The New Look of Modern Comfort...But Don't Sit In It!

Last week, SMMA took part in Herman Miller’s 2014 Design Challenge.  This year’s event celebrated the work of Charles and Ray Eames, pioneers in the development of aesthetic, functional, affordable furniture. The chosen canvas: the Eames Molded Plastic Chair.  Each participating architecture and design firm—21, in total—was tasked with using the Eameses’ work as a template “for expressing their own artistic visions.” Regarding materials, concepts, designs—entrants were limited only by their imaginations. 

They say you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. Taking that statement both literally and figuratively, SMMA decided to cover its chair with broken eggshells, in an attempt to convey a metaphor too esoteric for this writer to fully grasp. Despite a brilliantly written impact statement and history’s first-ever use of eggshells as a furniture material, SMMA was unable to convince the judges of the prize-worthiness of its piece. Regardless, we had a great time taking part in the event, and were impressed and inspired by the other entries.