Chairity 2022: A look at the Winning Entries

Chairity 2022: A look at the Winning Entries

You came, you saw, you bell-bottomed, and twogether we raised some substantial dough for local Bay area charities.

To celebrate the A+D community and raise some funds for local initiatives, we came twogether for a night of Peace, Love, and Chairity. Our '60s theme inspired the grooviest outfits to accompany stunning entries by the best of the best in the Bay Area. We want to thank all who participated, donated, and supported Chairity both from near and far.

twogether we raised
$70,000
and counting!

Chairity is like fundraising for a 5k race, but instead of a race we’re building furniture. To participate, members of the A+D community team up to transform a “forgotten” piece of furniture into something new, while simultaneously raising money for charity.

This year we had 18 incredible teams take part, and with that came some show-stopping creations. While each team made a lasting impact, we’re excited to spotlight the four winning entries. Category winners were selected by four judges: Yana Ronin, Founder and Chief Strategist at FORTYSEVEN; Susan Lyons, President of Designtex; and Sherri Franklin, Founder and CEO of Muttville. We’re so thankful for your time and feedback.

transformation - Beetle by EHDD

Inspired by the event’s theme, we looked to design precedents from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, including the Solus Chair by Gae Aulenti, the Circle Armchair by Ini Archibong, and the Archive of Douglas Furniture of California.

Our main piece of “discarded” furniture was a retired dining chair. Like oh so many designers, we started with napkin sketches and weekly meetings. We set out to transform this chair into something fit for a more peaceful future. Our final design was an up-cycled meditation and wellness seat that we named Beetle.

Brought to life by the professional hand of Jordan Byrnes, our friend in fabrication, Beetle’s base was constructed by thoughtfully taking apart, bending, and reattaching the chair’s metal structure into a sturdy set of legs. We modernized the base with a fresh coat of minty green paint. The tabletop was constructed from found scraps of solid wood that were cut and sanded to fit perfectly on the U-shaped base, as if they had been taken from the same original piece.

As a piece of furniture, Beetle is an invitation to elevate the spirit and center the mind. A place to rest the tools that support connecting to a higher purpose.

– team EHDD

usefulness - BAR Catalog by Taylor Design

To kick off our 2022 Chairity work, we headed over to the Alameda Point Antiques Faire where an old library card catalog caught our eye. We knew that with a little TLC this forgotten piece could be useful again.

The event’s theme evoked strong visuals of a multifaceted decade that brought love and peace, activism, civil rights, and bold statements in fashion, furniture, and interior design. To capture this inspiration visually, we started by creating a composition of images that reflected all things ‘60s. We were particularly drawn to the period’s fearless use of “non-traditional” colors in furniture. Hello olive green!

With our aesthetic inspiration set, we began to brainstorm how this piece could be both useful again and aesthetically pleasing. Serendipitously we discovered that a standard wine bottle fits perfectly into one individual library card drawer. It was settled, our Chairity entry would be a chique ‘60s-inspired combination bar and wine cabinet.

To bring the final piece to life, we replaced the old wood top, removed the card holders within each drawer, cleaned the drawer hardware, sanded the exterior, and attached vintage-looking legs to the base. Finally, the exterior got a fresh coat of Rookwood Dark Green paint. To create a warm contrast with the green exterior, we maintained the piece’s original wood grain on the interior of the drawers.

We know this handsome bar cabinet will make a lovely addition to anyone’s home.

– team Taylor Design

novelty - FIKA NIWA by Pair

Our journey began at Urban Ore, a huge East Bay thrift store chock full of weird antiques and furniture. We selected two pieces that were literally grooved and just a bit odd, a handmade stand and a white lighting fixture.

The stand’s half round molding felt a bit Japanese and a bit Scandi all at the same time. So, we focused on the Japanese concept of an indoor(ish) garden, tsubo-niwa, and the Swedish concept of fika, a time to take a break from the days’ activities. We set out to create a space where you can take a break and tend to your indoor garden.

First, we took apart the stand piece by piece, meticulously sanding each element to remove its old finish. We then placed each rung back in one by one, spacing them out to create a bit more lightness. To modernize the overall look, we chiseled out a beveled edge along the piece’s two platforms. To ensure the surfaces were watertight, we opted for a sleek white pour-over epoxy.

Our final addition to the newly epoxied table was a hoop-and-pole trellis for winding vines. Riffing off the base’s circular forms we incorporated two round poles and a circular hoop to give a bit more height to the piece while also supporting larger vine plants.

We utilized our second piece—a white ceramic lamp—as the base for bendable led lights. Practical and groovy, these led lights can be turned on with a remote control and set with a timer. For calm nights at home, flip on a soft yellow light. For fun funky parties, you can select from a range of bright, groovy colors.

– team Pair

groovy - Inner Peace by RLB + BAR

While on the lookout for the base element for our Chairity entry, an antique foot stove caught our eye in a vintage shop in Sonoma. In the early 18th-century foot stoves were used in poorly heated spaces to keep feet warm during the cold winter months. We decided to transform it into a lamp to create a connection between its use 200 years ago and today. Instead of a warm temperature, it would now radiate a warm light.

As we studied our foot stove closer, we noticed peace signs within the punched-out designs. To bring out the ‘hidden’ peace signs, we adhered small acrylic plates over specific parts of the design. Next, we set out to create a base that was visually cohesive and did not distract from the antique patina of the tin box. Napa-based Vonsaal Design Build donated a bit of beautiful, durable old-growth redwood that was initially the building material for a dairy barn in Petaluma.

The wooden base was built in a small, private wood shop in Napa Valley, owned by a carpenter who helped build a private home designed by Howard Backen, one of the founders of BAR. To make space for the light fixture we cut a hole into the bottom of the tin box to insert it and affixed it with matching screws.

We took design cues from the mid-century modern era with a particular emphasis on a simple, timeless aesthetic. The uneven patina of the metal paired with the intricate old-growth wood grain gives the piece an organic feel and underlines its immanent tranquility. In daylight, Inner Peace is subtle, with warm earth tones. At night, it projects warm glowing peace signs onto adjacent surfaces, inviting you to slow down and reflect. 

– team RLB + BAR

This year’s Causes

We are proud to give back to incredible nonprofits while connecting the design community through creativity, design, and collaboration.

Hamilton Families’ mission is to end family homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our pioneering homelessness prevention and housing subsidy programs are nationally recognized. In addition, we provide shelter and stability and support the well-being of children experiencing homelessness.

Muttville reaches out to senior and special needs rescue dogs; finds homes for those dogs that are adoptable, and offers end-of-life care for those that are not. No dog should spend its last days in a shelter. There is so much love and joy in these dogs!

Friends of the Urban Forest’s mission is to make neighborhoods thrive by connecting residents with nature and each other. Urban Greening fights climate change, improves air quality, controls stormwater runoff, reduces noise pollution, adds beauty, and boosts happiness.

Project Color Corps believes color is a change agent that infuses a sense of joy and equity into our surroundings. By transforming environments through “optical optimism,” Project Color Corps brings beauty and possibility to students, schools, and communities in underserved neighborhoods around the country.

Until next year!

Thanks again to all who participated, celebrated, and raised money with us. 

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Peace, Love, and Chairity: two’s 2022 benefit for local causes delivers good vibrations (Copy)

Peace, Love, and Chairity: two’s 2022 benefit for local causes delivers good vibrations

by Paul Mabe

For Chairity 2022, we cooked up nothing less than a revolution—of peace and love—and the design community stepped up to join forces for good. In Chairity tradition, Bay Area design teams crafted groovy upcycles of castoff furnishings and raised significant dough ($70k and counting) for local nonprofits in the process. Many also accepted the challenge to sport some hippy threads at the final party. All in all, I couldn’t have been prouder. 

I’m Paul Mabe, Market Development Manager at two. This was my second year leading the charge on all things Chairity. For a bit of the backstory on how we built this love-in, read on.

Giving peace—and love—a chance

We chose Peace, Love, and Chairity as our 2022 theme because it captured the vibe we all need now. Frankly, it’s been a rough year in current events, and we wanted to “give peace a chance,” as Lennon penned during a “bed-in” with Ono. We envisioned a relaxed gathering celebrating love for our community. After last year’s successful Roaring Twenties-themed Chairity, our first I-dare-you-to-wear-a-costume version of the benefit, we jumped ahead 40 years to yet another theme that would inspire a reprise of festive period dress.

The theme also gave us a chance to raise glasses to our industry relationships. This was on full display at Chairity ’22 fete: I was chatting a few people who happen to work at different dealerships, and someone walked up to me afterward and said, “Hey man, those cats are competitors and you’re… talking to each other?!” And I replied, “Our competition? Who cares? Tonight's about getting together and giving back - so cheers to that!”

The good-vibe theme also unleashed the flaunting of some funky garb—tie-dyed hippy, beatnik, Easy-Rider, and Rhinestone Cowboy styles were all represented. My personal highlight featured our fearless super leader, One Workplace CEO Mark Baker, rocking a Grateful Dead t-shirt, who said, “Hey Paul, if you’re throwing a party, of course I’m going to get dressed up!”

Even those shy about time-traveling getups brought tons of goodwill in the form of their checkbooks! Collectively, we raised the roof, and the funds, to support four amazing Bay Area organizations—Hamilton Families, Muttville, Friends of the Urban Forest, and Project Color Corps.

Far out: beyond the cat’s meow

One main hurdle in planning Chairity 2022 was our own past success. The pressure was on to top last year’s Roaring Twenties blowout—which was the perfect release for coming out of the pent-up anxiety of the pandemic. Our first costumed fundraiser, it was a wicked time, as F. Scott Fitzgerald would say, “The bar had been raised.”

My jitters were for naught because our celebration of the Flower Power era ruled. People reveled in the chance to relax, relate, and give back. Everyone really showed up with love in their hearts for the community, channeling the theme’s Up-with-People sentiment.

Going where the sun always shines

As we planned Chairity 2022, we put a lot of thought into what the right digs would be. We wanted to be sensitive about the economic challenges everyone has been weathering, which can make it harder to give back. So we set out to find a venue with a price tag that would allow more funds to flow toward the initiatives at the center of the benefit. The venue also needed to be a place where people could just show up—a laid-back, stroll-down-the-Haight circa 1960s ambiance.

On the hunt for affordable and chill, I stumbled upon another element to factor in: locale. During a meeting at Steelcase, I was yammering on about Chairity (yes, I am obsessed), when my colleague Jennifer Hunziker divulged that her husband, Joel, was the brewmaster at Almanac Brewery, an Alameda brewhouse that hosts events! We’d held the Chairity soiree in San Francisco proper since 2015, but this opportune news flash had me thinking: was it time to shake things up? Cue Chairity zoom call where I took a quick poll of who lives where. Of all the people in the meeting, I was the only San Franciscan.

This insight was the catalyst for a move eastward for Charity 2022. Ultimately, it made all the sense in the world to roll on over to Alameda. At its core, two is a Bay Area firm connected to an A+D community that includes not only San Francisco, but also Fresno, Sacramento, North Bay, South Bay, and the East Bay. Even more, the Almanac has a super-fun indoor-outdoor space, and everyone knows the weather is always better past the boundaries of Fog City.

Tripping: how we made it easy to drop in & split

A good trip was essential to our event’s popularity. In the literal, not the psychedelic sense, of course. To get SF-ers over the psychic and physical barrier of the bay, we mapped out an easy-travel itinerary, organized transport, and narrated the go-with-the-flow ease of it to our guests. We planned the evening so that those traveling from San Fran hopped the same ferry to arrive twogether at start time. And like clockwork, at 6 p.m. sharp, 150 of our business BFFs, fresh off the ferry, converged on the venue—ready to party like it was 1969.

To make the exit equally easy, we road-mapped another collective getaway. To avoid scores of exasperated designers waiting around for Ubers, we chartered a bus—a true hippie’s favorite form of rideshare—to get back over the bridge. This leg of the journey was coordinated to bring riders back to two headquarters—for a righteous afterparty!

Communal Living

In the end, we raised $70k and counting for local nonprofits. I am also proud that we achieved a less easily measurable goal: community building. Chairity brought people in our community together to celebrate one another and the work that we all do. I am blissed out by all the generosity. Until the next Chairity communiqué, peace out my friends.

The finishing touch: two decor fills an almost-done space with color, texture, and pattern!

The finishing touch: two decor fills an almost-done space with color, texture, and pattern!

by Lindsay Foster, Manager of 2d

At two décor, we are the relief pitchers who come in as a project is nearing the end. When we show up, everyone on all sides—from architects to furniture dealers to contractors—are exhausted by the obstacle course of timelines, number crunching, installs, and delays.

We deliver the finishing touches—used books, quirky artwork, pretty vases, handcrafted toys, planters, graphic pillows and rugs, and other beguiling objects—that fill in gorgeous shelves, sit atop plush sofas, and adorn the tops of desks and tables. This work transforms empty feeling spaces into rooms with a warm lived-in quality, ready for people.

It’s hard, physical work—typically you’ll find us crawling around on the floor to place a funky rug (like that blue and black one above in the most unusual shape!), or on the very top run of a ladder, styling the top shelf. Sometimes, the office accessories—say, a chess set in neon Jello colors (above left)—look cute enough to eat! It’s a total blast—and completely gratifying—to see how these small, special details can bring a whole space to life.

One of the joys of our job: clients are always happy to see us. When two décor enters the scene, we come well stocked with evocative pieces. Before install, we use Pinterest and presentation decks to convey a vibe—currating a treasure trove of items from wall art to one-of-a-kind decor picks, pillows to books, throws to planters, games to tissue box covers, and more! We mix and match items digitally to show how they speak to each other. 

Once onsite, we add a graphic zigzag pillow to a muted sofa or a handcrafted ceramic bowl to a coffee table—and all of a sudden, the room comes together. Sometimes the simplest object—say, a mint green retro record player—levels up the whole room.

Day in the life

When we arrive at the job site, it’s like Christmas. The space is buzzing with excitement as we tear open all the boxes, pulling out items one-by-one. Some of the plunder we’re finally seeing in person for the first time. So, it’s a thrill to pore over all these super-special artist-made, high-end, nothing-else-like-it extra-hyphenated treasures.

Once we’ve unboxed all the booty, everything comes together in real-time. We lay out our specification sheets and begin making piles. At this point, we’re grooving on the vibes of these items, seeing how they talk to each other IRL. In the next step, with our spec sheets as maps, we find the designated areas and start placing pieces. Operation Transformation is underway. 

With two team members and plenty of gusto, we can usually pull off the install in two days. When artwork needs hanging, we work with great local installers, and we’re on hand to guide this part of the process, too. Every once in a while, an eager client shows up as we’re working. More often than not, we hear: Woah! This is what the room needed!

Check some of our recent projects

For Linkedin’s totally new outpost in Omaha, Nebraska, we outfitted this built-in shelving unit in a library-style quiet room. We curated an eclectic mix of books, plants, framed graphics, ceramics, and knick-knacks that fit the calming, neutral, yet oh-so-sophisticated vibe of this space.

We brought the funky, edgy CashApp aesthetic to their Portland office by selecting items with bright colors and zippy graphics. In total, we outfitted twenty-seven lounge spaces with pillows, throws, table-top items, planters, books, and even tissue box covers. 

If you're looking for a décor and more partner for your next project please get in touch - hello@twofurnish.com

How We Helped CommonGrounds Move Into 20 Spaces, Some a Whopping Two Months Early!

How We Helped CommonGrounds Move Into 18 Spaces, Some a Whopping Two Months Early!

CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography

At two, we pride ourselves on our flexibility, our collaborative values, and our dedication to meeting—and exceeding—client needs. So when coworking space innovators CommonGrounds approached us for support in designing new locations across the U.S., we knew we’d make a great team. CommonGrounds embodies the same principles: they boast workspaces that promote community and make ideal homes for businesses of all sizes, allowing endless reconfigurations depending on their clients' changing needs. Plus, their modern-yet-distinctive design ethos meshed perfectly with ours.

We also loved that CommonGrounds presented us with a new challenge to overcome; while working within budget requirements and coordinating with each location’s unique design vision, we’d also need to prioritize an ASAP opening day for each space. Read on to learn how we kept CommonGrounds’ furniture timelines tight and on budget while fully realizing our mutually high design standards.

Facilitating logistics and design vision at speed

As CommonGrounds’ support partner on multiple projects, our top priority was facilitating an early “first day of business” for each location. Since CommonGrounds rents to so many individual companies and entrepreneurs, it takes time for a new location to gather the full quota of members needed to move into the black. That means workplaces must be up and running as soon as possible after their acquisition, putting a lot of pressure on the design teams to keep timelines short.

two helped CommonGrounds open new locations as far ahead of schedule as one to two months early. We achieved this near-miracle with two thoughtful approaches. First, we used our deep knowledge of furniture suppliers and fabricators to spec pieces with fast delivery times—even including some custom elements. Second, we prioritized “Day One” items: the essential building blocks of each space, which would allow each location to open while secondary furniture was delivered.

CommonGrounds, Minneapolis

Another top-level focus on these projects was keeping the design within budget. two served as “value engineers” for CommonGrounds vision, ensuring that the materials, colors, types of pieces, and overall aesthetic of the furnishings meshed with both the original design specs and the project budget. This involved working with close-to-home U.S. manufacturers on custom pieces, sourcing other furniture both nationally and internationally, and mixing high-end and cost-effective pieces within each space.

We knew keeping lead times short for these distinctively furnished spaces was a top priority, so we worked to find furnishings with a 14-to-16-week design timeline, keeping to a 12-day lead time for essential items whenever possible. We also maintained two important lists that facilitated short timetables: an inventory stock list of desks and chairs in storage, and a list of ancillary pieces that could be quickly incorporated into a new project.

CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography

CommonGrounds, Chicago. Tom Harris Photography
Interiors: Partners by Design.

Since CommonGrounds manages so many locations, we were able to achieve another huge value-add in the form of inventory supply. We assisted them in ordering bulk items, another money-saver, and developing a core inventory of essential elements like desks and chairs. These elements could then be quickly shipped to a newly opened location, cutting out those pesky, expensive lead times across any number of projects.

Our last—but not least—major goal was to achieve the unique vision of CommonGrounds’ internal design team for each new location. CommonGrounds’ workspaces run the full breadth of the country, and each one features its own distinctive design concept, palette of materials, and type of space. Building off of the essential “Day One” items, which were consistent across each location, we sourced different auxiliary furniture and decor elements for every project.

We worked closely with CommonGroundsevery step of the way. We toured site locations together, visited local vendors and markets for decor items in each project’s city, and even brought the CommonGrounds design team to Stockholm and Copenhagen to scope out Europe’s newest furniture offerings. This close collaboration with an internal design team gave a significant boost to each project.

Choosing the best of the best for Day One

Since the “Day One” key building blocks would be the common elements across every project, we knew they’d have to be the best of the best: stylish, well-designed, and unparalleled in quality. On top of that, each component would need to adhere to our budget and timeline constraints—a tall order, but one we were more than ready to fill. We drew from our technology and design expertise to come up with a set of three core elements: wall systems by Tecno, Belay workstations by Pair, and chairs by SitOnIt.

CommonGrounds, Minneapolis

We introduced CommonGrounds to Tecno’s tech-forward plug-and-play glass walls, which were a perfect fit for their specific needs. Attractively minimalist and industrial in aesthetic, the transparent walls work as noise-reducing space partitions that blow the tired, drab cubicle farm out of the water. The walls are pre-fabricated with standard parts, so they can be ordered off the shelf. They’re also highly configurable, which is essential for CommonGrounds’ projects. When CommonGrounds finds a big new client in need of a larger workspace, or a group of small business clients requiring individual spaces, they can easily make use of Tecno’s system to rearrange partitions and accommodate differing needs.

CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography

If you’re familiar with two, you may be aware of our frequent collaborations with Pair, who make sleek and adjustable high-tech workstations. For CommonGrounds’ projects, we worked with the classic Pair Belay desks, opting for metal matte black bases and Messina tops. The Belay workstations can be ordered off the shelf, so they keep lead times short, and they’re more budget-friendly than custom pieces. They also show off quality design and a contemporary look far beyond other standard desk models, with considered details like rounded desk feet and edges and a matte finish. Pair Belay’s aesthetic fit effortlessly into the contemporary look of CommonGrounds’ spaces, and each workstation’s design for easy height adjustment, assembly, and storage also met their need for readily accessible reconfigurations.

CommonGrounds, Minneapolis.

For task chairs, we selected SitOnIt’s Novo chairs. These award-winning ergonomic chairs feature a multitude of adjustments, making them a great choice for a communal workspace whose different members may each have unique comfort preferences. Novo chairs are also sleekly designed and highly customizable, so we could choose colors and details that would work within CommonGrounds’ design vision.

All in all, the “Day One” elements kept budgets reasonable and timelines short, while also providing top-tier design and quality that harmonized beautifully with the individual style of each CommonGrounds location.

Designing continuity and individuality across projects

All CommonGrounds’ locations were designed by their internal team, and each one features its own unique design vision, drawing from the architecture of the building, locally available materials and decor, and more. . This differentiation is core to CommonGrounds’ commitment to transcending the cookie-cutter feel of most coworking spaces, and it results in a strong design viewpoint that moves beyond common conceptions of the modern office. two were integral partners in executing these one-of-a-kind looks on time and on budget.

CommonGrounds, Fort Worth. Wade Griffith Photography

Thoughtfully designed communal spaces are another constant between CommonGrounds locations. One of these is the coffee bar area, which is a must-have component in every CommonGrounds project (it’s their eponymous moniker!). By providing this home-like, familiar space where people can work and meet, CommonGrounds encourages collaboration and interaction, living its mission of community-building.

CommonGrounds, Chicago. Tom Harris Photography. Interiors: Partners by Design.

The reception space, a lounge area for renters and waiting visitors, is also featured in each location. As the most public-facing area, the reception space acts as a postcard for the project, and accordingly, CommonGrounds invests in a greater proportion of high-end pieces to furnish it. As is often the case for reception spaces, CommonGrounds opts to make theirs the showcase for the full expression of each project’s aesthetic, from colors and materials to the overall design.

CommonGrounds, Minneapolis.

The common spaces in different locations were all built with the individual design vision for each project in mind, while still considering budgets and deliverability timelines. Every space has a different feel that references and coheres with its building’s distinctive architecture.

CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography

Over the years, we’ve collaborated with CommonGrounds on 18 spaces across the country. We remained flexible from conception to delivery, achieving the feat of minimizing costs and timelines without compromising on our joint design conception. Through two’s in-depth knowledge of contemporary tech and design, deep love of collaborative work, and impressive knack for pinpointing affordable, high-quality furnishings, we brought one-of-a-kind value to CommonGrounds on their uniquely challenging projects at every stage of the process.

CommonGrounds, Fort Worth. Wade Griffith Photography

If you're looking for a furniture partner for your next office project please get in touch - hello@twofurnish.com

two's Custom Work at Dropbox HQ

two's Custom Work at Dropbox HQ

by Pearl Lopez

Custom furniture is one of the things two does best.

For Dropbox HQ, we pushed this skill set even farther—traveling that line between the built environment and furniture. In addition to creating custom tables, sofas, and rugs we also designed and coordinated the manufacturing and installation of wall systems, fixed shelving, and amphitheater-size seating systems.

Because Dropbox is the leader of ‘working-in-the-cloud,’ clouds themselves were our design partner, Johnston Marklee’s principal reference point. The overarching design language of the project incorporated curves and scalloped shapes into almost every detail. Dropbox employees are literally working in the cloud.

I’m Pearl, two’s Creative Manager, throughout the Dropbox HQ project I led our team of ancillary specialists while also managing the client and designer relationships. Below are nine examples of the custom work we did for Dropbox HQ with a bit of my own reflection about each.

Scalloped Metal Library Shelves

Photography: Thibault Cartier

“Most of the time when people think of libraries, they’re imagining heavy wood-filled spaces with straight shelves. The approach that Johnson Markley, the architect, took for Dropbox’s library was entirely different, it’s framed with scalloped bright yellow metal shelving.

This concept presented unique challenges for our team. We worked very closely with the fabricator to achieve the design intent, utilizing a diamond pattern mesh metal that was bent into curves along the main shelving structure to make what are essentially scalloped walls with shelving.

Bringing the library shelves to life required so much coordination between our team, the architects, contractors, fabricators, and installation team— it was really a labor of love.”

Images of material and shape palette.
Photography: two furnish

Sound-dampening Workstation Dividers

Photography: Thibault Cartier

“Oftentimes in offices someone’s desk ends up in what is considered the circulation path, and it makes them feel very much on display. But how do you give somebody a bit of privacy while not impacting the circulation space? We designed a really pretty architectural element— lower scallop-shaped cork walls that create a bit of separation, while dampening sound, and providing an additional surface to pin notes and ideas to. 

In other areas of the office we designed very tall scalloped cork walls to create informal meeting rooms within the open environment. All of these additional cork surfaces really help control noise in such an open office space.”

Drawings: C.W Keller & Associates Inc. for two furnish

Movable Atrium Seating

Photography: Thibault Cartier

Initial concept drawings: two furnish

“Creating an easily-movable elegant system was so important here. We wanted the seating to look very streamlined and not industrial while still being really user friendly.

We worked hard to make sure that facilities or somebody could move the modules around easily. So, the casters had to be really durable but not bulky or ‘in-your-face’. They also had to lock so the benches were stable. To achieve this, we created a really cool break with a foot pedal and then recessed the casters a bit inside so you could still have the ability to move them.”

Focus Corrals

Photography: Thibault Cartier

“The focus corrals  are a modern adaptation of your typical study where you can do focused heads down work. They were designed for the study, which unlike the sunny library, is a darker, moodier, deep focus space. Different people obviously have different work styles. Engineers tend to like to have things a little bit darker versus some people who find being in lightfelt spaces a better environment for them to work. So these spaces are always considered in tandem. 

Here, we used cork on the exterior and felt on the interior. Both of these materials offer a high level of sound absorption. So it really allows you to create that nice cocoon for focus. We repeated the scallop shape that's found throughout the entire space. So, they add a nice buffer but also a really interesting architectural detail. And the color of the cork warms up the dark blue space.”

Initial concept drawings and renderings: two furnish

Photo-inspired Nodi Rugs

Photography: Thibault Cartier

“Creating these rugs was so much fun, and also talk about a labor of love! Each of these rugs were created from photographs taken by a member of the Dropbox Black Ops team, making the whole space very personal. He's a wonderful photographer, and we looked at all of his photographs and decided to use them as the pattern for the rugs. But rather than creating a one-to-one, ‘here's the photograph and here's the rug’, our design team isolated, detailed, and adjusted the scale of a small portion of each photograph. This created a bit more of a pixelated effect.”

Rug placement and planning drawings: two furnish

“A lot of the rugs reference either the Bay Area or Dropbox culture. One of the rugs is an image of a watermelon, which are popular and a big part of the Dropbox culture. One of the founders is very fond of watermelons. He would dress up like a watermelon for Halloween. Another is of one of the founders and his cat. You can just make out the profile of the cat, its shape, but it doesn’t scream CAT. So each has a little personal cultural moment, but nothing that’s hugely obvious.

If you step back a little, you might see parts of different computer equipment, or part of a building. This was the really fun part of figuring out each rug design— what the pattern would be, and then working closely with our manufacturer to actually fulfill and create each unique piece. There were so many details and colors and really specific shapes, we were thrilled they were up to the challenge.”

Learning Sofa & Cloud Table

Photography: Thibault Cartier

“Continuing with the curve motif, here we literally created a table that we called the Cloud Table, which was manufactured in wood as well as metal by a California company down in LA called The Tank. They were designed to be a good place for people to sit around and collaborate. We also designed smaller, shorter versions that resemble  parts of the cloud that have been broken off and function as little side tables along the inside of the big Learning Sofa.”

Concept renderings: two furnish

“The U-shaped purple Learning Sofa was designed to be a gathering space since it’s in a room that’s located in the center of a bunch of different training rooms. So, whether you're being on-boarded for the first time, or coming back to learn something, or in a long training session, this break space in the middle is designed for gatherings or a little snack break. It's meant to be a good place for people to lounge and relax a little bit outside of their very formal training environments. The sofa also has outlets so someone could plug in their laptop and get a little bit of work done.

The sofa was manufactured by Martin Brattrud. They did, I would say, the majority of all of our upholstered pieces throughout the entire space. It’s massive, but made in pieces, so it could be reconfigured, shortened, or modified as needed should the space evolve or change.”

Power-enabled Dropstop Table

Photography: Thibault Cartier

“This is the metal version of the Cloud Table, which has a similar shape, but by changing the materiality, the look and feel also change. The finishing is a bit textured- it isn’t shiny or polished, which was intentional to fit with the overall material palette of the project that included more basic construction materials like metal mesh, felt, plywood, cork. We didn’t use really high-end or glossy materials for Dropbox.”

Table layout and power source drawings: two furnish

“The power-enabled metal cloud table was created for the Dropstop space, which is where employees can take their computer or devices if they are having technical issues. The aesthetic of the whole space references a doctor’s office.”

Pop-up Cushions & Artek Table

“Many large offices have stadium seating similar to this space at Dropbox. It’s a space that’s always super popular. We loved that this particular area was placed adjacent to the cafeteira, which meant it would get used and seen every day, all day. This seating is also used during all-hands meetings, so we really wanted to make sure that whatever we designed for this area could work for different uses.”

Photography: Thibault Cartier

“The cushions were created by K Chesterfield, which is a small, local business in the East Bay. The tables are Vitra Artek tables, and we adapted each individually so the size of the legs could straddle the steps. This was something that required a lot of very last minute coordination. The legs couldn’t be cut in advance just in case there was a different final measurement or problem with construction. Imagine, you receive your construction drawings and somebody says that the size of something is supposed to be a foot, but when you get to the site it's like half an inch taller or shorter. We knew we could not make that kind of mistake, so we had a local fabricator on site to cut each leg ensuring the measurement was dead-on accurate.

We were able to install the tables just before Dropbox opened up for business. It was one of our very last install tasks, which had to happen after the stadium seating was 100% complete. Because the table manufacturer, Vitra, is not based in the US, we couldn’t risk the mistake of cutting at the incorrect length and risking a long wait-time to get new tables shipped in.”

Pop-up Cushions & Artek Table detailing: two furnish

Vintage Rugs for the Mint

Photography: Chad Davis

“The Mint has a moody bar feel. When we were thinking about rugs we knew we wanted to do something vintage. Their former office had a lot of layered vintage rugs and that space had a higher end, garage band kind of feel. Some of those elements were repeated here, with slight variations. For this new space, we didn’t want to layer the rugs in the same way as the previous office.”

“We started arranging the furniture within your typical rectangular shape rug, but because you don’t see a lot of hard angles in this office the architect felt like they weren’t a good fit. So, we sourced these rugs from a great vintage shop in Southern California and decided to apply the same scallop shape to them, which was done by a fabricator in Marin, CA.

This was definitely a tricky task because each was a slightly different size, and since we were working with existing vintage rugs, we wanted to make sure that we maximized the size and didn't lose too much of the pattern. We had to be really strategic about how to template the shape. They took many, many iterations. I personally cut out the paper templates and worked with our rug fabricator to make sure that it was placed correctly, that we were optimizing the pattern with the size of the existing rug.”

Looking Back at Chairity 2021

Looking Back at Chairity 2021

by Brian Buhl

The First IRL Industry Event in Two Years

After hosting Chairity 2020 digitally, putting together the 2021 event was completely nerve wracking. All the same questions everyone had came up. Would strict lockdowns be reinstated? Would our community feel comfortable gathering in person? Would there be the same enthusiasm we’d seen in years past, or were our friends and colleagues just too exhausted after weathering COVID personally and professionally for so many long months?

We organized about 70% of the event knowing that we may have to transition on a dime to a fully digital event. The true in-person aspects of Chairity—that final 30%, like the venue and photographer—were a leap of faith because even into the late fall we were still uncertain if additional governor mandated social distancing restrictions would be reinstated.

Luckily we were able to meet in person! After working from home for so long, we wanted this edition to be engaging and fun, so we chose The Roaring 20s as the first official theme for a Chairity event. What came to fruition was the first large industry event in almost two years. All the attendees were really excited to get into themed dress to go out and have a good time while supporting local initiatives. The stress and planning were well worth it.

The second half of 2021 was a really unique time in the architecture and design community, especially our niche—offices—a place many people were not going to. In 2020, the onslaught of postponed or canceled projects due to the pandemic forced many firms to cut staff. As projects ramped back up in 2021 smaller staffs got stretched to cover the incoming work. Our colleagues were maxxed out, more so than during the height of the pandemic, and frankly, more than in any years past. Undaunted by this unique situation, our local design community still showed a concerted effort to take part in Chairity, an initiative they’ve come to respect and truly look forward to. Many of the responses we got to 2021 invites sounded like this: 

You know what? We've got a million things going on, but Chairity is still important to us, and we want to show our commitment by getting this executed and getting this done and showing up at the party, mask intact.

Every year, designers, makers, fabricators, suppliers, artists, and more join teams to make something beautiful out of a forgotten or discarded object. The design and construction process is documented online where each team also raises funds to support the selected charities. In November, participating teams display their work at an industry-attended event, where a fresh team of judges select winners and excited guests bid on the upcycled work, adding even more money to the fund.

Our takeaway during the digital 2020 pandemic edition of Chairity was—wow!—we’re strong as a community. In 2021 it was more like—wow!—our community is truly committed to giving back. They made the event happen during a time that was, and continues to be, really unprecedented in our business.

“This was my first Chairity event and I think this was such a fun project. As designers we got to stretch our abilities in both the making, and the fundraising. It was an exercise in resourcefulness and creativity, and I am super proud of how this project turned out. Thank you Two Furnish for being patient, supportive and so awesome!” -Paulina McFarland, HGA

We’re so thankful to all who participated, donated, attended, and supported Chairity in 2021, especially the 23 incredible teams who built show-stopping creations. Despite the very real constraints of an ongoing pandemic we were able to raise $93,00 for local Bay Area causes—the most we’ve raised at any Chairity event to date. As always an extra heartfelt thanks to our amazing sponsors: all Modular Systems, Skyline Construction, and Novo Construction.

2021 Winning Entries

AP+I

Fennie+Mehl

HGA

Pair

Together, but Apart : Learning from Chairity 2020

Chairity 2020 was truly remarkable. We partnered manufacturers with design firms to help keep networks alive. During this time of extreme social distancing, we were able to connect more people than ever before. 

The digital aspect of what was previously an entirely in-person event was quite challenging, because even when you go digital people still have to come together. So, we were 100% focused on an experience, one that we’d never done before. We endeavored to bring participants close to the pieces and give them something really exciting to look at, even from their home screens. We encouraged all types of visuals, like concept sketches and design detail drawings.

Chairity 2020

Chairity 2020

Overall, our experience in 2020 only enhanced our ability to deliver valuable content, like increasing the way in which things are presented and how polished they look. In years past, before the pandemic, each team would come on stage and talk about their entry. This format made the event feel a little too stretched out, so we removed it in 2020 and in 2021. Eliminating the dead space between teams coming on and off stage gave people more time to interact with each other and the work. Ultimately the adjustments we made in 2020 helped us strengthen the experience of the event going forward. 

Chairity in the Future

There’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to Chairity 2022! In addition to the November show and auction, we're going to add more events throughout the year as a part of Two’s giving arm, Chairity. We’re excited to expand Chairity beyond a one-a-year event. 

We’re ambitious when it comes to fundraising goals. The amount raised between 2017 and 2022 doubled from $38,000 to $93,000. This year we hope to do that even faster—doubling the amount of money we raise to $200,000. We think this is realistic not just because we want to raise more money, but because we’ve seen that our Bay Area design community wants to contribute more.

We upped our game and improved the experience so much since our last in person event in 2019. Looking to the future, when we’re in a non-pandemic world where people are truly in a good place to show up in person and be a part of the event in earnest, we expect double the participation, enthusiasm, and fundraising!

Heading into 2022 there are some other strategic changes we’re also making; first up will be including design students on the judging panel. Students have big forward-thinking creative aspirations and can give valuable feedback to the participants. Ultimately they’re the future employees of the design firms and companies that participate, so we’re excited to start this connection. 

We’ll also be moving up the timeline about three months this year—keep your eyes peeled for announcements—both selecting the list of charities and getting commitments from participants. Our hope is that this will reduce the amount of stress for all.

Finally, since the roaring 20s was such a hit this year we’re looking for an equally fun yet new theme next year. Stay tuned to find out what that will be!

—

Chairity 2021 Photography: Andrew McKay

Save the date for Chairity 2022: October 13th.
Click here to learn more.

Reflecting on Seven Years of Chairity

Reflecting on Seven Years of Chairity

by Brian Buhl

There's a special camaraderie that exists in the Bay Area design community; there's so much respect across the multidisciplinary design firms that we work with at two. Chairity, our annual fundraising event, builds off this community. It has become a platform where we come together around shared creative interests, local philanthropic objectives, and a hint of healthy design competition.

Since 2015, we’ve raised over $355,000 for mission-driven community partners dedicated to positive change.

Chairity 2016

Chairity 2021 - Image: Andrew McKay

What is Chairity?

Hosted by Two, Chairity brings together creative volunteers who auction their designs to raise money for local causes. There are two parts to the initiative. The first is about giving participants a local and trusted destination to make meaningful donations. It's also a creative outlet for the Bay Area design community to build something fun and unique. As each design team creates their piece, they simultaneously raise money online, similar to the structure of 5k charity races. It all culminates in a capstone celebration, the work is unveiled and auctioned off, all while we continue to strengthen our ties through drink and dance!

Chairity is not just an event. It’s an embodiment of who we strive to be at Two. In our work as designers, we value upcycling and using local materials while always remaining authentic. As a company, we value giving back in a way that connects the design community.

Every year, designers, makers, fabricators, suppliers, artists, and more join teams to make something beautiful out of a forgotten or discarded object. The design and construction process is documented online where each team also raises funds to support the selected charities. In November, participating teams display their work at an industry-attended event, where a fresh team of judges select winners and excited guests bid on the upcycled work, adding even more money to the fund.

Chairity 2020 - Left: Pair x BAR Architects | Center: OTJ + Uhuru | Right: O+A x Ohio Design

Every year, teams follow these steps:

• Step 1: Each design team receives $100 to spend on sustainable and upcycled materials.

• Step 2: Teams find a “forgotten item” and revamp it to give it new life.

• Step 3: As teams build their creations, they fundraise for the general Chairity fund.

• Step 4: Entries are revealed and auctioned at the annual event, adding more money to the fund.

• Step 5: Winning entries are announced, and the honored design team chooses a local charity to receive a portion of the funds.

Chairity 2016

Chairity 2016

Chairity 2015

Chairity 2018

Chairity 2019

Chairity 2021

Judges make their selections based on four categories:

1. Integrity: How much of the original item is repurposed in the new design?

2. Sustainability: Were the added materials upcycled or sustainably sourced?

3. Usefulness: Can this item be used? Is it functional?

4. Novelty: How unique and creative is the final product?

In addition to funds raised by individual teams and during the event’s auction, we’re also grateful for the support of sponsors, including all Modular Systems, Skyline Construction, and Novo Construction.

A Local Destination to Give

One of the reasons we have the energy to keep this event going year after year is that we hear from people in the design community who want to give locally but don’t know the best way to go about making an impact. With hundreds of nonprofits out there, it can be challenging to figure out who’s being the most responsible and impactful with donations.

That’s where Two comes in. We do the research ahead of time to select a group of beneficiaries who work on issues like education, social justice, and animal rights. We look for groups born in the Bay Area that serve our population. We’re not raising millions of dollars—at least not yet—so we select charities that could use $15,000 or $20,000 to meet their goals.

Bay area initiatives and beneficiaries of Chairity fundraising efforts

At Two, our volunteer-based Chairity committee does the research and puts the event together. The committee is open to any employee. Hourly employees are paid for the time they dedicate to Chairity; salaried employees work on the initiative during regular office hours. Many committee members over the years grew up in the Bay Area, so they bring their personal connection and history to the brainstorming table.

In 2017, one of Chairity’s early years, we raised $38,000 for Project Color Corps, a nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and educate students to use the transformational power of color—via public murals—to infuse communities with hope, pride, equity, and empowerment. Funds were used to paint schools around the Bay Area. By 2021 we added four more local charities—Stop AAPI Hate, Muttville, Love The Kids, and Not In Our Town—and raised $93,000. All proceeds go directly to the nonprofit organizations.

Donors who participate in the event can either select a specific charity from the group or make a general donation that gets evenly divided between the five charities selected for that year.

How Chairity Started

Chairity started in 2015 as a collaboration between Two and Kriss Kokoefer, the founder of Oakland-based re-upholstery shop Kay Chesterfield. We both wanted to actively give back to our Bay Area community in a way that related to our industry and skills. But we didn’t want it to be an annual check-writing, check-the-box event. As creatives, we felt strongly about building a charitable design event that would involve the local A&D community in an engaging, innovative way.

So we asked ourselves, “What was the most common item left over from design projects?”

A chair.

If it could be upcycled and transformed into something interesting again, why throw away a perfectly functional chair? We started honing our idea around a competition where participants would take something discarded and make it useful, beautiful, and interesting again. We were also quite fond of the play on the words between “chair” and “charity.”

Chairity 2018 - BOOR Projects

Chairity 2018 - Nova Partners

Over the past seven years, Chairity has evolved and expanded beyond chairs. It’s still about finding something discarded to upcycle, but more recently, teams have used other items with interesting design aspects, such as old shopping carts, room dividers, and fans. Many teams still use chairs—though their final product isn’t always something you can sit on. In 2021, for example, one of the winning entries was a chair transformed into a rocking bassinet.

Chairity 2021 - O+A

Chairity 2021 - O+A

Chairity is an industry event that’s always on people’s calendars. Year after year, I am truly humbled by the amount of people who know about Chairity in the Bay Area. It's one of the biggest events of the year within our industry and community, and it continues to grow in attendance, funds raised, participating teams, charities added, and more.

Where Charity is Headed

We’re thrilled that starting in 2022, Chairity will officially become Two’s charitable arm. This formal designation will allow us to continue expanding how we give back in a way that relates to our skills. In addition to the annual fall design competition and fundraiser, through Chairity we hope to participate in more events and initiatives throughout the year, such as providing education and design mentorship projects that introduce design-focused career paths to local youth.

We hope to involve even more workplace teams in the design competition and fundraiser, something we started in 2021. In recent years, we’ve seen Bay Area companies—from Google to Salesforce to Rivian—grow their internal design teams with new hires that are coming directly out of the A&D community, including architecture firms, industrial design shops, and manufacturers. We could use their ingenuity and sharp minds to create an even bigger, more chair-itable event.

Save the date for Chairity 2022: October 13th.
To learn more click here.