Before founding The Cottage at Four Corners, Nancy was a part of Design Research (D/R), an innovative company founded by Ben Thompson.

There is currently a Design Research retrospective being hosted in the original D/R building at 48 Brattle St. In Harvard Square.
Jane Thompson, wife of the late Ben Thompson, along with Peter Wheeler, Nancy, Blase Gallo, Karen Lewis, Susan Ward and Caroline Van Valkenburgh have created an exhibit for the visitors to Harvard Square, showcasing many of the original Design Research products, including Marimekko, Aalto, and Iittala. We carry a wide selection of Iittala products at The Cottage. If you are looking for Marimekko products you can find them at the Marimekko Concept Store on Huron Ave.

You can read more about the retrospective:

Marimekko Press Release
The Moment
Dwell
Getting Home Design
AlwaysMod
Girl in the Green Dress
The Function Key

There is a nice article about Design Research’s impact in the NY Times from 2003.

You can find an interview with some other Design Research Alumni on Dwell.

As part of the event, Elsa Dorfman has been photographing some of the original Design Research team members.