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George Nelson Furniture

American, 1908-1986

Architect, designer, and writer George Nelson was a central figure in the mid-century American modernist design movement; and his thoughts influenced not only the furniture we live with, but also how we live.

Nelson came to design via journalism and literature. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale in 1931, he won the Prix de Rome fellowship, and spent his time in Europe writing magazine articles that helped bring stateside recognition to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gio Ponti, Le Corbusier and other canonical modernist architects.

In the 1940s, Nelson wrote texts that suggested such now-commonplace ideas as open-plan houses, storage walls and family rooms. D.J. De Pree, the owner of the furniture maker Herman Miller, was so impressed by Nelson that in 1944 — following the sudden death of Gilbert Rohde, who had introduced the firm to modern design in the 1930s — he invited Nelson to join the company as its design director. There Nelson’s curatorial design talents came to the fore.

To Herman Miller he brought such eminent creators as Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and the textile and furniture designer Alexander Girard. Thanks to a clever contract, at the same time as he directed Herman Miller he formed a New York design company, George Nelson & Associates, that sold furniture designs to the Michigan firm. Nelson's studio also sold designs for clocks to the Howard Miller Clock Company, a manufacturer that was initially part of Herman Miller before it became an offshoot that was helmed by Howard Miller, D.J. De Pree's brother-in-law.

Nelson’s New York team of designers (who were rarely individually credited) would create such iconic pieces as the Marshmallow sofa, the Coconut chair, the Ball clock, the Bubble lamp series and the many cabinets and beds that comprise the sleek Thin-Edge line.

For dedicated collectors, as well as for interior designers who look beyond “the look,” there is a “cool factor” inherent to vintage pieces from George Nelson and others. Nelson was in on it from the start, and it’s valuable to have a piece that was there with him.

But still, as is evident from the offerings from dealers on 1stDibs, in any of the designs, in any iteration whose manufacture Nelson oversaw and encouraged, there are shining elements of lightness, elegance, sophistication — and a little bit of swagger. George Nelson felt confident in his ideas about design and didn’t mind letting the world know.

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Period: 1980s
Creator: George Nelson
Herman Miller Perch Designed by George Nelson
By George Nelson
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this George Nelson Perch, includes Herman Miller original label, circa 1980. About the Perch: Designed in 1964 as part of the flexible, open, action office program, the Pe...
Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Round Side Table by George Nelson for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
The George Nelson-designed round pedestal side table for Herman Miller features a timeless and sleek design. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, it boasts a circular table s...
Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Pair of Herman Miller Perchs Designed by George Nelson
By George Nelson
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this pair of George Nelson Perchs, includes Herman Miller original label, circa 1980. About the Perch: Designed in 1964 as part of t...
Category

1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Checkerboard Table Clock, "Tempo 21" Tower 2 by George Nelson, 1984
By George Nelson, Howard Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare postmodern cream, brown, and navy checkerboard table clock by Howard Miller Clock Company. From the 1984 "Tempo 21" collection. Very few signs...
Category

1980s North American Post-Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Set of Four George Nelson ''Pretzel'' Armchair Made by ICF, Italy, 1984-1986
By George Nelson, ICF De Padova
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A rare and beautiful set of four ''Pretzel'' armchairs made in laminated wood and manufactured in the 1984/1986 in Italy by ICF De Padova. Originally designed for Herman Miller in...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Ash

Postmodern Howard Miller George Nelson 1984 Metro Table Clock "Tempo 21"
By George Nelson, Howard Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare table clock by Howard Miller Clock Company. From the 1984 "Tempo 21" collection. Navy pyramid base with a cream wavy stem that holds the red and green clock...
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Postmodern Howard Miller George Nelson 1984 Olympus Table Clock "Tempo 21"
By George Nelson, Howard Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare "Olympus" table clock by Howard Miller Clock Company. From the 1984 "Tempo 21" collection. The circular red clock face is upheld by a green pyramid base...
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Howard Miller George Nelson 1984 Checkerboard Table Clock, "Tempo 21" Tower 3
By George Nelson, Howard Miller
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare postmodern brown and cream checkerboard table clock by Howard Miller Clock Company. From the 1984 "Tempo 21" collection. Slight signs of wear ...
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

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George Nelson Meridian Wall Clock Rimini Blue Face by Aldo Londi for Bitossi
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“Meridian” clock designed by George Nelson for the Howard Miller Clock Company. Face is made of “Rimini Blue” Italian ceramic designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, battery operated.
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George Nelson Stool for Herman Miller, USA, 1960s
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George Nelson Mid Century Ball Clock in Brass and Wood
By George Nelson
Located in Weesp, NL
Interestingly, while nearly all of the designs that came out of George’s studio were attributed to him, many were actually designed by him and his team. Some were even designed solely by someone else working at the studio. Nelson famously recounted the story of how the Ball Clock came to life in an interview decades after it’s release: “It was one of the really funny evenings. Noguchi came by, Bucky Fuller came by, and here was Irving, and here was I, and Noguchi - who can’t keep his hands off anything - he saw we were working on clocks and started making doodles. Then Bucky sort of brushed Isamu aside. He said, ‘This is a good way to do a clock’ and made some utterly absurd thing. Everybody was taking a crack at this, pushing each other aside and making scribbles. At some point we left – we were suddenly all tired, and we’d had a little bit too much to drink – and the next morning I came back, and here was this roll of paper, and Irving and I looked at it, and somewhere in this roll, there was a ball clock. I don’t know to this day who cooked it up.” Nevertheless, whoever it was that came up with George Nelson’s designs, it’s almost certain that they would never have come to fruition if it wasn’t for George’s vision and forward-thinking approach. Can you tell me more about his clocks? George’s clocks were one of his most impressive bodies of work. In total, he and his team designed over 130 clocks in just three decades. While it is widely accepted that Irving Harper was the lead designer for the Howard Miller Clock Company at George Nelson Associates, the collection arose after two insightful observations from George: one, that people no longer used the numbers to tell the time; and two, that since most people now used their wristwatch to tell the time, interior clocks were now free to become more decorative in nature. The clocks were designed and released in batches of 8 and were initially only given numbers for names. The Sunflower Clock was simply ‘Clock 2261’, the Flock of Butterflies Clock was 'Clock 2226’, and so on. The Ball was the first clock designed by George and his team and it was followed shortly after by the Star, Sunburst, Spindle, Asterisk, Turbine, Flock of Butterflies, Eye and others. The clocks were purposefully abstract and were designed to complement the modernist furniture emerging at the time. As well as wall clocks, George’s studio also produced a series of desk clocks during that time, most notably the bubble-shaped Night Desk...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Brass

Vintage George Nelson / Howard Miller Multi-color Spike / Starburst Clock
By George Nelson, Howard Miller
Located in Buffalo, NY
Iconic Vintage George Nelson / Howard Miller Multi-color Spike / Starburst Electric Wall Clock,, Amazing colors,, wonderful patina,, retains original Howard Miller label,, Tested and...
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1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

Materials

Metal

Dining table by George Nelson for Herman Miller F66
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Antwerpen, Antwerp
George Nelson was a pioneering modernist who ranks with Raymond Loewy, Charles Eames, and Eliot Noyes as one of America's outstanding designers. Beside being a leading designer and n...
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George Nelson for Herman Miller Lamp and Planter Table
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
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Model 4634-L George Nelson for Herman Miller leather top lamp and planter table. Signed with foil label in drawer, George Nelson design, Herman Miller, ...
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Norman Cherner Pretzel Dining Side Arm Chair Made by Plycraft 1960's
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Norman Cherner pretzel dining chair, made by Plycraft in the 1960's. If you are in the New Jersey , New York City Metro Area , please contact us with your delivery zipcode, as we may...
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George Nelson Pedestal Side Table for Herman Miller
By George Nelson
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A simple and elegant pedestal side table with round top having a natural thin wood trim detail to the edge and cast meat star base . The base with foot pads to protect your floors ha...
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Arthur Umanoff Desk Clock, George Nelson & Associates, 1950s
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Located in Houston, TX
George Nelson & Associates table clock. Howard Miller Clock Company, USA. Rosewood, steel. Measures: 4.25 W x 3 D x 5.5 H inches. Signed with decal manufacturer's label t...
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Midcentury George Nelson Slatted Bench for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in New York, NY
An American Midcentury-Modern classic. This slatted bench was designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller. It comprised of maple with ebonized legs. A design of balance, symmetry, an...
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Previously Available Items
Mid Century George Nelson for Herman Miller Basic Storage Cabinet
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Detroit, MI
This Mid-Century Modern cabinet was designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller in 1946 for his “Basic Series” of modular furniture that coordinate in size, shape, and design and inc...
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George Nelson Large Bubble Pendant Light
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George Nelson Brown Orange and Steel Marshmallow Sofa, 1980s, Herman Miller
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George Nelson Bench
By George Nelson
Located in Atlanta, GA
Clean lined modern bench, designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller, American, circa 1980s. Retains warm original patina.
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1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage George Nelson Furniture

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Maple

George Nelson Bench
George Nelson Bench
H 13.25 in W 71 in D 18.5 in
George Nelson for Herman Miller Marshmallow Sofa in White Leather
By George Nelson
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A nice vintage 1980s George Nelson for Herman Miller Marshmallow sofa in white leather. The sofa appears to have been re done. The leath...
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1980s American Vintage George Nelson Furniture

George Nelson furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

George Nelson furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of George Nelson furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by George Nelson were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Drexel, Widdicomb Furniture Co., and John Widdicomb. Prices for George Nelson furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $155 and can go as high as $48,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,411.
Questions About George Nelson Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    George Nelson was a furniture designer central to the mid-century modern design movement. His best-known creations are the marshmallow sofa, coconut chair, ball clock and bubble lamp series. His style included sleek, thin-edge lines on a variety of furniture still available today. Shop a range of George Nelson furniture designs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    George Nelson was an American designer, and for a time the lead designer for the famed Herman Miller furniture company. Nelson is often referred to as the founder of American modernist design and often associated with his more inspired pieces such as the Coconut Chair, Marshmallow Sofa and the Ball Clock. Shop a collection of George Nelson furniture designs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Modern George Nelson clocks are made in Poland. The company Vitra Designs manufactures the timepieces based on the original designs of the American designer who lived from 1908 to 1986. On 1stDibs, you can shop a selection of George Nelson clocks.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    George Nelson Bubble Lamps are made of steel wires, which form a durable framework for the lamp. A plastic polymer material spread over the wires forms the shade which is translucent to give the lamp a soft glow. Inspired by Swedish lamps, these mid-century modern light fixtures are still made by the legendary furniture manufacturer Herman Miller today. Shop a range of George Nelson Bubble Lamps on 1stDibs.

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