Herman Miller launched their Select Collection in 2008 with a re-issue of the Eames LCW “Hide and Chic” chair and this year they’re commemorating Eames innovation once more. Inspired by Ray and Charles Eames philosophy of “Serious Pleasure” and their 1969 movie “Tops” they have created a series of spinning tops that are beautiful, sculptural and fun!

“Toys are not really as innocent as they look. Toys and games are prelude to serious ideas.”
- Charles Eames

The tops are designed by New York design studio KlienReid and crafted out of Walnut. The Set of 3 will eventually be rounded out with another 9 tops that are slated for future release.

The Select Edition Set of 3 will only be available until April 15th, 2010.

Other than being extremely interesting for the design buff, researching furniture patents on the web can be a great way to help you establish the authenticity of a piece or even identify it if you have nothing but a patent mark to go by.

Furniture patents show everything from the overall design to the manufacturing process, to the joints and assembly. These details are very helpful in figuring out if you have the “Real Thing” or if you have a knock-off.

Patents can be searched by Inventor (designer) or Assignee (manufacturer) or directly by Patent number. It can be a little confusing to begin with, but with some digging you can find out a lot about your furniture.
I’ve downloaded a few patent drawings of iconic pieces and linked them here for easy reference, but there are many, many more to be found at freepatentsonline. If you find some good ones, let us know and we’ll add the link here.

Folke Ohlsson Armchair
Florence Knoll Desk
George Nelson Swag Leg Chair
George Nelson Shelving Unit
George Nelson Sofa
Eero Saarinen Tulip Table
Eero Saarinen Womb Chair
George Nelson Coconut Chair
Ray Komai Side Chair
Marcel Breuer Short Chair
REK Jakobsen Chair
Harry Bertoia Diamond Chair
Eames DKR Wire Chair
Eames Leg Splint
Eames Folding Sofa
Eames DCW Chair
Eames Stacking Chair
Frederick Mueller Chair
Lofgren Chair

Twentieth-Century Design (Oxford History of Art)
by Jonathan M. Woodham

The most famous designs of the twentieth century are not those in museums, but in the marketplace. The Coca-Cola bottle and McDonald’s logo are known the world over and may tell us more about our culture than a narrowly-defined canon of classics. One of the world’s foremost design historians, Jonathan Woodham takes a fresh look at the wider issues of design and industrial culture throughout Europe, Scandinavia, North America, and the Far East. He explores themes such as national identity, the “Americanization” of business methods, the rise of multi-nationals, Pop and Postmodernism, and contemporary ideas of nostalgia and heritage.

Our Price: $18.45   Buy it Now.

The Vintage Home: Clever Finds and Faded Treasures for Today’s Chic Living by Judith Wilson

The shabby-chic, Bohemian look known as vintage has both charm and plenty of practicality. It is the perfect alternative for modern white interiors, ideal for family living—as extra scuffs won’t ruin the look—and low maintenance as well as relatively inexpensive. For home designers looking to develop a new style from old looks, this essential resource provides information on how to shop and search creatively as well as how to identify and avoid fakes. Tips are also included on mixing various vintage objects creatively in order to create welcoming and eclectic interiors in any room.

Our Price: $13.46   Buy it Now.

I’m a sucker for this kind of chair. I have a similar DUX one in mustard that has a matching footstool and weighted neck cushion. The bright yellow makes it even more cool! You can see more details here.

There are so many great items we want to give away next month that we can’t decide, so we’re hoping you can help us!

This is such a great chair and we think it’s a sweet deal. Check out the way the seat cushion fits into the back of the chair. Perfect! For more details on this chair, check out the listing.

We just found a great new web site called Ponoko that allows you to design products which they then fabricate for you.
Ponoko is the first online shop for individualized goods – things designed and made on demand. Ponoko is the new sustainable way to design, make and deliver products – they cut the waste from oversupply by making products on-demand and they’re also working to cut carbon emissions by sourcing local materials and making products as close to the point of consumption as possible.

Check out this great site and let that budding product designer in you finally shine.

This beautiful Danish teak desk circa 1960s is fabulous! It’s sleek minimalist lines hide a beautiful detail on the back – a book shelf! At $599 it’s really a great find and a good deal!

On June 17, 2008, in Santa Monica, California, the U.S. Postal Service issued 16 Eames design commemorative stamps. Honoring the husband-and-wife design team of Charles and Ray Eames, this commemorative sheet of 16 stamps was designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, and represents the breadth of their extraordinary body of creative work, which includes architecture, furniture, film and exhibits.

We managed to get our hands on 8 commemorative sets, so if the philatelist in you is bursting to get out sign up to follow us on twitter. The first 8 people to sign up will get a set!

www.twitter.com/lushpad