With the rise and rise of technology that makes it easier than ever for people to work remotely, we ask – why do we still go to the office?   Research shows that despite the ability of people to work from anywhere over 64% still choose to commute into the office everyday.  Why? It’s all to do with collaboration. Coming together to solve problems, share ideas and produce results.  Face to face interaction allows for the transfer of knowledge that is tacit, or difficult to articulate. The unspoken gestures, expressions and body language that help build trust, intimacy and ultimately produce better work.  As social beings workers often  cite face-to-face interaction as one of the more rewarding aspects of working life. 

We’re working on bringing you the tools to help foster this interaction and bring people together.  Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we walk through the thinking behind our latest product: Arras Spine.

We're pleased to introduce to you the first of our Unframed Art collaborations; a special series of SAYL chairs upholstered in unique fabrics by artists and renowned fabric houses. The first release 'Ritual' is based on the art of the late Aboriginal Australian artist Minnie Pwerle, whose spectacularly coloured and patterned paintings have a huge following both in Australia and around the world. Two main themes run through Minnie’s work. The first is free-flowing with parallel lines in a pendulous outline, depicting body painting designs used in women’s ceremonies. The second involves circular shapes which symbolise forms of bushfood, including bush tomato, bush melon, and northern wild orange.

The high performance Ritual fabric range is produced by Woven Image and comes in three colour options, which can be applied to the SAYL chair both as full upholstery, or on the seat only with the original suspension back - giving the chair and its environment an even greater creative freedom of design. Personally, I'm coveting the orange version in full upholstery (below)... which do you like best?

Posted by Lauren Evans

Whether it’s a weeknight dinner or a weekend crossword, this dining room has a grown-up allure for all occasions.  Photo: natalieyounger.com

Visit our Discover Blog for more Sighted images.

The Herman Miller Collection is not an entirely new concept or range of furniture. Instead it is a design approach or way of thinking about our collection, collated to provide a portfolio able to solve any furnishing brief. It was inspired by the forward thinking George Nelson, who in our 1952 catalog wrote of the importance of continuing the creation of a permanent collection “designed to meet fully the requirements for modern living” and we're excited to bring it to you today.

The Collection comprises of many of our classic pieces designed by Charles and Ray Eames and George Nelson, to which we have added a range of contemporary pieces to complement the classics. The partners and designers we've chosen to include in the Collection include Geiger and Mattiazzi, who all share in our design values to create furniture that is as purposeful as it is beautiful. This ensures the Herman Miller Collection presents as a complete solution for designing any space from the boardroom to the backyard, providing a palette from which to select myriad of furnishings to suit any environment. We will continue to add pieces in the future that further enhance the 'requirements for modern living' as George Nelson so aptly put it. The images above and below include just some of the pieces that make up the collection. To view the complete Collection and learn more about it, visit our website. 

*Magis range available in Asia via business dealers only.

Posted by Lauren Evans

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are the well known designers behind the Osso Chair by Mattiazzi that has recently become part of the Herman Miller collection. For those of you who aren't familiar with the chair, here are five things that are good to know about Osso.

1. Mattiazzi's fine craftmanship and sophisticated machining skills were the inspiration behind the chair. Erwan says their aim was "…to let the sensuality of the wood express itself" and that “The chair invites people to touch or even caress it, as it is extremely sculpted and polished.”

2. The high-tech assembling system of geometrical wood panels allows a quite singular strength while preserving a design balance of the object. The chair is comprised of just eight pieces (see image below).

3. Erwan and Rowan were particularly impressed by Mattiazzi's environmental credentials. All the equipment used to manufacture the Osso chair is solar powered and the timber locally sourced, without the use of any chemical treatments.

4. Osso means bone in Italian. The chair is highly sculptural and polished like it's namesake.

5. A sophisticated palette of colours in various timbers complete Osso - it comes in black, blue, green, dark grey, pink, white, natural ash, natural maple, and natural oak.

Posted by Lauren Evans

The documentary Eames: The Architect and The Painter debuted in New Zealand last week (see our previous post) and to pay homage to the film our New Zealand dealer Matisse held a fabulous party which also marked the launch of their Eames inspired pop-up shop. Fans of the film will find all sorts of Herman Miller goodies available at the store which will stay open until the 29th April. New Zealand readers can head on down to 254 Broadway, Newmarket and snaffle up a little piece of Eames history for themselves.

That's the time it takes for us to build an Aeron Chair at our American based production line. FastCompany were so impressed by this that they recently profiled us as a model of modern American manufacturing and featured this video of the Aeron's production on their design blog. Aeron used to take 82 seconds to come off the line, today we're down to 17 due to the little changes we make to the assembly process every year. We're really proud to be recognised for the level of efficiency we've achieved as we work very hard at it. Check out their video to see for yourself.

Sam Hecht is one half of Industrial Facility, the studio behind the widely acclaimed Branca chair for Mattiazzi that takes its inspiration from the wooden branches of a tree. As regular readers will know, we are very pleased to have recently added the Mattiazzi range of products to the Herman Miller Asia Pacific collection. We caught up with Hecht who revealed his own design story and his experiences working with the Mattiazzi family to create Branca. Enjoy our interview below.

What led you to pursue a career in design?
My father sold electrical products like radios and toasters. Sometimes customers would return them and for pocket money he would ask me to have a go at repairing them. He knew nothing about how things worked – he was a salesman – and so I took everything apart. I started to see why things were made they way they are. Some products – particularly from Braun – were very cleverly put together. This interest led me to design – but design were the workings of it can influence the way it looks and feels.

My father still asks me to fix things!

How would you describe your design philosophy?
Simplicity that is inspirational – why have something complicated!

How did you come to work with Mattiazzi and what was it about the company that appealed to you in partnering with them?
Mattiazzi had invited me to design a wooden product for their second collection – the first being by Nitzan Cohen. I visited them with my colleague of the last 15 years – the Japanese designer Ippei Matsumoto. I warned them that I had not designed a lot of furniture, and certainly not a chair, and this was the reason they had asked me. I think they were interested in me because of my innocence and naivety. Perhaps what I would be suggesting would push them further than they had gone before.

We inspected their factory, smelt the air and tasted the food. I loved it.

Could you tell us a little of the design story behind your Branca chair for Mattiazzi?
Branca was my first chair design. I had waited some 20 years to gather the courage to imagine what a modern and relevant chair could be. To respect comfort and lightness, but also to respect Mattiazzi and the knowledge they had built up over many years. It was a real team effort, and much of my role was making a series of careful decisions both functional and sculptural. There were no pre-conditions, and so I made my own. I wanted a chair that was fluid because I knew Mattiazzi could do this. Like a tree that forms a branch through growth rather than construction. I wanted a chair that had armrests but could also stack, and to fit under a table. I wanted a chair to be comfortable to the body and to the eye. When it was finally completed, we all stood back and said it was quite something. Within a year it had been selected by 4 museum permanent collections, had been honoured as Design of the Year 2011 and won many awards. It meant that the conditions that were self-made were correct because they had become universal – and that is no easy accomplishment.

Mattiazzi have disproved the modern myth that mechanised manufacturing is not a craft. How did their approach to manufacturing differ from other companies you have worked with in the past?
The difference with Mattiazzi that people seem to forget is that they apply a craftsmen’s attitude to everything. Anyone can buy a machine for manufacturing, but Mattiazzi use the machine like a they would a hand tool. They craft the mechanization. With this commitment to quality, they have pioneered a new typology for craft.

Can you tell us a secret about the chair? Perhaps a less well-known fact?
A chair with not a single screw!! It seems not possible. Also, the arms are parallel with the floor, so you can rest it upside down on a table for cleaning.

There are a few colour options with the product - which is your preferred?
I like two – natural ash (which reminds me of pasta with only olive oil – simple and classic!) and Green which is based on a tree colour we found in a forest in the south of England.

What’s your favourite piece of furniture (if you can choose just one!)
Such a difficult question – it changes all the time…..I would say the Landi Chair by Swiss designer Hans Coray.

What’s next, anything you’re excited about?
Some projects for Herman Miller [stay tuned! - ed.] – and a ‘Tent’ for Louis Vuitton.

Which is your favourite city in Asia Pacific and why?
Tokyo -  it’s where I lived and it influenced me a lot. In fact, it’s energy still surprises me whenever I go back.

Posted by Lauren Evans

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Mattiazzi Collection throughout Herman Miller Asia Pacific. Mattiazzi are a family owned Italian producer of contemporary timber furniture, renowned for its in-house production methods. By using sophisticated CNC tools, Mattiazzi has perfected the art of allowing wood to take the complex shapes associated with injection-moulded plastic. Operating such a machine is an art and Mattiazzi disproves the modern myth that mechanised manufacturing is not a craft. The complete Mattiazzi collection will be available though Herman Milller, including pieces designed by Studio Nitzan Cohen, Sam Hecht of Industrial Facility, and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Keep an eye out for our interviews with these fabulous designers whom we are thrilled will be joining the Herman Miller family.  

(image above, from left) He Said chair by Studio Nitzan Cohen, Branca by Sam Hecht/Industrial Facility and Osso by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

Posted by Lauren Evans

Herman Miller has a long association with museums and galleries. Some of you may not know that in 1988 we established the Herman Miller Consortium to share our historical furniture collection with a wider audience. This consortium collection is now held between 13 museums across the United States of America and comprises of over 750 pieces of furniture and a range of product documentation (such as the brochure above, from 1960). The good news for those of us outside of the States is that you can also browse through the collection and records online via The Herman Miller consortium online database. We thought it might be interesting to explore some museums that hold the consortium collction in the coming months as well as have a closer look at some of the ourstanding museums and galleries from around the Asia Pacific region. We hope you'll join us on our travels... stay tuned! 

Posted by Lauren Evans