Celebrate 10 Years with Smart Furniture

If you didn’t already know (and why wouldn’t you?) this month marks Smart Furniture's 10-year anniversary. That’s right, it was ten years ago that a young Stanford Law student by the name of Stephen Culp was hit with the inspiration for our flagship product: Smart Shelves. The idea behind Smart Shelves was to make furniture that put design into the hands of the customer, a concept we called Design On Demand. We wanted to break down the barrier between the company and the customer, and designer and the consumer. Ten years later, we’ve accomplished those goals, and established some new ones. From a single storage facility in California to a warehouse, studio and corporate office in Chattanooga, we’ve come a long way. When we thought about how we wanted to celebrate our big milestone, our thoughts turned to the people who got us where we are, and the people we started this company to serve: You. Our customers took Design On Demand and ran with it, and our customers helped turn us into one of the premier online furniture sellers in the country. Our customers made our partnerships with dealers like Herman Miller and Steelcase successful, and our customers are the reason we opened a studio to sell our products directly. When we think back over ten great years, years that made this company what it is today, we think about how we began, and who we relied on. We began with a revolutionary idea for shelving, and we relied on the intelligence and creativity of our customers. That’s why we want to celebrate both by announcing, beginning November 1st, a 25% off sale on all of our Smart Shelves, still the flagship product of our company. We figure this will give folks who already have the shelves a good opportunity to get a few more, and newbies the chance to get their first set. One more thing, for the people who’ve been with us for ten years: Thank You.

Apartment Therapy's Best Shelving Sources

Rated #1 Best Shelving Source: Smart Furniture: Always on the lookout for semi-custom shelving options that work for small apartments, we were happy to be pointed toward Smart Furniture. Their grid-style shelving is of a simple design and comes in versatile sizes that could cover an entire wall or just a nook.

good design. rain or shine.

Shop In Your Underwear Sale(free shipping), online only folks.

pick a chair, any chair

view more chairs here.

our signature line + another happy customer

Below is a before and after shot of our signature line and a happy customer. Smart Shelves continue to please our customers. request a catalog

Happy Customer With Happy Toys

Unbuckle the fun with buckleyboo. BuckleyBoos encourage cognitive development through multi-stage learning. Buckleyboo's look great on Smart Furniture shelving. BuckleyBoo, We love you too.

Groovy

I love customers. I love our customers even more when they take pictures of their Smart Furniture swag. I really love our customers even more when they take pictures of their Smart Furniture swag and I grew up with them for the first 18 or so years of my life. I'm digging my sis' new furniture selections, starting off with a Calligaris Regency Oval Dining Table and getting some additional Kartell Victoria Ghost Chairs to match the pair she already had, topped off with some Kartell Louis Ghost Chairs at the head of the table.

Lucky Cobi Contest Winner Writes...

Below is basically step by step action photos of a miracle. In one day of owning the Cobi chair, I have taught my human pet Trevor to finally sit after years of frustrated efforts and countless ridiculous rodeo ride reenactments. The seductive beauty, stylish lines, and lush comfort of the chair drew Trevor in like a bee to the honey! How can I ever thank you enough. To dogs everywhere with untrainable human pets, I can not recommend enough the Cobi Chair from Steelcase available from the creative genius marketing gurus of Smart Furniture. It will change your life.

-Sabre Haines, Yellow lab and writer.

(Forgive the amateur nature of the photos. Very difficult to stabilize a camera without opposable thumbs. Sabre.)

1. Not since the apple in the Garden of Eden was man so tempted...

2. Trevor circles, swivels the chair, admiring its perfect lines of design.

3. Mission Impossible now mission accomplished. He sits, in comfort, and now I Sabre am free to relax and sleep on rug without interruption.

Connect and Come Together with Steelcase

New media:scape Capabilities Help Workers Connect and Come Together media:scape™ settings can now host high-definition (HD) videoconferencing to help teams boost collaboration – locally and globally. CHICAGO – June 15, 2009 – Steelcase Inc. (NYSE:SCS), a global office environments manufacturer, today announced new performance capabilities for its innovative media:scape™ product line – at NeoCon 2009, the World’s Trade Fair for Interior Design and Facilities Management. media:scape settings can now host high definition videoconferencing systems, enabling distributed teams to view content and each other simultaneously. media:scape coupled with HD videoconferencing helps teams boost collaboration – locally and globally – by helping teams connect and share information quickly and easily. As many businesses work to reduce costs, travel is often being replaced with high tech tools like HD videoconferencing. Most HD videoconferencing systems tend to be hosted in dedicated rooms that are very costly, serve only one purpose and are more focused on the technology than on the people and the meeting experience. Steelcase sought to create a solution that could deliver an HD videoconference experience while simultaneously delivering an improved collaboration experience and a space that supports user needs beyond HD videoconferencing alone. To do this, Steelcase turned to its media:scape solution that merges furniture with technology to help teams connect and share information quickly and easily. media:scape can now host the HD videoconferencing system of a client’s choice within their media:scape setting. HD video content switches automatically to a media:scape display screen through the use of proprietary firmware designed to auto-sense when a high-definition videoconference system is connected. That simple experience builds on the “open. connect. share.” mantra of the media:scape product line. Because the solution is furniture-based, it can be an effective solution in both the private office and the open plan environment. Open plan solutions leverage a new media:scape “canopy” which can help to improve sound quality by absorbing sound on the inside of the canopy and reflecting it on the outside. The result is a versatile, cost-effective furniture solution that can support collaboration and allow workers to connect “face-to-face” both locally and globally via a network connection. Best of all the space can support teams and meetings when not being used for videoconferencing. It is an example of how a space can work harder by working smarter. Shedding New Light on Collaboration media:scape was designed to help teams in collaborative settings. c:scape™, the companion solution to media:scape, was designed to enhance collaboration within the individual space. Steelcase is introducing new lighting solutions for c:scape that place light exactly where it’s needed, while simultaneously reducing unnecessary emissions, allowing organizations to enhance their sustainability efforts. The first enhancement is an LED lighting fixture designed for the desk. It delivers an even amount of light across the surface and integrates seamlessly with other privacy elements and c:scape tools. Other improvements include fluorescent fixtures that mount to the c:scape beam or storage, providing a soft, distributed glow that umbrellas several people at one time. Steelcase recognizes the important role that lighting can play in workplace wellness by providing cognitive, social and physical benefits. All of these new lighting solutions have been designed for versatility – fixtures can be moved, added or removed to adjust for changing lighting needs due to facility moves or changing tasks throughout the day. Designed to supplement today’s lower overall architectural lighting levels, the collection helps companies meet the reduced energy goals of LEED projects. About Steelcase Inc. and more. l

Embody Test, Day 6

This morning I discovered a lever on the Embody that I had previously ignored. It’s the lever that controls how far back you can lean, and it’s located on the back left beneath the seat. So I experimented with different recline positions today. There are 4 in all. The committee’s findings were that I like the most recline possible, a conclusion foreshadowed by my writing on how to look like a slacker and still get work done (Day 2). (Read about how my 6th day with the Embody went here.)

Embody Test, Day 4

It is a well-documented fact that workers need to get up, stretch their legs, and look at something besides their computer screens every so often. Today I found one limitation of the Embody chair. It is so comfortable to sit in that I forgot to get up every so often. As a result, my posterior finally told me that it didn't want to be sat upon any longer, and would I please get up for a bit. That's more my memory's fault than a fault of the Embody chair I was using, but the Embody did facilitate that mental lapse. You can read about the rest of Day 4 here.

Embody Test, Day 3

Let me tell you a little bit about my weekend. Friday night: 8 hours of driving. Saturday: 5 hours of driving. Sunday: 6 and a half hours of driving. I have a sore back. The funny thing is that when I got to work and sat down, I realized that I also have a sore neck. The reason this is funny is that I don't have a sore back while sitting in the Embody. It's the end of the day now and I'm quite relaxed. (Read about how my third day with the Embody went here.)

Embody Test, Day 1

Today I exchanged my standard, run-of-the-mill office chair for an Embody, Herman Miller's newest, snazziest office chair. I have a sore back and neck and can't wait to see how the Embody deals with the issue. Actually, I'm not so much interested in how the Embody deals with it as much as I am interested to see how ANY OTHER CHAIR deals with it. (In the interest of full disclosure, I have to note that even though my back isn't messed up because of my old chair, the old chair certainly wasnt helping it.) (Read about how my first day with the Embody went here.)