Leland International NEOCON 2014
REIMAGINING THE MOBILE PEDESTAL design: Bruce Sienkowski & Mark Gabbertas Remember mobile pedestals? Maybe you know them as file cabinets. They re still prevalent in offices around the world, reluctantly accepted as part of essential office décor or forgotten as they blend into the landscape and get buried under trinkets. Workplaces are relying less on paper. Storing hard copies of files is no longer essential or practical when multiple electronic backups can exist in a fraction of the required real estate. It begs the question: what purpose do file cabinets serve anymore? Originally designed to save space and eliminate clutter, their only function today seems to be the exact opposite. We wanted to think beyond the ped, said Bruce Sienkowski, owner of 2B Studio, one of the designers of Ebb Mobile. Let s see if we can add useful storage to the office in an appealing way, while realizing storage needs are very different from what they once were.
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Match Ebb Mobile to your space with one of three powder coats and unlimited options for the seat pad. Store things your way with two configurations. Leland 3
Sienkowski toured workplaces to investigate what people were actually doing with their file cabinets. He opened drawers. Peered inside. What did he find? Very few files. I found what I expected to find, said Sienkowski. That is, anything but files. It told me people still need the function of a mobile pedestal, but not the obtrusive presence these things demand of the office. Therein lies the challenge: how can Leland International give office dwellers the space they need for their personal items while simultaneously enhancing the aesthetic of the workplace? Using the Ebb to improve the flow. By adapting the sleek look of the Ebb into something that can fit into and move about offices and cubicles, this collaboration between Gabbertas and 2B Studio could revolutionize the way people think of mobile pedestals. Let s add useful storage to the office in an appealing way, while realizing storage needs are very different from what they once were. Ebb, designed by Mark Gabbertas, is a beautiful line of public bench seating that s been making life exciting for interior designers since its creation. In Ebb, Gabbertas created a hub-and-spoke seating solution that could be tailored to any large public-seating area and look unique each time. The Ebb has a tremendously unique aesthetic and shape that can do so much, said Sienkowski. What if we could collaborate with Mark Gabbertas and make a couple functional alterations? This could be the solution. Mobile pedestals have always served an important purpose. However, as the items workers are actually storing change, the blocky, boring look of file cabinets is neither necessary nor desirable. There is room for something new, innovative and functional. There is room for Ebb Mobile. I ve always believed in design as a problem-solving discipline, said Sienkowski, and this collaboration solves a problem as an interesting solution to auxiliary office space. Mark Gabbertas Mark believes the design of an object should be necessarily influenced by the commercial realities that surround it. If a great-looking design does not sell, perhaps it is not such a great design. Designs: Ebb Bruce Sienkowski Bruce designs because, I am not sure there is anything else to do. Design is more than the aesthetic and deserves to be thought of as a problem-solving discipline. Designs: Quarry Collection, Parfait, Cricket, Croix and Crepe Leland 4
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S L A Mdesign: Liévore Altherr Molina Alberto Liévore, Jeannette Altherr and Manel Molina united their talents in 1991 and have exhibited their work all over the world. Their eponymous design firm, Liévore Altherr Molina, is known for putting everything they have into a design. Instead of waiting for inspiration to come to them, they find a problem, and through the pursuit of a design solution, welcome inspiration. This is precisely what happened with SLAM. Leland 6
Liévore Altherr Molina intentionally imagined SLAM accomplishing a number of goals through different bases, allowing a designer to select one product for an entire installation. Having multiple trims available makes it easy to keep the same theme throughout while still giving each space its own distinct feel, from the lunch room to the executive floor. Design is not only about aesthetics and functionality, said Jeannette Altherr. Products are influenced by many technical and production factors. We, as designers, have to find a way to fuse this complexity with our own desires. The smallest details make SLAM stand out. The frame appears to hover above the floor due to a concealed connection posing the shell between both sides of the frame. An edge-free, monoblock shell highlights the resolution and clarity throughout its sensual shape. Leland 7
Liévore Alther Molina Alberto Liévore, Jeannette Altherr and Manel Molina have been combining their talents since 1991, exhibiting their designs all over the world. When they recognize good design, they fall in love with it and pursue every project with unrelenting passion. Designs: Valeri Lounge Chair, SLAM Collection Leland 8
Notable Designs Palomino An upholstered seating surface on an angled base defines intimate spaces within open-plan environments and throughout reception and lounge areas. Straight-line, ninety- and forty-five-degree seating and table configurations are standard and available in multiple finishes. Jess Sorel Always looking for opportunities to create better experiences for people, Jess is big on designing for a reason. That is, accomplishing a goal or a need through design to serve a purpose. With many years of experience, Jess brings his world-renowned skills to Leland with Palomino. Quarry Quarry works well individually or nested together. Taking inspiration from a rock quarry, users have the flexibility to move pieces around while supporting many seating postures to create organic, natural spaces. Four distinct, complementary models in eight upholstery options can be stitched two ways, depending on the fabric, with a poly or felt glide. Bruce Sienkowski Bruce designs because, I am not sure there is anything else to do. Design is more than the aesthetic and deserves to be thought of as a problem solving-discipline. Designs: Ebb Mobile, Parfait, Cricket, Croix and Crepe Leland International 5695 Eagle Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Customer Experience 800-859-7510 lelandinternational.com
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A DAY AT THE BEACH By: Sherrie Fox Spend even one hour in Northern Michigan walking its western shores, and you ll feel the inspiration for Beach Stones seating and tables. Natural. Fun. Refreshing. Exactly how life should be. That s where I stand well, stroll with Bruce Sienkowski, head of freshcoast Design Group and designer of Beach Stones, getting a very literal glimpse of the inspiration for this line of furniture from freshcoast. We re in Ludington, but we might as well be in any one of the other beautiful coastal towns along Lake Michigan. Look around, says Sienkowski, pointing up and down the beach. There are no circles. No ovals. No straight lines. This is nature. Every shape out here forms organically. That s the feeling we wanted to capture with Beach Stones. Free of the constraints of introductory geometry, Beach Stones add flexibility and freedom to any environment, whether as a collaborative space for the office or the waiting area of anything from a hospital to an educational facility, a car dealership and more.
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Originally designed on a smaller scale, Beach Stones were a huge hit in settings where kids congregate, like libraries, pediatric offices and schools. freshcoast noticed an increased demand for organic furniture in adult settings. We started by scaling up the original four shapes, says Sienkowski, and altering the seat backs to make them more naturally emerge from the seats, almost like moldable clay. When he says this, I can t help but look at the waves crawling up the beach and eroding the rocks to an incomparably smooth texture. His point is made. Nature s precision, oddly enough, comes from its lack of precision. The Beach Stones Collection Joining the original four pieces in the Beach Stones collection are eight more models, totaling nine seating options and three tables in the line. A bench unit is four feet long and large enough to accommodate people sitting back to back, but is especially comfortable for a person who can claim the entire piece by straddling one half and using the other as a laptop table. Other seating units can feature organic backs or no backs at all. The tables come in three sizes, from small enough to perfectly hold a laptop to large enough that multiple people can share computer and coffee space. The large table also includes power outlets and USB ports. Table tops can either be capped with back-painted glass that can be used as a dry-erase surface or a solid surface in a choice of colors. The flexibility of the collection maintains its essence as a seating solution born of nature. No matter where Beach Stones take up residence, the arrangement looks like it belongs there.
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BASKING IN THE VIEW By: Trent Kismet Bruce Sienkowski, head of the freshcoast Design Group, and I are boarding the ferry on Lake Michigan. We re taking the six-mile trek west, heading toward North Manitou Island. Along the way, we talk about the inspiration for one of his latest designs for freshcoast, the Manitou Chair. North and South Manitou Islands dot Lake Michigan, a few miles northwest of the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Unique, relaxing, peaceful, these islands attract tourists of multiple interests. When you consider the islands have a solid foundation and yet can be enjoyed in many ways for different personal tastes and goals, it s not hard to make the connection to freshcoast. You can guess where we got the inspiration for the Manitou Chair, says Sienkowski. With distinctive characteristics, flexibility and a fun personality, the name definitely fits.
With an HPL finish, the high-quality chairs will look, feel and act like wood with the added benefit of enhanced durability. NeoCon 6
Give life and personality to any setting with Manitou View. Using multiple non-repetitive, nature-based graphics, you can create and convey an inviting theme for any space.
Sienkowski points to the sky. It s exactly what you d design: pristine blue with just a few clouds, white and fluffy, moving slowly through the air. That s Manitou View, says Sienkowski. At first, I think he s spotted land, even though we ve only been on the water for a few minutes. Then, I realize he s talking about the chair. With Manitou View, the backs of the chairs are fully covered by nature-based graphics. The real-life sky we re looking at now can also live on Manitou View. At launch, a natural sky will be one of our 12 original images available from freshcoast. The way we apply the graphics is exclusive to freshcoast, says Sienkowski. freshcoast is able to put these graphics on the backs in a way that can either stand alone or fit into a group without feeling repetitive. Put three chairs next to each other, and they are clearly a matching set, but they are not exact duplicates, Sienkowski explains. A Durable Finish Six high-pressure laminate (HPL) wood finishes look, feel and act like wood. The only difference: it stands up significantly better to high-traffic areas. This is extremely valuable for a line of chairs intended for public seating-areas in airports, doctor s offices, hospitals, car dealerships and anywhere else a number of people congregate. When the ferry first gets close enough that we can see land, Sienkowski points to the shapes of the island in the distance. They re natural. Free. Light. This is what we re trying to capture, he says. He doesn t point to anything specific, but it s obvious what he s saying. freshcoast is all about nature, and he uses it as inspiration to create. The Manitou Chair comes with a four-leg base or a sled base, with seats available at counter height or bar height. Four back shapes are available in a number of finishes: HPL, upholstered onlay, wood veneer and Manitou View. Two of the back shapes (Bump and Dip) are also available fully-upholstered. At this point, I almost wonder why I asked Sienkowski to travel to North Manitou Island, since the inspiration for the Manitou Chair is evident before we reach the dock. Then, I quickly realize, it doesn t matter. I ve seen the inspiration of a designer, and, I think, he may have found a little extra inspiration for whatever s next. NeoCon 8
MANITOU Seating Adult 4 SHAPES Four organic shell shapes give you the flexibility to customize your space. Tilt Dip Slant Bump 6 HPL FINISHES Birch Sand Drift Wood An HPL finish feels and acts like wood with the added benefit of enhanced durability. Blackberry Morel Dockside MANITOU VIEW Using multiple non-repetitive, nature-based graphics, you can create and convey an inviting theme for any space. Choose from one of our 12 original images or embrace the power of full customization by using your own photos. freshcoast Customer Experience 616-885-5850 freshcoastfurniture.com