It’s really easy to get stressed out in the work environment. Believe us, we know. 

When the Reseat platform was still in the beginning stages of being fabricated, many hurdles were faced; many foreseen, but many abruptly thrown in our path. 

In a survey of full-time employees ranging in age from 18-79, more than half of those employees mentioned being stressed for more than half of their week.

Developing healthy mechanisms and taking advantage of the existing resources that surround you to aim at minimizing the stress thrown at you by day-to-day life, however, will be your friend. 

Deadlines, miscommunication, working overtime: these are just some potential factors out of many that may be driving your stress. Personal life outside of the work environment may also propel your state of being overwhelmed. Fun stuff, right?

Life happens, and sometimes its adversities stand as a menace to your productivity, and that is okay.

What’s important is making sure that we know some of the basics to achieving a clearer mind.

Privacy Booths

First introduced in the 1960s, the open office layout has been adopted by over 70% of American offices. This layout is great for increasing collaboration, productivity, and a sense of overall community with your coworkers. 

The downsides? They sure do limit your privacy. They also are in direct correlation with 62% more sick days amongst the general open office workspace. That truly does say something about its effect on employees’ general health in this environment. 

There’s a brief solution, however: Many open office layouts offer privacy booths scattered throughout the space. 

These are truly a gift to the general workforce; by providing a private and secure space that carves out an opportunity for you to decompress, you can immensely minimize your stress levels. 

Privacy booths aren’t only for decompressing, though. They are a great place to take personal calls or have any other conversation you wish to remain private. Maintaining the benefits of the open office concept while also dedicating a space for employees to decompress and retain privacy is a fantastic byproduct of these booths.

Get Organized

We lose track, it happens. 

Keeping schedules, sorting, filing, and maintaining those practices are an absolute lifesaver, however. If you’re a naturally disorganized person, that’s okay! Minimizing stress can be achieved through maintaining healthy organizational habits, though. 

Personally, I like to keep a physical planner on me. As a kinesthetic learner, writing down what it is that needs to be done helps me stay on track and reinforces exactly what my priorities are. 

Establishing priorities is also a way for you to keep organized! When we take on too much at one time, especially scattering in low-priority tasks between the vital ones, we can lose our sense of what really needs to be tended to. 

Practicing organizational habits, however, can truly be a game changer and keep those stressful moments to a minimum

Be Mindful

This is one of my personal favorites. 

I will admit, it’s pretty difficult to get into the habit, but the more you engage in being mindful, the easier it becomes to identify your stress triggers and react accordingly. 

Mindfulness looks like this:

Say you have multiple deadlines approaching, each one consuming copious amounts of time. After you’ve established your priorities and taken your breather in the privacy booth (heck, you could even devote your privacy booth to mindfulness), you take a minute to identify the root of your stress.

Maybe it’s the overall pressure you feel to perform, the time crunch, or the external elements surrounding your personal life. Regardless of the root, take a minute to breathe with intent. 

That means breathing in deeply through the nose, and exhaling slowly through the mouth with the intent of releasing the built-up tension in your chest. 

It feels better, doesn’t it? 

As you breathe, remain cognizant of where you are in the moment. In doing so, your priorities can come to you clearer while in the state of being overwhelmed.

Productivity can be achieved in many, many ways. Maybe you’ve got an ergonomically efficient chair and a sit-stand desk. You might even have a set schedule and a checklist to hold yourself accountable and stay on task. These are all amazing tactics to achieve productivity and organization, but is something missing?

How’s the layout of your space? Whether you work at home, in the office, or both, there are ways to achieve a sense of productivity using an ancient Chinese art known as Feng Shui. 

Much gratitude to Chinese culture for sharing such a lovely idea with the world.

If you don’t know what Feng Shui is, here’s a little breakdown:

“Feng” translates directly to “wind,” and “Shui” means “water.”

It’s an art that aims at creating a space that is harmonious with nature and the natural flow of energy throughout a room. It’s pretty neat, isn’t it?

Over 3,000 years ago, Feng Shui originated in China. It has been utilized in many Asian-Pacific places since then, and in more recent decades, has been adopted and utilized in Western regions. 

Across the sea and all across Asia, hundreds of businesspeople go the extra mile to include Feng Shui into the corporate environment (Healthline).

In a 2010 survey, it was found that 70 percent of Taiwanese businesses not only valued the art of Feng Shui, but each business included within the survey engaged in transactions averaging $27,000 to ensure that the construction and design of their space maintained the values pertaining to Feng Shui.

Personally, it’s a notion I keep in mind when laying out my personal space at home. It’s great to observe how much lighter I feel internally after moving my desk from one area of the room to another, or introducing a much calmer color scheme to my environment. 

Although Feng Shui has not necessarily been scientifically evaluated to bring forth success or efficiency, it’s most definitely worth a shot if you find yourself running into productivity blocks.

Here’s how you can incorporate it into your own space:

Seat Yourself Right.

Choose a chair with a high backing, of which offers support. This choice is not only going to offer some aid to your body, but is believed to create protection. It’s also ideal to have the back of your chair against a wall.

Send Your Desk Back.

No, don’t return it. Just place it furthest from the entrance of the room! According to the values of Feng Shui, placing it in an area where the door is visible from the door is considered an ideal move. This is ideal for workspace arrangements at home.

Embrace Those Natural Elements.

Consider the five elements of Feng Shui: Wood, fire, metal, water, and earth. It’s believed that inviting some of those natural elements into your space might inspire creative and positive energy (be careful with the fire, though). 

You can bring these into your workspace by adding some live plants atop your desk at the office or hanging from the ceiling at home. Wood furnishing can lighten the air with metal accents, and maybe even bringing a miniature fountain to your desktop can help out as well.

Get Artsy With It.

Bring some art into your space, whether it be inspirational quotes, calming landscapes, or motivational images. Any art that resonates with you and your ability to be efficient will do the trick! Hang it up on your wall at home or place it in an upright frame in your cubicle. 

Aaah, Sunlight.

It feels good, doesn’t it? Allow it into your space! Natural lighting in general is ideal for embracing Feng Shui. The problem with yellow-tints and fluorescent lighting? It makes us tired.

If you don’t have access to natural light from a window, look out for incandescent, full-spectrum light bulbs.

Color Inside the Lines. Or on the Walls. Just Be Sure to Choose These Colors.

Pastels and pales of blue, yellow, orange, green, and blue-green. If you aim for more simplicity in your color-scheme, go with a soft white, cream, or soft gray.

Don’t Make a Mess.

Get rid of the clutter, my friend. Clean up that desk space, tidy those bookshelves, and clear the floor of any debris. I promise, mental clarity awaits you on the other side of that trash pile.

Smooth Your Edges.

If you can, especially at your home office, avoid furnishings that contain harsh angles. According to the values of Feng Shui, you should at least create a space where those edges aren’t facing you during work. 

Reseat Yourself (Haha, Get it?).

If you share an office space with somebody at home, it’s best that you don’t sit back-to-back or face-to-face, as it is believed to create a sort of energetic conflict in your space. 

Instead, try to space your desks out in a way that designates your own space. For example, staggering the desks or dividing the space with a plant.

The Conclusion:

Feng Shui is a wonderful art and practice introduced by ancient Chinese artists and is something that we should be grateful for and respectful of. When we use it correctly, we can create a space that not only inhibits productivity, but overall comfort and ease.

It’s possible that some of the methods might be unattainable for you and your space, and that’s okay! Use what resonates with you and your environment; whatever renders the best version of yourself and your productivity. 

Like I said, just moving a piece of furniture or introducing a new color scheme can very well bring physical lightness to your space. Adding a plant or infusing some organic furnishings can also set an entirely different tone for your environment and encourage a positive energetic flow overall.

In case you were left unaware, this past week was National Public Health Week. It’s a great time to put an emphasis on our health and to keep our habits in check. It reminds us that when your schedule is packed to its fullest capacity, it’s really easy to lose touch with your health. 

Aside from your annual doctor visits and dental cleanings every six months, here are 4 simple things you can do throughout your week to make sure you’re taking care of your health, both mentally and physically.

1. Take a Break

This is a tough one for some of us. If you have a job that requires hours of sitting on your rear, chances are you’re not only sore, but bored. Keep your mind fresh by getting up every thirty minutes. 

That’s right, every thirty minutes (or do your best). 

Studies show that sitting for adverse periods of time can lead to some serious health risks, such as a fluctuating blood sugar level, heart disease, and as morbid as it is, even death. 

It’s also advised that if you’re staring at a screen for eight hours a day, that you let your eyes take a break as well. Every time twenty minutes go by, it’s recommended that you let your eyes linger at something twenty feet away. For how long? Twenty seconds or so. 

That’s easy to remember. 

You could even combine your breaks. After all, the best thing we can do is our best.

2. Sit Right

We’ve said this over and over, I know. Making sure you have the right chair is so important, though. If you’re sitting for eight hours a day, you might as well give your body the best of the best. 

Added lumbar support is what’ll do you some good. 

Described as the “gold standard in office seating” by The New York Times, Humanscale’s Freedom Chair sure does live up to its name, allowing its occupant to move freely if they wish to recline or sit up with a simple shift in weight. 

It’s an ergonomically efficient chair that conforms to its user’s body, rendering it one of the ultimate comfort havens. It’s also available with or without the headrest. 

The Freedom chair is also a net-positive product, meaning that it’s kind to the environment in more ways than one by being climate, water, and energy positive. That’s a major plus, right? 

If the decision is made that this is the chair for you, not only can you be kind to your body, but you’re being kind to the environment by purchasing a sustainably-made product.

3. Be Mindful

At this point, it seems like I’m just creating a schedule for you to follow. Get up every thirty minutes, let your eyes wander every twenty minutes, but while you’re at it, be mindful! 

Mindfulness is something achieved when we are intentionally aware of our surroundings, bodily sensations, thoughts, and feelings. While you’re up moving around every thirty minutes, take note of these things! 

It’s been proven to help reduce stress levels, increase emotional regulation, increase focus, and improve working memory. 

Pretty neat how such simple activities routinely executed can improve productivity across all realms.

4. Get Moving

If you go into the office and are within a walkable or bike-able proximity, this is your sign to incorporate alternative means of transportation into your life. 

I get it, it’s hard to do sometimes. As a resident of Oregon, I’d say this is attainable roughly three out of five days of the week. If it’s not pouring, however, I enjoy a nice walk to work or a quick bike ride to get my body moving early in the morning. There’s no other way to describe it other than a “refresh” of sorts. 

That exercise to start your day will truly add quite the pep in your step, increase productivity, and especially your mood.

The Takeaway

Hopefully at least one of these methods can be incorporated into your work routine. Once you get into the swing of it, it becomes like clockwork (trust me). 

And hey, the fact that you’re even here right now searching for means to improve is something to be proud of. Go you.

Ah, the SAYL Chair (2010): a notorious piece found in office spaces around the world. You’ve seen them, haven’t you? 

Here at Reseat, we see dozens of these task chairs come through our site, being given a new home and a second chance to liven up whichever new space it will occupy. 

Yves Béhar, the mind behind this chair, is a Swiss designer whose career took off while studying design in San Francisco. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Béhar decided to pursue his design studies on the coast of California, seeking innovation and nods toward the future in efforts to improve overall quality of life. 

In an interview with Klat Magazine, Béhar makes it undeniably clear that change is a vital element of design, thus the basis of San Francisco’s appeal. In the nineties, Béhar studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where he soon received a Bachelor’s of Science in Industrial Design. 

This time, however, was categorized as being a period of “great changes” around the technological scene of the world, as described by Béhar, of which were to be embraced head first. 

In fact, according to Béhar, these changes are the basis upon which great designs take their shape. 

Arguably, this is a mentality that not only designers, but businesses around the world should embody given the ever-changing state of our lives and the ways that many fields across the workforce operate! 

In embodying change and efficiency, Béhar has designed for many global brands such as Herman Miller, Prada, Puma, Samsung, and many others. Seemingly, there is a pattern of variety covered by Béhar, and this holds very true throughout his ongoing career. 

Béhar took a large role in designing the JAMBOX and the BIG JAMBOX, which are a line of wireless bluetooth speakers. He was also heavily involved in designing wearable technology company, Jawbone’s, health and fitness wristband. 

Before designing these products, however, Béhar sought after investing in his own operation, an industrial design and brand management firm called Fuseproject, founded in 1999. It was then that his collaborations with the previously mentioned global brands began to take their shape. 

The variety of industrial sectors is arguably what fuels his firm’s innovation. Overseeing various sectors including fashion, sports, technology, lifestyle, and design ultimately led Fuseproject to achieve the title of top winner of the Industrial Designers Society of America. Additionally, Fast Company included Béhar’s firm with awards of fourteen products. 

On top of having been credited for his firm’s variety of successes, Béhar is also the chief industrial designer of One Laptop per Child’s XO laptop, beginning his involvement in 2006. 

Béhar ended up making his return back to design school, only this time as the chair of the Industrial Design Program at the California College of the Arts. 

His work has also made multiple appearances across museums and exhibitions around the world, of which include permanent displays MoMa and SFMoMa. He now sits on the board of trustees for the SFMoMa.  

Through 2019, Béhar has collaborated on dozens of projects, not only including the SAYL chair, speakers, and his own design firm, but a smart bassinet, juicer, and a smart drinking glass. Aside from the world of design, however, Béhar has also contributed to programs that support the lives of adolescent girls living in poverty. 

The SPRING accelerator program ran from July 2014 to September 2019. In their five years, they assisted in supporting over two million adolescent girls across nine different countries after aiming for 200,000. The countries reached include Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Myanmar. 

Serving as the principal designer of the SPRING program, Béhar took part in outperforming their goal by creating “sustainable markets for life-enhancing products and services.” 

Given his brief summary of projects, collaborations, and successes, Yves Béhar truly is one of a kind in that his goals as a designer truly do reflect his morals. The fruits of success should bear benefits not only to him, but the rest of the world as well. 

We love to see it.

Arbor day came and went, considerably a holiday often overlooked. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t even aware of its prevalence until a few years ago, not knowing what the significance even was.

Proposed in January of 1872, and later passed as a national holiday in 1885, Arbor Day originated in Nebraska, where there happened to be a significant lack of trees to begin with. In efforts to increase the availability of resources and spread awareness of the importance of trees in general, J. Sterling Morton pushed for there to be a holiday in accordance with emphasizing the significance of trees (Arbor Day Foundation). 

We love the intentions with this holiday, but as a company supplying pre-existing furniture and one that values sourcing secondhand, we thought it necessary to touch on ethical sourcing of wood products.

According to woodconsumption.org, nearly 25% of all office furniture is made from wood, and 60% of home furniture sourced from wood. The United States imports nearly $6 billion worth of household wood furniture each year. 

With this mass drive of wood products flowing into and throughout the United States, and in and out of office buildings and homes, it is so incredibly important to understand ethical and sustainable sourcing of these products.

Risks of Operation

When wood and lumber products are sourced, there is extremely high risk of deforestation, which decimates the naturally occurring ecosystem and its wildlife. All naturally functioning operations within that ecosystem collapse, which is not only incredibly harmful to the animals and plants that occupy that space, but threaten the maintenance of carbon emission levels and the atmosphere. 

Maintaining Sustainability

Wood from trees has been used to construct some of the most beautiful furniture pieces, buildings, flooring, and much more. But is there a way, considering the deforestation that occurs in sourcing wood products, that wood can be sourced ethically and sustainably?

The good news is that the answer to this question is yes. 

Let’s get specific, though: what does sustainably sourcing look like?

It refers to harvesting wood in a way that is cognizant and mindful of the systems that exist and function to support the ecosystems in place. In other words, the wood is sourced in a fashion that preserves its natural environment, such as harvesting from managed forests. 

A managed forest looks like maintaining the forests’ ability to continue its growth. For example, being sure to plant another tree once one is cut down. A managed forest is also mindful of the energy usage taken in when operating the tools used to cut down trees. Keeping the carbon footprint as low as possible when sourcing wood is just as important a part in maintaining the forests’s ecosystem and allowing it to thrive.

Doing Our Part

But how do we, as the consumers of wood furniture, whether in residential or commercial spaces, maintain environmental friendliness if we’re not the ones going out and cutting down the trees personally? 

The answer is simple: always consider pre-existing materials first before buying new. When you’re done with the furniture and are ready to swap it out for something updated, look into offering it second-hand as opposed to leaving it to the landfill. 

Sourcing pre-existing materials doesn’t always have to look like buying the piece in its entirety. More specifically, using recycled wood fibers to source paper, cardboard, or other packaging materials is a fantastic way to eliminate waste in the lumber world (From the Forest). 

After all, there is an entire platform made for buying and selling used office furniture (that’s us, by the way).

In light of Cinco de Mayo on Thursday, May 5th, we thought it significant to address its rich history, deriving from the late 1800s in Mexico. Since then, it’s been a considerably popular celebration in the United States. 

Commemorating Mexico’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, it’s often misunderstood as a celebration of independence. Instead, Mexico gained its independence from Spain 52 years prior in 1810. Fiestas Patrias, otherwise known as Mexican Independence Day, is celebrated on September 16th. 

Since gaining their independence from Spain, various Mexican designers and architects have emerged into the creative world, contributing numerous renditions underscored with rich history and introducing abundant culture into the world of design.

Luis Barragán (1902 – 1988)

Barragán is arguably the most famed Mexico-born architect, having won the Pritzker Prize in 1980, which is the highest award attainable in architecture. This was a significant achievement considering his work was primarily oriented in Mexico. 

As an architect and engineer, his work brought innovation to the contemporary architect scene both visually and conceptually. Barragán studied engineering in his hometown of Mexico City while simultaneously following through with studies contributing to his title of architect.

As of 2004, his home (famously recognized as The Luis Barragán House and Studio) has been declared a World Heritage by UNESCO.

Frida Escobedo

A Mexican architect born in 1979, Frida Escobedo specializes in urban places such as dwellings, community centers, art venues, and hotels, which she develops and restores. 

In the process of creation, Escobedo utilizes an overall notion of time to illustrate her works, but instead of a historical setting, she uses a social one. In 2006, she established her own architecture and design studio in Mexico City. Escobedo is known for producing ephemeral and engaging artwork that

can be used for a variety of applications.

In 2018, she became not only the Serpentine Pavilion’s youngest architect, but the second woman to have ever been invited.

Fernanda Canales

One of the very few architects who focuses on sustainability, particularly within the 32 states of Mexico, is Fernanda Canales. 

Canales primarily focuses on architecture that reimagines and reconstructs social housing in Mexico that maintains a social and environmental sustainability. Her work can be observed in museums, community-based cultural centers, and even private housing. 

Given that 14% of houses in Mexico are abandoned (The New York Times), Canales began to shift her focus in architecture to resolving the structural flaws that exist within housing, all considering the availability of local resources, climate, and keeping the cost of living low. 

In terms of the environmental efficiency, this looks like efficient ways of providing water and electricity to homes that lie far outside of Mexico City.

Mexico is Moving Forward in Sustainable Architecture

As we begin to observe the effects of climate change more frequently, Mexico appears to be reacting relatively quickly as the push for green building becomes stronger. 

Although green-certification was previously limited to corporate buildings and businesses, the construction of water and energy-efficient homes is becoming a more prevalent option. In efforts to lower the amount of energy that goes into creating construction materials, companies such as Vinte actively reduce the negative impacts on the climate and maintain low carbon emissions.  

They take this on by pushing for energy-efficient refrigerators, and an incredible rainwater harvesting system that supports green areas and water consumption for washing clothes and dishes (Edge).

This past Mother’s Day, we found it only appropriate to not only thank and give praise to Mother Earth, but to the mothers of the design industry. 

It’s a widely understood notion that women have never quite had the upperhand in any competitive industry, especially regarding anything creative. Men triumphed over the design industry for so long, and when a woman was prevalent within it, she either accompanied her husband or followed the legacy of her father. 

It wasn’t until the late 60s and early 70s that women began to establish their independent design careers. Surprisingly, however, America saw its very first interior designer in the late 19th century, when Elsie de Wolfe managed to stumble into the position of interior decorator before there was such a thing.

Elsie de Wolfe

She was first known for her eccentric physical presentation, sporting blue hair and having a peculiar affinity for quirky patterns (yes, blue hair in the late 1800s, I know). In the 1890s, however, she began to design stages for performance art, and soon took up decorating residences at the Washington Irving House in New York City (Library of Congress).

After a feature in a magazine known as The Delineator, her words soon became a bestselling book, titled, “The House in Good Taste.” Her recommendations remained simple: Do-it-yourself when possible, let nature inspire your interior space, have a meal outside, pay close attention to the color choices, etc. 

De Wolfe was very much inspired by the French summertime, drawing on pastels and harmonious color combinations, alongside the intricacies of 18th-century French furniture. 

Prior to de Wolfe’s popularity, a woman’s home was not a place considered to be designed. Going into the 1900s, she went on to become one of the most favored interior designers in the Western world. 

De Wolfe brought something new to the design industry: the concept that a space should not reflect one’s bank account; rather, their personality. Following her design career, de Wolfe was prevalent in the fight for women’s rights to vote, received the Legion d’Honneur for allowing the Red Cross use her space in France during World War I, and also contributed to funding decorative arts programs with her foundation.

Florence Knoll

Jumping forward to the early 20th century, Florence Knoll, born Florence Schust, emerged as a designer who later partnered with her aspiring furniture-business owner husband, Hans Knoll. 

Upon being orphaned at a young age, she befriended the Saarinen family who invited her to vacation with them in Finland. Between vacationing in Finland and studying at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, she was able to develop her skills and education to the degree that would assist in sparking her design career. 

Knoll had the substantial opportunity to study under a few of the 20th century’s most renowned architects, of which included Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 

With quite the resume, Knoll pursued her collaboration with her husband, shifting the narrative for what postwar-American corporate interiors would look like. She brought in a comprehensive design to office planning, drew on modern ideas of efficiency, and expanded the notions of what space planning actually looked like (Knoll). 

Her contributions to Knoll as a company have remained renowned for her innovations, drawing in the modern corporate space and signature Knoll style for the remainder of the 20th century and its following decades.

It’s no secret that animal products are a commonly-used material in any design industry. Whether it be the fabric itself or the adhesive that holds it down, they can be found in almost any type of furniture product.  

Cows make up nearly 83% of the world’s leather upholstery, whether in the home or in the office. The feathers from ducks can be found stuffed in pillows, cushions, and sofas. Sheep are used for their wool and goats are used for cashmere (ID Showcase). 

The sourcing and manufacturing process of upholstery from animal products yields two very significant consequences: 

1. Rapid decline of animal population
2. Manufacturing of leathers and skins actively contributes to pollution and water contamination

However, if this is something that concerns you, there are many resources to find the best of the best vegan office furniture.

Many companies are developing their spaces to uphold the values of not only young people and the new generation of the workforce, but the values associated with the ever-changing state of the world, of which mainly concern the environment. 

Whether it be regarding tackling carbon emissions to help slow global heating or choosing second-hand products to keep furniture waste out of landfill, there are always alternatives to the environmentally-inefficient habits of office design. 

One of those ways is by choosing furniture that is not only being given a second life, but isn’t made of animal products (mainly leather, suede, silk, horsehair, or sheepskin). 

Here are some vegan pieces to look out for when redesigning your animal-friendly office:

The Label

Designed by Jeff Weber, this timeless chair is made of 100% polyester knit fabric. Not only is it extremely breathable, but it is incredibly comfortable and vegan. 

The other thing we absolutely love about this chair is that it is designed to distribute weight evenly throughout the body and support a healthy and aligned spine. The legitimacy of this chair is indeed supported by science. According to Herman Miller’s website, physicians and doctors across fields like biomechanics, physical therapy, vision, and ergonomics have come together to contribute their two cents on how this chair serves its user. 

In addition to this chair being ergonomically efficient, it also leaves out any animal products such as leather, a common-found material in any design world.

Steelcase Gesture

Similar to Herman Miller’s Embody chair, Steelcase’s Gesture chair was designed with the movement of the human body in mind. 

Not only that, but it is available in over 9,000 different fabrics. Upon some light research into this chair, we do find that leather is an option for its upholstery; however, out of the 9,450 fabrics, it only occupies 150 of them. The other options are all vegan, such as polyurethane (a synthetic leather), vinyl, silicone, knit/mesh, and woven. 

We love this classic piece because of the plethora of customization options that accompany it, leaving you to choose the best animal product-free alternative to suit your needs.

Herman Miller Aeron

Yet another Herman Miller product comes in as a strong recommendation; not only are they extremely comfortable but do not utilize animal products in their upholstery. 

Keep an eye out for Aerons! Chances are, you’ve probably spotted them in some spaces. They’re a timeless addition to your space, composed of roughly 60% recycled materials (ProductListFiles), including materials such as steel and aluminum. 

They’re designed to last nearly fourteen years, granting long-lived usage without being at the expense of the lives of animals.

Finding the right furniture for your office space can be difficult if you prefer to leave animal products behind, as many pieces are bound with adhesive including the lard from pigs or may be stuffed with duck feathers. There are most definitely ways to minimize the consumption of other animal products, whether it be in a Herman Miller or Steelcase task chair.

Why this is becoming the new norm.

Reseat was recently highlighted as one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies Having Fewer Than 10 Employees for 2022. 

As much of an honor it has been to be featured in such an acclaimed publishing, we found it vital to unpack why what we’re being recognized for is so innovative and crucial to the future of furnishing. 

If you’re familiar with Reseat and the company’s motives, you probably know by now that our primary goal is to keep office furniture out of landfills. As primarily aiming to source second hand materials becomes not only a sought-after goal, but becomes an expectation for companies globally, the need for understanding the hows and whys is equally as important.

Why source second hand if you don’t familiarize yourself with the basis of its appeal?

 

To start us off,

 

17 Billion pounds of office furniture ends up in landfills each year. 

 

This is a jarring statistic, we know. Reseat was born from the intention to make that number much, much smaller. In fact, since our launch in October 2020, we’ve been able to save over 3 million pounds of office furniture from going to landfills. 

Despite 3 million being just shy of 2% of the annual statistic from Davies Office, this is still an immensely notable number. Prior to Reseat’s launch in 2020, that number wasn’t even in the ballpark of what was being saved from landfills.

That’s why it’s vital that we increase that number and prevent things that are built to last from going to waste. 

Our goal is to not only save more furniture from going to waste, but to also instill a system in which sellers can market their pre-owned furniture with a pre-existing backstory. That’s where Reseat ID comes into play.

We are working to make sure that every new piece of furniture produced is accompanied by a Reseat ID, a feature that allows its occupant to know where it came from. This includes not only its manufacturer and place of origin, but previous owners, any reupholstery made, or any other changes concerning the state of the piece itself. 

This way, we can make sure that the dirty work is done so that you or anyone who wishes to market their used office furniture doesn’t have to do the digging!

This entire process is intended to reduce waste, taking that 17 billion pounds of office furniture and keeping it to a minimum. 

Another vital part of thinking green on a business level is the new workforce your company will be welcoming in within the next few decades. Folks like me and many others who depart from their higher education in search of a stable job very much value companies’ sustainability exercises. 

The Earth, our home planet, is suffering in its climate, taking a turn for the worse (and at a much faster rate than previously anticipated). It can be difficult and many times unattainable for folks such as myself to be part of activist groups amidst already advocating for better environmental legislation. As we go forward in living our day-to-day lives, it’s important that we maintain cognizance of the world we occupy. This means being mindful of who we work for, where our food comes from, anything we purchase or discard of, our means of transportation, and so much more. 

Reseat is going to be a part of the solution for this next generation, not a complacent predicament. 

Postwar design has evidently been one of the most influential starting points for many designers, setting the foundation for many modernism-focused creators. 

Throughout the Reseat blogs, we’ve highlighted many postwar modernist designers, such as George Nelson and Ray & Charles Eames, of which have presented many layouts and catalysts for the designs to follow. 

These designers have introduced notorious pieces to the furniture industry, such as the Coconut Chair (George Nelson, 1955) and the Eames Chair (Ray & Charles Eames, 1956), both of which set as a spark to the furniture design industry. 

As much as we love to highlight notorious furniture designs, we’ve left out other mediums, such as textile creation. 

Alexander Girard is a great example of a postwar modernist textile designer.

Girard was born in 1907 in New York City, and in his professional career focused his works heavily on fabrics for big-name manufacturers such as Herman Miller. Leaning towards geometric and abstract patterns comprised a majority of his portfolio, with a wide range of color compositions as well. 

Girard was fortunate enough to study architecture in Rome during the early 1920s, and later received an architecture diploma from the Royal Institute of British Architects later that decade. Girard was evidently very academically successful. After achieving his architecture diploma in Britain, he received an Honors in Decoration from the Architectural Association School in London in 1930. He then went on to open an architecture office in Florence the same year. 

It wasn’t too long after opening his architecture office in Florence that he then received yet another diploma from the Royal School of Architecture in Rome. 

When he moved to New York City in 1932, he opened a design office there as well. It wasn’t too long after that where he received a diploma from New York University in 1935. 

Pretty accomplished guy, huh? 

A majority of his fabric designs are still produced today; arguably a major indicator that his designs remain absolutely timeless. They just won’t go out of style. 

Girard covered many fields throughout his day, making his career from many paths of design; covering furniture, exhibition, interior, and graphic design (Vitra). Girard was also quite the traveler, and utilized the inspiration from his travels to influence his art. 

In addition to his textile designs, Girard also painted Wooden Dolls, created his Environmental Enrichment Panels, and many different staple objects one might disperse throughout their space.

Here’s a brief timeline of his designs throughout the years:

1934:

Room for Permanent Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Crafts in New York, NY

1935:

His own NYC Apartment in Easy 70s

1936:

“Modern Garden Apartment” in NYC

Cafe Trouille

Junior League Shop

1937:

Charles Le Pomme Restaurant

1943:

Detrola Radio Designs Factory

1946:

Ford Motor Company Offices in Dearborn, IL

Everyday Art at Walker Arts Center

1947:

Richard W. Jackson Lodge, MI

1948:

Coffee Table for Knoll

1949:

Modern Living at Detroit Institute of Arts

Wollering Home in Birmingham MI

1950:

Designed for MoMA

1951:

Rieveschl House in Grosse Pointe, MI

1952:

Fabric Line for Herman Miller

Wallpaper Line for Herman Miller

1953:

Herman Miller Showroom in Grand Rapids, MI

Good Design Show at MoMA

1954:

Third fabric collection for Herman Miller

1955:

Tableware for Design Program

Textiles and Ornamental Arts of India at MoMA

1956:

Exhibition of table settings for Georg Jensen, NYC

1958:

Herman Miller Showroom in San Francisco, CA

Fourth fabric line for Herman Miller 

1960:

La Fonda Del Sol restaurant in New York, NY

Irwin Miller Cummins office in Columbus, IN

1961:

Second Irwin Miller office in Columbus, IN

T60 Shop in New York, NY

1964:

John Deere mural in Saarinen building in Moline, IL

St. John’s College interiors in Santa Fe, NM

1966:

The Compound restaurant in Santa Fe, NM

L’Etoile Restaurant in New York, NY

1967:

Girard Group furniture line for Herman Miller

1968:

Hermis Fair Exhibit in San Antonio, TX

1971:

Action Office fabric panels for Herman Miller

1974:

Parts of Scoren House in Los Angeles, CA

1981:

Wing of Santa Fe Folk Art Museum