Office Spotlight: Melanie Silva

This month we're taking a look at the office of one of our greatest salespeople at Smart Furniture: Melanie Silva.

Melanie is an offensive force that walked in off the farm in Hawaii - she sells for average and power, and plays great defense when she has to. She's also got tons of Smart Furniture Swag, on an around which she works her sales-y magic. Here she is, #10 in your Cowbell programs and #1 in your Smart Furniture hearts:

Why Yes, that is a Steelcase Tour Desk she's working on! So glad you noticed. The Tour, with its 120 degree angle, makes all the different things Melanie has to work with easy to reach and accessible. The square legs are a feature not many desks have, but they go with the overall spartan look of the Tour.

And behind Melanie's desk we have a custom piece of original Smart Shelving (the food on the ledges is for Mel's dog, Kona, who is frequently a jovial presence in the office).

Just one more unique Smart Furniture employee in a unique Smart Furniture space. By the way, Mel is killing it on my fantasy sales team this season.

The Envelop Desk is here!

Hi all,

We’re very proud to announce that we are now carrying the Herman Miller Envelop Desk by Jeff Weber. This is a little desk that packs a huge ergonomic wallop, and we’re really excited to add it to our stable of health and productivity-positive office furniture.
The Envelop is a one-of-a-kind desk. The surface actually moves, sliding on runners underneath. That means the user can move the desk back and forth depending on their position, posture, and desire. The edge of the desk is flexible and soft, meaning your arms won’t lose circulation when you rest them on it to type and work on your computer. All of this movement ensures that you won’t strain your eyes trying to see the screen, your arms and joints will be more comfortable, and you’ll be able to work more comfortably and more efficiently.

This is Smart Furniture, so you know it’s got to be customizable as well. You can choose from available color and finish options to really make this exciting desk your own.

This is the perfect ergonomic complement to a great ergonomic chair like the Embody or the Aeron, and we know it’s going to be the desk of the future. Get yours today!

Thanks!

We here at Smart Furniture recently wrapped up our Semi-Annual Herman Miller Sale, where everything from that august manufacturer is 15% off. It’s always an exciting time for us, and this year was no different. We shipped tons of Herman Miller designs to the homes and offices of our customers, and each one was uniquely customized by you. These included designs by Charles & Ray Eames (Eames Lounge & Ottoman, Molded Plastic Chairs), George Nelson (The Swag Leg Collection) and Isamu Noguchi (Noguchi Table). Many of those amazing things, like the Embody Chair, are still in stock - meaning you won’t have to wait long to get them shipped to your door. Check out all the great items that are still on the shelves at our In Stock Page. The sale was a huge success, and we’d like to thank all of you for helping us make it so. You’re the reason we do what we do!

Clarification & Warning

We would like to clarify our position and issue a sincere warning relating to the article published June 6, 2011 in Nooga.com titled ”Downtown parking, towing issues prompt discussion” by Chloé Morrison. While we appreciate Nooga.com’s bringing the issue of parking shortages and towing regulations to light, with all due respect, we feel that they have missed the bigger underlying issue.

In the 6 year period SmartFurniture.com has occupied its corporate offices on Market Street in downtown Chattanooga, we have been faced with a pervasive issue about which we believe the community should aware. Clowns. Not just any fun loving circus clowns, but a countless number of rowdy and dangerous clowns that appear out of nowhere and follow you wherever you go.

In our parking sign featured in the Nooga.com article, you can clearly see that we have attempted to warn people that these clowns exist and are a problem (see article).

However, Nooga.com failed to see the underlying problems these clowns cause and did not mention them in the article. When quoting our own Natalie Bigger in fact, the article did not include a portion of her quote which contained more important warnings:

Quote from Nooga.com

"People still park there and don’t think twice about it,’ Natalie Bigger with Smart Furniture said."

The completed quote:

“People still park there and don’t think twice about it. I mean, if they knew that when they park here to go over to the Big Chill to have a few Appletinis that when they come out, they will be followed by a gang of weirdos juggling, doing magic tricks, and making pooping noises, I bet they would park somewhere else.”

It is not our intention to be critical of Nooga.com, but we believe if they would have spoken to a few regulars at Taco Mac or the Big Chill, they would have been enlightened. Montgomery Durant, an esteemed member of Taco Mac’s Brewniversity, when asked was quick to say, “I can’t even do a Jägerbomb anymore without thinking about those damn clowns. It seems like every time me and the old lady run downtown to eat at Applebee’s, look at those big catfish at the Aquarium or drink a few at Taco Mac, those [expletive] follow us everywhere. “

Durant added, “It’s not like I got something against clowns, cause I don’t, but these things are creepy. All acting like they is trapped in a box and can’t speak and stuff. I tell you, if I had to do it all over again, I would have just paid to park somewhere else.”

You say Componibili, I say Componibili

Componibili. Say that three times, fast. In English it may sound like a funny word, but it has a nice ring to it when spoken in Italian. Who doesn't love Italian design? Anna Castelli Ferrieri, a pioneering architect from Milan, designed the iconic Componibili in 1969. Known for her interest in new technologies and materials such as plastic, Ferrieri was instrumental in fueling the explosion of Italian modern design in the 60's, 70's and 80's. She believed in the importance of quality in design and this was reflected in her work as an architect and designer. Our very own Componibili is featured this month in Women's Day as a "Favorite Find from Home Design Bloggers". Modular, versatile, stylish, yet very affordable, award-winning Componibili complements any room setting and stashes your unwanted clutter.

And for those who disagree that plastic can be stylish – Bloomingdales created an entire New York skyline out of these in their home furnishings department. Now that's meraviglioso!

We Have Interns - and We're Not Afraid to Use Them

We've come up with a couple of interns recently, and apart from doing an excellent job in the creative and marketing departments, Chris and Jessie also make above-average beverage fetchers. Because, as we all know, the Herman Miller Sale is in full swing here at Smart Furniture, and our stellar folks deserve a little refreshment as they rock some customer satisfaction!

The SAYL Chair Overview Video

Hello Everyone! We wanted to point you in the direction of our brand new video, the SAYL Chair Overview. It's the very latest and very greatest in our ongoing series of product overviews focusing on the best and most popular furniture we have to offer. The SAYL Chair was designed by Yves Behar, one of our favorites here at Smart Furniture. The stuff he makes is invariably gorgeous and unfailingly cool, and this chair is no exception. The video really highlights the amazing lines and sweeping structures that define the chair. We're really proud of it. We wanted the video to be informational, beautiful, and thorough. So take a look at it here on our YouTube channel, and let us know if we succeeded!

Herman Miller Sale

Hey Campers, June is here, and you know what that means - the Herman Miller Semi-Annual Sale! Herman Miller is one of our absolute favorite brands here at Smart Furniture, and every time they put on this sale it feels like Christmas. Everything from the Eames Lounge & Ottoman to the Embody Chair is going to be marked down, priced to move, and ready to ship all over the country. Herman Miller is home to some of the best designers and furniture on the American market, and we couldn't be prouder to offer it to our customers at sale prices. Don't miss your chance to get incredible deals on all Herman Miller products online! See what's in-stock, here. The sale runs from June 3rd to June 13th, so if you blink (or hesitate), you'll miss it. See you soon!

Herman Miller Box Art 101

Step 1: Flatten the box your Herman Miller Chair arrived in.

Step 2: Collect colorful medium to express yourself and head outside.

Step 3: Create!

5 Questions with Yves Behar

We here at Smart Furniture are pleased to share with you our interview with Yves Behar, a rising star in the design world. Yves' newest creation is the Sayl Chair, which he designed for Herman Miller. We were able to catch up with him at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and he graciously answered a few of the questions we had for him. And now, without further ado - Yves Behar.

5 Questions with Mike Kuperus

Recently we had the pleasure of speaking to Mike Kuperus, who has the distinction of being the Plant Manager for Classics Production at Herman Miller. This is where products like the Eames Lounge Chair are made. We picked Mike’s brain about the manufacturing process, working with designers to achieve a unique vision, and what separates Classics Production from the rest of the madding crowd.

1. What is unique about the process of manufacturing chairs, apart from other common furniture?

I think the level of craftsmanship and the quality of the core materials can't be overemphasized when it comes to the Eames, Nelson, and Noguchi products. During tours of our facility people are usually quick to pick up on the fact that everything is done "by hand." Almost nothing can be automated since we deal in very natural products, leather and wood of course being the primary materials. Since every piece of veneer and every hide of leather is unique they need to be processed uniquely by people who understand how the material will react. The HMI standards for the material going into these products exceed normal industry specification in many cases … material rejected for use in the classics is typically still acceptable as first tier level material for most other furniture! So while our rejection rate for material is high it typically does not go to waste and can be used for other applications.

2. What is your favorite product to build?

I think the best products we make are the ones that are unique, so I would have to say the sofas that customers individualize by picking a high quality leather or a great patterned fabric. We are spoiled here; we see beautiful pieces being made every day, so it takes something with real distinction to catch our eyes, and one of these sofas would be an item that one of our employees would actually call me and tell me to come take a look at it before they box it up. Second to that would be the Eames Lounge Chair when nature helps out and we get a really wild grain on the wood set, usually with Santos Palisander. There really is no better wood - the variety is truly amazing in both color and grain.

3. Molded plywood is obviously one of your specialties; what makes that material so appealing to designers and buyers?

Molded plywood allows you to do the impossible with wood … how Eames developed this process over 50 years ago is still beyond me. To take a sheet of veneer (that starts out so thin and brittle that you can easily break it in two between your thumb and index finger), and bend it over 90 degrees just does not make sense, but it works. A linear look to a piece of furniture can be great, but the ability to add curves and radii is what makes something stand out to a lot of people. Second to the overall look is that the edge detail that is created by having to cross ply (or run the grain direction of every sheet of veneer opposite the one below and above it) is appealing in and of itself, giving the edge the striped look. Lastly, molded plywood is incredibly strong and durable. Very little furniture today is made with solid wood; it usually has a cheaper core of particle board or MDF, which is basically chips of wood bonded together, and then is covered by a laminate or veneer face. The buyer of one of the classics is actually buying a product stronger than solid wood, since the cross ply is superior. While the initial price is high for these products, people are literally buying something that lasts a lifetime, a design that won't go out of style, and after 50 years would be worth more than it is today!

4. Do you work closely with designers to figure out the best way to make the products they see in their heads? How much of the design process is affected by the manufacturing side of the equation?

We are heavily involved in product development, or helping companies determine how their ideas can become reality. Dealing with natural products makes it difficult to accurately predict an outcome when attempting to do something that has not been done exactly before, whether it is a new shape or an existing shape but with a different species or thickness of wood. There are still limits to molding plywood, and to what shapes can be sewn and upholstered consistently with a wide variety of textiles, so not every idea is possible. We rely heavily on science and technology to start with on the wood side, and experience and trial and error for pattern development on the sewing/upholstery side.

5. What kind of training does it take to work in the manufacture of fine furniture?

People are what makes the difference on the classics, because no matter what the quality of the components, a craftsman really impacts the final look the most. We have a great group of employees, and I can't emphasize enough how much having pride in what you produce affects peoples attitudes and expectations for themselves every day. Many of our people have 25 years of experience in their craft, wood working, sewing, and upholstery being the ones that impact end quality the most. Many manufacturers use temporary employees to handle spikes in demand. We are not able to do that because of the level of either experience required or the length of training needed to produce the classics. So in order to respond to higher, long term demand, individuals are hired and are paired up with an experienced employee, and are not allowed to sign off on a completed product until they have built up enough experience themselves to be able to do so. So while lead times may run longer for periods of time, quality levels are protected by not rushing people into situations they are not ready for.