagined Baroque table lamp adds a pop of character that — in chrome — both provides and reflects light. Bourgie adds tactile to its sensational design with touch-sensitive activation and dimmer control. Also available in white, black, and transparent. Find it at Conran.

6. Eames Wire Chair, Charles and Ray Eames - Charles and Ray’s sculptural achievement glitters as an undeniable midcentury modern classic. Comprised of cross-woven chrome wire and secured to the iconic “Eiffel Tower” base, the Wire Chair comforts and catches the eye. Also available with two different leather pad configurations. Get yours at Herman Miller.

Photos linked within text.

1. Alexander Lange’s review of Yale’s George Nelson exhibit at Design Observer.

2. 30 home-office-organizing products as rounded up by Design*Sponge.

3. The streamlined C+P House by architects Gonçalo das Neves Nunes in Lisbon via ArchDaily.

4. “Designing Offices with Mobile Employees in Mind” at the CIO Journal blog from the Wall Street Journal.

5. Fairfield, Connecticut’s Sound House by Roger Ferris + Partners at Contemporist.

6. Treehugger’s second look at Casa En Una Maleta, or “House in a Suitcase,” a 293-square-foot apartment in Barcelona.

7. The reflective glass/Swedish forest combination at the Tree Hotel by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter at HomeDSGN.

8. Wave Avenue’s coverage of the Push + Pull Residence designed by Seattle-based studio MW Works.

9. The smile-inducing “Sum Times” series by artist Aakash Nihalani via Design Milk.

10. Still feeling motivated by a new year with this free 2013 desktop wallpaper at Design Love Fest.

Featured in the photo above: Nelson X-Leg Table and Eames Wire Chairs

Shared office space in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, CA

A group of like-minded creatives (a photographer, videographers, graphic designers, and a DJ) call this loft studio in LA their work home. With its “mid-century modern meets the desert” style, it features a brightly-hued array of designs by Charles and Ray Eames, such as their Molded Plastic and Molded Plywood Chairs. (Photos: Bethany Nauert)

Curiosity Shoppe, Austin, TX

Distinctively-cool downtown Austin gets a little more curious with the arrival of this collective space, a multimedia outfit housed in a converted warehouse that’s packed with timeless Eames pieces, including a Wire Chair and Wire Base Elliptical Table. (Photos: Chris Perez)

The Design Office, Providence, RI

Independent designers work side by side in this downtown-Providence-based studio, which features a vintage-modern look led by designs like the Aeron Chair and the Eames Hang-It-All. (Photos: Sarah Rainwater)

Original post by Chris Perez. Used in partnership with Apartment Therapy Tech.

Book cover designer and lifestyle blogger Anna Dorfman showed us not one, but two home offices: the first in a small rental apartment in Brooklyn, and the second in upstate New York, where she and her husband are slowly renovating an 1891 Victorian row house. (Photo: Anna Dorfman)

Architectural photographer David Lauer gave us a tour of his new mid-century-built home in Denver, complete with a home office centered around bold color choices, like his green Mirra Chair. (Photo: David Lauer)

This weekend-getaway workspace belonged to J3 Productions and Happy Mundane’s Jonathan Lo, who is normally based in Orange County, CA, but instead opted to rent a “second office” near the beach in San Diego for the summer. (Photo: Jonathan Lo)

A sunny view and an original Eames Wire Chair passed down by her grandparents made up this tour from photographer-turned-designer Jennifer Levy of CAVdesign. (Photo: Jennifer Levy)

Artist Laura Hughes let us take a look at her combination home/workspace (Aeron Chair included) in the middle of Manhattan. (Photo: Laura Hughes)

Makoto Mizutani and Ben Luddy — better known as the brains behind multidisciplinary design practice Scout Regalia — let us take a peek at their living space/company headquarters in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Photo: Scout Regalia)

We found out just how organized the workspace of a professional organizer can be with this step inside the home office of Justin Klosky, founder and Creative Director of O.C.D. Experience, a bi-coastal organizing service. (Photo: Justin Klosky)

Photographer Clark Lara introduced us to a space filled with modern Herman Miller designs — check out the Embody Chair, Eames Molded Plastic Chairs, and Eames Storage Unit just in the one photo above — as well as his scene-stealing dog, Cooper. (Photo: Clark Lara)

Singer, songwriter, producer, photographer, cinematographer, and director Thomas Piper Jr. showed us around his home workspace in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. (Photo: Thomas Piper Jr.)

Food writer and co-author of The Kimchi Cookbook Olga Massov gave us a glance at her Brooklyn home office (as well as her well-stocked kitchen). (Photo: Amy Feezor).

Our SAYL chairs fit nicely in the newly-built backyard office shed shared by organizer Vanessa Hayes and her husband Dan, a technology/marketing/media consultant, in San Antonio, TX. (Photo: Vanessa Hayes)

Kiwi-born and London-based designer and illustrator Marcia Mihotich — who collaborates with the likes of Industrial Facility and other arts-related organizations — opened the doors to her live/work space, which includes a cushy Eames Soft Pad Management Chair. (Photo: Marcia Mihotich)

Tell us about yourself: what you’re passionate about, what inspires you, and where you’re going. I’m inspired by people who roll with the punches and who aren’t afraid to constantly reevaluate where they are in life and where they’re headed. The older I get, the less I worry about making plans or setting goals for myself, and the more I focus on making sure I’m happy and comfortable with where I am right now. Working in the book publishing industry right now means having to constantly adapt my skills as a designer to constantly-evolving formats. Ultimately, my job is to get people to read more books — whether that means a printed volume on a shelf or something that’s downloaded to an iPad. My heart will always lie with the physical, printed book format, but I’m also excited to see where we’re headed in the world of digital publishing.

How are your spaces set up? Where do you do most of your work? And what would you change if you could? I work for a publishing company in an office building all week long at my 9-to-5 job, so I don’t have a lot of control over my primary workspace. Fortunately, my department is set up in a big, open space surrounded by windows overlooking midtown Manhattan — I think I’d have a hard time being shut in an office or sitting in a cubicle all day.

If I’m being honest, most of my freelance work and blogging time happens on the sofa. I have a desk set up in the apartment that doubles as a dining table, but I seldom sit there unless I really have to concentrate and do a lot of writing. At the house, we have an office set up that doubles as a recording studio for my husband, a technologist and musician. The desk is made from my father’s old drawing table, and sitting at it to work always feels very special.

As I get older, my back doesn’t really appreciate how much time I spend working on the sofa, so I really need to be better about working at a proper desk! The one thing I can’t do is work amongst clutter. I know a lot of artists and designers like to be surrounded by inspirational images, but I find that kind of stuff distracting — aside from my computer, I really just want a notepad, a glass of water, and maybe a dog or two nearby.

You have several pieces by Charles and Ray Eames. Why did you choose them? I’ve been collecting vintage Eames shell and wire chairs since we bought our house — there’s an embarrassing number of them stacked up in our basement. They really do look great in old houses! I love the contrast between the ornate Victorian details of our house and the smooth, rounded curves of the shell chairs. I’m always on the lookout for new (old) Eames chairs to bring home and rehabilitate. They’re classics, and they go with everything. They’ll never go out of style.

Aside from the vintage Eames chairs, we also have a large Eames Storage Unit (ESU) in our dining room. It holds everything — extra cups and plates, candle holders, placemats, cookbooks, our telephone, magazines, tools, office supplies, you name it. And, of course, we have a couple of Eames Hang-It-Alls, which truly do function as their name promises.

Do you have other Herman Miller pieces? At my day job, I sit in an Aeron chair for hours on end. The Aeron really has become the gold standard among ergonomic office chairs, and for good reason. As someone with various joint and nerve issues, I can’t say enough good things about what a difference it has made in terms of comfort in my daily life.

Photos: Anna Dorfman. The Brooklyn apartment appears in the first two photos; the remaining are from the home in Newburgh.

“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)

It’s all coming down to the wire. Just as PSFK noted a surge in wire designs, this week’s Roundup features six ways – some new and some classic – designers are working in wire.

 1. Drum Table, Bend Among many other wire-based designs, LA-based company Bend offers the Drum. Perfect as an occasional table, stool, or ottoman, this powder-coated dynamo is available in three colors and is hot-dip galvanized to prevent rust. Pull one up at Design Public.

2. Eames Molded Plastic Chair with runner, Charles & Ray Eames Unmistakably Eames, the Molded Plastic rocker is a design classic wiring its way into living rooms, dens, and nurseries. The perfect mix of functional form and rocking good style. Rock one at Herman Miller.

3. Magis Tavolo XZ3 Table, Studio Technico Magis for Herman Miller If the Eames molded plastic chair has an long-lost relative, the Tavolo XZ3 could be it. With its sturdy steel form and stylish mid-century silhouette, the Tavolo is the perfect table for food and fun, with an extra big helping of style. Round or rectangle, get them at Herman Miller.

4. Wired Lamp, Something From Us The playful, minimal Wired Lamp is constructed from 10mm mild steel wire and available in table and Dwarf (shown above) sizes. Choose from three peppy color schemes. There’s one for you at Something From Us.

5. Eames Wire Chair, Charles & Ray Eames Arguably the quintessential wire-based design, the Eameses’ unique combination of design contour and materials remains a sculptural original. Available with leather seat pad options for additional character and comfort. Wire up your place at Herman Miller.

6. Wire [Basin Column], Meneghello Paolelli This circular array of 18 steel rods may be atypical for a basin column, but the woven steel design, created by Italian design firm Meneghello Paolelli, creates a stunning impression and almost optical illusion. Learn more here.

Bonus: Bend, the company behind the drum table above, also has a playful take on wire design with their Geometric Trophy Heads. We couldn’t resist sharing! Check them out here.

Photos: Linked to their sources within text

Tell us about CAVdesign: How it started, what you’re passionate about, and where you’re going. I started CAVdesign after a long career as a photographer (which I still do for special clients). As a serial renovator, I always enjoyed re-working my spaces and finally decided to do it professionally. I absolutely love the combination of working with people, hunting down design bargains, and even the inevitable struggles of the renovation process. I find it rewarding to craft a new environment, and I believe that the environments we create tell our stories. I really enjoy helping my clients find the “voice” for their spaces, while being mindful of satisfying practical needs like storage, a comfy corner for reading, and child-friendly furnishings and fabrics. I’m also expanding into two areas: Design Education and products. I’ve been working on a series of e-books called “The Design Coach Series” to help people get the most of their own renovations and design projects, and I have a wall-covering product in the works as well.

What inspires you? In addition to architects like Mies Van der Rohe and interior designers (Frank Roop, Laura Bohn, Brad Ford), I’m inspired by old machinery, shells and plants, Asian graphics, and designers like Charles and Ray Eames, who had a freedom and playfulness behind their work. (We have an Eames Hang-It-All in our entry and it always makes me smile, which is pretty good for a hook!)

Tell us about your workspace. Any special considerations that affected the way it’s set up? What do you like or dislike? The office also serves as a guest room (thanks to a Murphy Bed), which is quite a challenge given its size. I used a tall storage piece to maximize the space and still leave clearance for the bed to fold down, but I’m definitely running out of space for samples and fabrics! I usually work with one other person here, so I needed a second desk area, which I created by wrapping the desk (made out of doors) along two walls. The best things about my office are the view — a south-facing backyard of trees — and the curtains, which are very cheerful and Scandinavian-looking.

Your office has two Herman Miller pieces: an Eames Wire Chair and an Aeron. Why did you select them? I was lucky to have grandparents with good taste and a few original mid-century pieces, including the Eames Wire Chair that I use in my office, and I often think of my costume-designer grandmother (Olga – very German) as my original design inspiration. I keep her picture of her in the office as a reminder of her great taste and DIY spirit (she sewed all her slipcovers).  I love the base of the chair and the fact that it swivels (I think it was the only swivel chair the Eames’ designed) and the contrast of the metal grid. A sheepskin makes it comfortable even for long stretches.

When I expanded to a second seating area, I needed another chair: the Aeron. It’s simply the most comfortable office chair I have ever sat in. I had also been experiencing shoulder pain from working on the computer and using the Aeron, combined with lowering my desk height, helped clear that right up.

Photos: Jennifer Levy

That dreamy desktop wallpaper may be the first thing that catches your eye, but look closer and you’ll see an Eames Wire Chair hiding in the shadows of this home office belonging to Vero Escalante, an illustrator and textile designer in Buenos Aires. (Photo: Vero Escalante)

The Hamburg headquarters of web-based design studio The Future of Everything includes, among others, a white Eames molded plastic armchair. (Didn’t we tell you we were sensing a white Eames chair trend?) (Photo: The Future of Everything)

With six computer screens, an Aeron Chair, and lots of apparent bells and whistles, the attention-getting workspace of Stefan Didak feels extraordinarily space-age. (And since Stefan posted this photo, he’s moved — see his more recent launchpad-like space here.) (Photo: Stefan Didak)

This small-but-cheery private office belonging to “Soeren” (mysterious!) reveals a classic: an Eames molded plastic sidechair with a stacking base. (Photo: Soeren)

Atlanta’s Second Hand Studio includes a supportive Mirra Chair. (Photo: Second Hand Studio)

And the opening photo? It’s the Copenhagen-based home studio belonging to digital designer and owner of The Wall Company, Mathias Høst Normark. Get his streamlined look by choosing a wood dowel base on your favorite color of an Eames molded plastic side chair. (Opening Photo: Mathias Normark)

“My new ink: an Eames Wire Chair. I’ve been wanting to get this tattoo for a while and it seemed an appropriate time as graduation is nearing and I’m ready to get my start as a young designer. Charles and Ray Eames are 2 of the designers I admire the most for their indepth processes and trial-and-error methodology. Unique note about this chair: It won the first mechanical patent for design.”

And then I found her blog – Peanut Butter Bagels – and these booties she knitted for her Eames chair! I think Ray and Charles would have got a big kick out of those booties.