5.5.08 | There’'s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Charles and Ray Eames left an astounding legacy to the world of design. From film to product design, this couple created timeless pieces that still resonate to fresh minds today. This year, IIDA Northern California chose to honor them at the 2008 Pioneers in Design event. Charles’ daughter Lucia Eames, and her daughter Llisa Demetrios came to the Four Seasons hotel in San Francisco to represent their family legacy, and to share with us many pictures of the couple and their house that had never before been made public.

4.28.08| Kimball Office and chiropractors see eye-to-eye: alignment can be a good thing. In 2001 Kimball Office started developing its Select Dealer program, and this, of course corresponds to Kimball’'s expansion into a full-line contract furniture manufacturer, building – significantly –on its wood casegoods roots.

4.7.08 | The HON Company, one of HNI Corporation’'s big financial engines and a mid-market furniture powerhouse, continues to be a treasure house of surprises. Generally, most people are aware of its operational superiority, but few know what that means and how that translates to worker attitude, and a variety of other essential corporate attitude.  Recently, I met with HON'’s Don Mead, Vice President of Marketing, Jim Cahill, Vice President of Systems and Mindy Billingsley, Environmental Marketing Manager, along with several of their colleagues, who offered an excellent overview of HON’'s “green” initiatives, as well as some candid observations on how to effectively communicate the company’s environmental story to its mid-market customers.

4.7.08 | French architect Jean Nouvel is all over the map – both literally, with projects on four continents, and in terms of his design as well. Maybe the diversity of his work is why Pritzker Prize jurors have been slower in recognizing the 62-year-old Nouvel, the 2008 winner, than several of his peers. Unlike, say, previous winners Frank Gehry or Richard Meier, Nouvel has no signature style.