Turn On Your Desk
TMRnyc SideWired Desk
Just this week, Scott Behr, owner of TMRnyc, was reading The New York Times online, and he came across a Home & Garden piece by Steven Kurutz about the need for today’s furniture manufacturers to adapt their designs to our new digital lifestyle.
“It was called Furniture Meets the Digital Age,’” says Behr with a smile. “Great article, and the guy’s right – furniture needs to change to not only reflect how we live today but actually support that lifestyle. That is, it’s not enough to have a shelf for your iPhone to sit on next to your bed at night. You need a docking station so the phone can be accessible while charging. Still,” Behr continues, “reading that piece, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Yeah, we’ve been doing that at TMRnyc for several years now.’”
In particular, Behr was referencing the SideWired™ Furniture line. In 2009, some of the TMRnyc team members simply got fed up with the constant cord clutter challenge so many people hassle with daily, especially on their desks.
On a given desk, the average person might always have a lamp, a printer, an external hard drive, and a phone. But then add in the portables that need constant charging for efficient use such as cell phones, tablets, and laptops, and suddenly the desk is a crisscross of cords, all of which trail down over the edge onto a power strip that’s plugged into the wall. It’s messy, disorganized, and ruins the aesthetic appeal of what might otherwise be a gorgeous office.
From this observation was born the SideWired™ Desk, a prototype for the Brooklyn Design 2009 show, which ultimately gave way to the entire SideWired™ Furniture line.
The desk is a minimalist design, clean, with a glass top. Beneath that glass top is a flip-down compartment for adapters and coils of excess cord length. The necessary amount of cord is fed up through small holes in the glass, while the plug is fed toward the side of the desk where it plugs into a/c outlets that are built right into the UL-Listed desk itself. The desk plugs into the wall, and functions safely with a simple on/off switch that serves as a surge protector to safeguard your electronics.
“Today’s technology is about integration and customization,” says Behr, “and your furniture should be, too. That’s what works about the SideWired™ line. It’s furniture for the way we live. Now.”
What do you think of the SideWired™ line? In what style of desk would you like to see this functionality? We’re working on some exciting new designs, so stay tuned to the TMRnyc blog for product updates and exciting news!