“I have never met a designer who was retained to keep things the same as they were.” – George Nelson

Herman Miller, manufacturer of some of America’s most iconic pieces of modernist furniture (think the Equa Chair, Aeron chair, Noguchi table, Marshmallow sofa and- all hail — the Eames Lounger) has a new video series posing the simplest of questions: why?

It’s the sort of question that trips up many a creative type, more preoccupied with the what’s and how’s as opposed to actual why’s of doing what they do. But as design is a discipline charged with finding solutions to the everyday conundrums of living, it is a question of some import.

Why design? It’s more than a matter of why not? It’s a question designers must ask themselves at every turn – before birthing a new chair into the world, manufacturing an additional iGadget, and especially prior to producing more waste for the planet in the quest of gaining consumer dollars.

Now, more than ever, it’s a mighty big question mark blinking in the faces of mainstream suppliers and indie creators alike. As Forbes noted in an article earlier this year, titled Welcome to the Era of Design (the appreciation of newer and better design is, indeed, more than a fleeting consumer trend):

Expecting great design is no longer the preserve of a picky design-obsessed urban elite—that aesthetically sensitive clique who’d never dare leave the house without their Philippe Starck eyewear and turtleneck sweaters and buy only the right kind of Scandinavian furniture. Instead, there’s a new, mass expectation of good design.

In other words, it has become democratized. And every democracy worth its grain actively and demonstrably engages in the dialogue of why. Hats off to Herman Miller for taking it to the industry’s brain trust in their new series Why Design.

Every Monday morning from now until October 29th, designers including Don Chadwick, Ayse Birsel, Irving Harper, Gianfranco Zaccai and more will share their perspectives.

Here one take from Yves Béhar of Fuse Project. For more, pop by the storefront of Herman Miller.

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Sprawl across an Eames recliner while a Scottish loch laps outside your eco-bubble.

When you’re staying in a place which is all about the view (you’ve got a castle on an island within caber-tossing distance here), big windows would seem a sensible option. The vista at Ecopod, on the wild west coast of Scotland, is unimpeded since most of the facade is made entirely of glass.

With an extremely low environmental impact, these two geodesic domes (a third is opening later this year) are set in woodland on the shore of a loch. Fear not the monstrous chill: they are well insulated due to being heated by biomass stoves, which burn fuel from nearby sustainable forests. The domes also feature organic bed linen and aromatherapeutic bath goodies that are locally sourced and organic, too.

On the aesthetic side, 1950s classics such as Eames recliners, (FSC-accredited) wood-paneled bathrooms and retro-styled kitchens hit the spot; when the view palls, digital music and movies are on hand to entertain.

Decadence ensues with a dip into the outdoor hot tub with a tumbler full of the hard stuff.

Pod 2 has something called Clouds, a 3D DIY tile art installation by French design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec featured on EcoSalon before. Here, they are used to screen the bedroom from the main living area.

Rates from $782 (three nights minimum) including tax and a hamper stuffed with local treats like malt whisky, fresh loch scallops, chocolate and beer.

Images: Honeymoonbeat, Dome Sweet Dome

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

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A weekly round up of EcoSalon’s top stories.

This week on EcoSalon, we learned:

That wine is more than just a social platform in 20 Unusual Uses for Wine.

Fast fashion and knocking off Native Americans don’t mix in How the Navajo Nation Beat Urban Outfitters.

We are getting smarter at watching for toxic junk in 7 Beauty Ingredients to Avoid.

A couple that stays together changes the world together in The Eames Influence: A New Film About the Sweethearts of American Design.

We’re tired of having so much stuff but don’t know what to do with it in The Story of Stuff: A Conversation With Annie Leonard.

The post The Friday 5: Abridged Edition appeared first on EcoSalon.

A new film celebrates Charles and Ray Eames as the Paul and Linda of the American design world.

Collaborative husband-and-wife team Charles and Ray Eames are considered by many to be America’s most important designers. He was an unlicensed architect. She was a painter who rarely painted. Together, they are perhaps best remembered for their mid-century plywood and fiberglass furniture. Most notably, the Eames Chair.

But if you were in the post-war design scene in Venice Beach, California, Charles and Ray were a progressive Ozzie and Harriet, a layman’s Buster and Eleanor Keaton; a post punk Syd and Nancy, only functional.

The Eames worked under the guiding principle that need was the primary condition for design. As such, they experimented with ways of creating affordable, high-quality furniture for average consumers. Multi-functional furniture especially, like compact storage units and collapsible sofas.

“What works is better than what looks good,” Ray once said. “The good looks can change, but what works, works.” The Eames Office at 901 Washington Blvd. was, for a time, one of the most creative office spaces on earth – the Apple, Google or Facebook of their time. There they created splints for wounded military during World War II, advances in photography, interiors, multi-media exhibits, graphics, games, films and toys.

A new film by Jason Cohn & Bill Jersey, however, narrated by James Franco, seeks to understand the couple from a more personal vantage. How did their personal lives and influence impact significant events in American life, like the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age? The film relies on never-before-seen archival material, love letters, photographs and artifacts from their 40-plus years of working together to answer some of these questions.

Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres in New York, L.A., and a handful of other cities on November 18. The DVD is also available for pre-order on Amazon.

Images: Vitra; Eames Office

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Ceramics celebrating the unique number fonts of two Modernist masters.

Heath Ceramics and type foundry House Industries have joined forces and created these stunning clay tiles ($45 each), in honor of the design genius and number fonts of Neutra (as in, Richard) and Eames (as in, Charles and Ray). Announce your house address with the simple, svelte Neutra numbers (image above) or the round and robust Eames font (image below).

According to Heath, “…each tile skillfully combines precision with craft in a timeless tribute to classic California aesthetic.” Classic is right, as well as stylish and made with care in Heath’s Sausalito, California factory. Available in late Spring from Heath Ceramics.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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I don’t have the nerve to hire an organizer to sort my attic. It’s far too daunting for any professional. It requires a crazy person and a very strong pot of coffee. Luggage clutters the walking path and nothing is boxed as it should be or plainly labeled according to Thanksgiving holiday decor or ski paraphernalia. I strive to follow the example of Confessions of a Shopaholic and purge it all. Is there a high-end thrift shop that wants my treasured junk?

I have learned of one in Phoenix Called My Sister’s Attic, which consigns high quality furniture in an atmosphere that defies the Salvation Army feel, opting for more of the chic Palm Springs collective appeal.

“We dedicated ourselves to turning the ‘three D’s’ – dark, dirty and dingy – into the ‘three C’s’ – cute, clean and current,” explains owner Ann Siner, who also runs several other secondhand shops in Scottsdale: My Sister’s Closet (you’ll find St. John, Louis Vuitton and Coach); Well Suited (for trading used menswear) and Small Change (kids clothes and items).

The attic peddles brands like Pottery Barn, Kreiss, Thomasville and Robb & Stucky, as well as Mid-Century classics like vintage Eames chairs and iron patio sets. The business receives almost 300 pieces of high-end furniture and accessories every day.

You can browse the inventory online and even consign your furniture for 55% of the selling price to you in store credit or 45% of the selling price in cash. Go to the site to send inquiries and photos.

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