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Marshmallow Sofa
Iconic Designs

Marshmallow SofaBy George Nelson

About the Design

Original models of the Marshmallow sofa have fetched tens of thousands of dollars at auction courtesy of the famously limited inaugural production. A fusion of function and Pop Art created by former George Nelson employee and young designer Irving Harper (1916–2015), the sofa was conceived after a salesman from a Long Island, New York–based plastics manufacturer visited George Nelson Associates in Manhattan with his company’s new injection-molded vinyl pads. The pads were durable and cost-effective, argued the salesman, because they were “self-skinning” and wouldn’t need upholstering. To Harper, the cushions presented a design challenge — one he gamely accepted. He worked up a model over a weekend’s time.

The Marshmallow sofa’s scattered disks, which measured 10 inches in diameter, looked as if they were suspended in midair. When the sofa debuted in 1956, the Herman Miller catalogue listed the design as the “Marshmallow Love Seat #5670” and credited it to Nelson rather than Harper, stating, “Despite its astonishing appearance, this piece is very comfortable.”

Unfortunately, with 18 cushions per brushed tubular steel frame, the venture was far more expensive than Nelson and Harper realized, and Herman Miller manufactured only a couple hundred models in the initial batch. The company stopped producing the sofa in 1961 but reissued the piece in the 1980s. Now it’s available in leather and a variety of brightly colored fabrics. Harper, who redesigned the Herman Miller logo in 1946, conceived of other Pop Art–style furnishings while working for George Nelson, such as the Ball clock and Sunburst clock.

Marshmallow Sofa

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George Nelson Marshmallow Sofa
By George Nelson
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
George Nelson Marshmallow sofa, model 5670 Manufactured by Herman Miller A great example of an iconic form.
Category

Vintage 1950s American Sofas

Materials

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Brazilian Modern Marshmallow” Sofa by George Nelson, 1956
By George Nelson
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Available today, with domestic shipping in NYC metro area included, This Brazilian Modern Marshmallow” Sofa by George Nelson is nothing less than gorgeous! The Marshmallow Sofa, d...
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George Nelson for Herman Miller "Marshmallow" Sofa
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
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George Nelson and Associates for Herman Miller "Marshmallow" Sofa, originally designed 1956, this example 2012, eighteen black leather upholstered cushions on a steel and black ename...
Category

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Limited Edition Multicolor George Nelson For Herman Miller Marshmallow Sofa
By Irving Harper, Herman Miller, George Nelson
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George Nelson Office – Limited Edition Marshmallow Sofa Designed by Irving Harper for the George Nelson office, this multicolored Marshmallow Sofa is a limited edition piece manufact...
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Early Original George Nelson Marshmallow Sofa. Amazing Condition. Signed
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Orignal production iconic Marshmallow Sofa designed by Irving Harper for the George Nelson Office therefore attributed to George Nelson. Manufactured by Herman Miller and signed who...
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Settees

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