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october 2011 more harbor We are happy to announce that our Harbor Collection for Room & Board will be expanded for 2012 to include both a cocktail table and side table. Look for them soon at room&board.com
in the studio: malkmus + jicks We have been big fans of Stephen Malkmus and Pavement for some time. His post-Pavement solo work and the albums with the Jicks have not only cemented (I know) his position as a star of indie/ alt rock, but shown his continuing brilliance as a fine songwriter. The Jicks albums -including the latest, Mirror Traffic on Matador- and live show have proven that his disjointed and open style works best in a committed group setting. We were on hand at the Metro for the October 6th date for a healthy dose of Jicks material sprinkled with a few early solo cuts. Fans wanting to hear Pavement tunes were disappointed but no doubt were soothed by the excellent covers of Brandy(Your 're a Fine Girl) and Benny and The Jets.
september 2011 park(ing) day
Started in San Francisco in 2005, PARK(ing) day has spread around the world into an annual event that challenges us to reassess how we utilize our public spaces. Specifically, it focuses on the spaces that we publicly subsidize in order to store private vehicles. In Chicago, Moss Design celebrated this year with a deluxe bicycle service center, planking boulders and impromptu cafe featuring live music. More on PARK(ing) Day here and the Moss Design park here.
august 2011 in the studio
We are unrepentant Beatles fans at Studio Murmur. So the two nights, afternoon sound checks, pyrotechnics and stadium rock pageantry of Sir Paul's visit to Wrigleyville had considerable impact on our productivity here. Macca continues to dispel any question as to whether the 69-year-old can still hack it. With his command of the "big rock show" format and infallible set-list, the Cute One very much brung it. Thank you, Paul.
march 2011 going local
Allison Arieff writes in this week's NY Times about local manufacturing. She offers several examples of San Francisco companies and various trade associations that are committed to the success of local manufacturers. Though some of the examples cited are companies producing non-durable goods (and thus may or may not be included as industrial economic indicators) the point that community-based movements are evolving where federal level policies have fallen short is well stated.
spring Its the first day of spring and we are happy to see the change in seasons slowly come about. Last week, we attended the Designers Accord Town Hall meeting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and were impressed with the work of Strand Design and their hyper-localized approach to sourcing, manufacturing and selling their own products. More on the Town Hall meeting here.... Our own T.J. Thomas is currently leading a graduate seminar on this very topic at the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois - Chicago. The course examines both the perils faced by designers working in the current globalized marketplace and the economic, social and environmental impacts of collaborating with local and regional stakeholders in practice.
february 2011 heavy weather Groundhog day brought us record snowfall this year which segued into bitter cold temps. Winner by knockout and still champion....Mother Nature! We did manage to survive and are excited for the upcoming Housewares show next month. Has it been a year already? In other news, we're getting ready to launch our online store later this year so we can offer you direct access to cool Studio Murmur products. We've also got some other product announcements coming up so stay warm and keep your radio dial tuned here.
january 2011 small round glasses
Historians have concluded that, during the 20th century, most of the advances made in political thought, technology and the arts are attributable to Libra men wearing round glasses. In fact, Le Corbusier, John Lennon and Mahatma Gandhi all have birthdays within one week of each other. There is, however, no indication yet as to which shape, sign or gender may dominate this century. We'll bring you more on this astro-optical phenomenon as it develops. hello 2011! We had a great holiday season with friends, family, music and lots of snow here by the big lakes. We are charged up and ready to go in the new year and have been working on some exciting new things that will be coming out in 2011. We've got a full plate of furniture, lighting and housewares projects that we can't wait to share with you. Stay tuned here, sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest studio and product news.
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