“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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Historic Girard prints: vintage American design that’s good ‘til the last drop. 

The influence of America’s most beloved and legendary textile designers and colorists, Alexander Girard, is palpable even today. He is known in design circles for his work with Herman Miller, wherein he created fabrics for the house of Charles and Ray Eames, as well as his eclectic collection of folk art and exotic textiles preserved through the Girard Foundation.

His pop-aesthetic became legion, however, with his mid-century hues and patterns (very Mad Men). Most notably, the Pinwheel pattern: featured here on this George Jensen mug and tableware collection from the Miller House and Garden, a national landmark and architectural study that has been called “America’s most significant Modernist house.”

Truly good til the last drop, note that Patera 1 pattern on the inside of the mug.

Pair with these porcelain plates for the perfect cuppa.

Prices range from $12.95-$52.

Look for Lustables at EcoSalon and submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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“Roger says the meeting’s going to be in his office.”

Last week we questioned whether or not we’d be taking a peek into Betty’s boudoir in season five’s latest episode entitled Tea Leaves. Viewers soon surmised that not much was happening on that front, in terms of mid-century modern forward-thinking design, that is. Roger Sterling’s lair, meanwhile, is as varnished as he is: white and resplendent, mirroring the silver fox.

At the very least, his office is on trend, like ketchup and the Rolling Stones.

This is called the Time-Life executive chair because it was created for the modern lobbies of the building of the same name in 1960.

From Pacific Furnishings.

The coffee and side tables from Saarinen’s pedestal collection. The line was introduced in 1956 and won Finnish-born Eero Saarinen the 1969 Museum of Modern Art Award.

Available from Hive.

Also by Saarinen, the tulip stool on a swivel base.

Via Viaduct.

The Nesso table lamp is one of the most famous lamps from the 1960s & 70s, included in the Design Collection of the Museum Of Modern Art.

From All Modern.

The Eames Compact Sofa from Herman Miller is a minimalist mid-century classic. Scaled for executive suites and lounges and perfect for sleeping off a three-martini lunch.

Seen here in red, from Herman Miller.

Roger’s paintings were created by the Mad Men art department in style of Op artist Bridget Riley. The Op Art movement was a form of geometric abstraction. Riley has said of her work, often characterized as “impersonal” and unrelated to the real world:

“I couldn’t get near what I wanted through seeing, recognizing and recreating, so I stood the problem on its head. I started studying squares, rectangles, triangles and the sensations they give rise to…”

Image of Riley in her studio during the 1960s via The Telegraph.

Stating the obvious, Roger’s office wouldn’t be complete without a beverage cart.

In this case, a contemporary cart sourced from The Well Appointed House.

Next week, will we see Peggy outside of the office ever again?

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The Lille sofa, model 4600 was designed in 1946 by Danish architect Finn Juhl.

The hand sewn Lille sofa, a 1946 design by Danish architect Finn Juhl,  was designed during Juhl’s Picasso period, though he was equally as inspired by Henry Moore and Hans Arp. Such was the designer’s mindset in 1946, when the average home in the US cost $5,600 and the average wage was $2,500 per year.

Juhl, no doubt, envisioned the Lille sofa as a signature piece. Keeping that in mind, I took to the interwebs again to discover what else was happening in interiors across the United States and abroad to accent it during that time, and to find some perspective on what was being talked about, pondered, laughed about and debated in living rooms the world over.

Here’s what I found.

On the Coffee Table

A lacquered 1940’s Paul Frankl cocktail table, available through Downtown.

Making newspaper headlines in 1946, the Central Intelligence Agency is set up under the Truman Administration. The war is over, though a new threat is on the horizon, what Winston Churchill calls the “Iron Curtain” during his famous speech in Fulton, Missouri.

Also on the front page, a two-day prison riot in Alcatraz leaves five dead.

On the Telephone

Made by Sweden’s Ericsson, features a rugged rotary dial and heavy Bakelite handle.

Millions of joyous phone calls go out this year with, what else? Baby news. Truman officially declares an end to hostilities with Germany during a December 31^st address, marking the next wave in American society. An estimated 78.3 million Americans are born during the Baby Boom, which kicks off in 1946.

On the Radio

Boob tube? In 1946, most Americans were still getting their news and entertainment from the radio.

RCA begins production of the first television set manufactured after the war. About 10,000 units are sold by the end of the year at an atmospheric price of $352.

The radio remains very much in vogue, where news of the first transcontinental round-trip flight can be heard. Also on the airwaves, a young Jackie Robinson debuts as 2^nd baseman for the Montreal Royals and the University of Tennessee refuses to play Duquesne U, because a black player might take to the court.

Lounging About

Designers Charles and Ray Eames established their legendary relationship with Herman Miller this year with the Eames Walnut Plywood Lounge Chair.

How scandalous! During the Paris runway shows, a daring two-piece bathing suit is debuted. They call it the bikini, named after Bikini Atoll, an island in the South Pacific where the new atomic bomb is being tested.

A new group called Weight Watchers also forms this year. Coincidence? Yeah, right.

Writing Home

Paul Laszlo student’s desk in bleached mahogany.

In the architect’s homeland, The Dutch Society for Sexual Reform (NVSH) is formed, stepping out way ahead of its time by promoting the sexual emancipation of both men and women, straight and gay alike. In Kielce, Poland, a mob of local townsfolk and politicians initiate a mass murder on Jews, shocking the international community. As a result, many of the remaining Jewish-Polish Holocaust survivors flee the country.

Such was the year in vintage, 1946. The world has changed a lot since then – our freedoms, the family structure, definitions of modesty – but certain design treasures remain forever stylish, and illuminating.

1940’s Vintage Beehive Spun Aluminum Tripod Floor Lamps.

Images: Bo Bedre; Downtown; Retro Housewife; galessa’s plastics; Best of Design; Design for Men

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If you can score an ergonomic Herman Miller computer chair (above) for a reasonable price at Costco, there’s no excuse to be torturing your body at home or at work.

A good chair is not hard to find. And it no longer costs an arm and a leg. A bad one promotes bad posture and pain, and could be your downfall when trying to be productive. Think about how much those aches and pains block the creative pathways of the old noggin!

Sitting too forward in your seat is the number one way to injure your back and neck, since you aren’t getting the support you need. These days, good task chairs are widely available, including the classic Herman line which began selling two designs directly to shoppers last fall through 400 Costco Wholesale Corp. warehouses and the  company’s website, Costco.com.

The Equa office chairs, first introduced 24 years ago by the Grand Rapids, Mi. company, are sold in fabric or leather, and sized for medium or large occupants. They are  available in basic black from $320 for fabric to $660 for a large leather chair with polished aluminum base.

A smaller scale but fully recyclable Caper Multipurpose chair comes in three colors and sells at the store for $293. It lists for $600 and currently sells at Herman Miller retailer Sit4less.com  for $579 delivered.

Although in-store options are likely to be limited to one variation, shoppers who want a broader choice of colors in the Caper or larger size of Equa could order those from Costco’s Web site.

The good news is these chairs are not only ergonomic but also made using renewable energy in a LEED-certified factory. They also contain 21% recycled content – including 15% post-consumer waste, and all components are 100% recyclable.

Here are some other good options to keep you sitting upright so that your brilliance can flow:

The Humanscale Freedom Chair from Simply Egonomic

The fabric is green in more ways than one. It’s also eco-friendly. The Freedom chair is designed with a minimum number of manually-adjusted controls. Once the chair is fitted, no further adjustment is required. The idea is that movement, which is essential for a healthy body, shouldn’t be constricted by locking mechanisms and manual controls. It has won all kinds of awards in Canada for its ergonomic features and runs about $800.

The Heavy Duty Chair from Ergonomic Home

Much cheaper at around $387 (less $80 for the armless) this chair is big on comfort and sustainability: materials include 93% reclaimed steel, 90% recycled plastic/nylon and glues are a new HVOC-free, water-based glue developed by 3M. The Eco-system/performance upholstery is 100% recycled.

All Bodybilt High Back Chair from Ergogenesis

A contoured neckroll adds head and neck support to this handsome, comfy chair with good upper and lower back support. It also offers a 10-Point Posture Control adjustment to target stressful aches and pains which the maker argues is so often escalated by inferior chairs. The model promotes proper posture with the weight distribution on the surface once you make contact.

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