The iconic American modern luxury design brand partnered with the SCADpro Design Studio Program to create a collection that reimagines the home office experience
Modern maverick home brand Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams today presented an innovative and future-facing work-from-home collection designed in collaboration with renowned Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and SCADpro, the university’s collaborative research and innovation design studio that pairs forward-thinking companies with the brightest creative students and professors to research and develop inventive concepts and solutions. The exclusive SCAD for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Collection comprises two ranges – Alba and Ella – featuring new styles of contemporary desks, chairs, and storage solutions. Designed with the same attention to craftsmanship and comfort synonymous with the brand, they bring a truly innovative approach to at-home working.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams collaborated with SCADpro beginning in November 2020 and during a specific furniture course from March to May 2021, with deep involvement at the briefing, mid-course and final critique stages. The brand joined with SCAD’s multidisciplinary team of professors, and graduate and undergraduate students from the university’s top-ranked degree programs furniture design, industrial design, and illustration to research and design concept collections that balance the functional and holistic requirements of working from home. The result: design-forward silhouettes in elegant finishes, grounded by ergonomics and comfort at every touchpoint. The overall purpose of the project was to target the shift toward remote working, focusing on how, for many, the home has become as much about work life and the shifting meaning and use of home as the center of family community life and engagement.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams President and CEO, Allison O’Connor notes, “Two pillars of our company attest to how our purpose is to be Artisans of Comfort for All and how we aspire to be a Modern Maverick home brand. In speaking to our customers through products that must align with a world in which the very nature of work has changed, and how homes will continue to adapt to our new environment, we embraced an exciting and important opportunity. We collaborated with the famed and prestigious furniture design program at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, close to our own factories in North Carolina, on a project to define furniture for the new meaning of work at home. Focusing on how to unfold the meaning of comfort, this work-from-home collection melds emotion, function, aesthetic,s and efficiency into new timeless pieces that continue the MG+BW journey as a courageous brand that chooses to speak bravely to every homeowner seeking to make a home that places to honor who, what and how they love.”
In addition, the collaboration affirms Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’ commitment to the future of American design and to the next generation of designers.
To truly understand how integrating the workplace and the home affects the consumer, the SCADpro team began with the principles of human-centered research, analyzing over 82 survey responses. The feedback revealed the four key insights that the team then targeted throughout the design process – emotion, comfort, aesthetic, and efficiency. This detailed research confirmed that the future of work is a hybrid environment, with consumers in need of a dedicated home workspace to suit a dual lifestyle.
With this collection, the brand is offering products designed with that user feedback in mind. Integrating everything from work habits and ergonomics like ideal desk height and healthy sitting posture to smart storage solutions for office essentials like printers and files, it gives flexible workspace when needed, then transitions back into beautiful pieces for daily living.
The pieces are crafted from natural and sustainably sourced materials. The timeless modern Alba Collection combines a dark oak finish and brushed stainless steel hardware with vegan leather accents. The elegantly curved, fashion-forward Ella Collection features oak in a brushed white finish with champagne brass details. And a third desk chair option, the executive-style Eva Chair, features rich Italian leather and a distinctive openwork metal base.
“We are delighted to learn that this partnership has resulted in two of the collections designed, Alba and Ella, as well as the Eva Chair, being introduced to the market. Thank you to the students for going the extra mile. Thank you to Bob Williams for working with the class to understand Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’ dedication to comfort, the importance of detail, craftsmanship, and sustainability. And thank you to Allison O’Connor and the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams team for being an inspiration and giving our students this incredible opportunity,” says Frederick Spector, Associate Chair of Furniture Design at SCAD.
The SCAD for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Collection is available online at mgbwhome.com and in MG+BW stores nationwide. Explore the collection at www.mgbwhome.com/scad.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams began with the seed of an idea that continues to guide everything it stands for: comfort for all. Since 1989, the brand has been dedicated to designing for living well, crafting modern heirlooms while continually working to lower its impact on the planet through responsible materials sourcing and partnerships with sustainably driven brands and initiatives. Committed to lasting quality and American craftsmanship, Mitchell
Gold + Bob Williams upholstery is hand-built by generations of skilled artisans at its North Carolina factory, creating works of art that stand the test of time. The brand also supports interior designers, architects, builders and design professionals with a robust Trade Program and Contract division. To date, the brand has 25 Signature Stores across the country, 35 Virtual Design locations and 3 international stores. For more information, please visit our website or follow us on Instagram.
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 15,700 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD is No. 1 in the U.S., according to Art & Object’s 2021 Best Art Schools ranking, with additional top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. For the past four years, 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. For more information, please visit our website.
SCADpro is a collaborative innovation studio that connects current and future creative business leaders to realize what’s next. SCADpro is recognized as the preeminent university partner in higher education and among design agencies worldwide, generating business solutions for the world’s most influential brands. Operating in the U.S. and Europe, SCADpro solves creative and business challenges for Fortune 500 clients, launches alumni brands through SCADpro Fund, and provides executive education at the world’s preeminent university for the study of design and creative business thinking. For more information, please visit our website.
SOURCE: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
