George Nelson for Herman Miller Living Room Set

About the Item

George Nelson for Herman Miller living room set, United States, 1960s. This fine living room set consisting of two sofas and a side table is designed by the renowned American furniture designer George Nelson. This sleek design is characterized by a solid construction based on sharp lines and geometric shapes that are noticeable in the body of the seats and the frame, underlining the clear structured design. The metal legs elevate the seat up in a graceful way, creating an open and more transparent look to the whole unit. George Nelson (1908-1986) was an architect, writer, lecturer and designer who was one of the first to pick up Industrial Design in the United States. Nelson fundamentally questioned the basis of furniture business. After initial reluctance Nelson came to work as a designer and director at Herman Miller in 1944. Here, Nelson rejected the purely market-oriented type of business model that was predominant in the furniture sector and plead only to make furniture of which he was completely convinced: the rest would follow. In his first year at Miller, he produced 77 designs. Nelson believed furthermore that the industrial designer brought together all the arts. His designs are recognized by open shapes, clean lines and modest forms. The size is for the large sofa. Small sofa: d 76 x w 190 x h 69 x sh 38. Coffee table: d 76 x w 152 x h 24cm

Creator:
George Nelson (Designer),Herman Miller (Maker)
Design:
Nelson Daybed
Dimensions:
Height: 27.17 in (69 cm)Width: 90.56 in (230 cm)Depth: 29.93 in (76 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Fabric,Plywood,Steel
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1960s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. We guarantee a very high quality standard, ask our design specialists for detailed information.
Seller Location:
Waalwijk, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: 450035971stDibs: LU933118833312
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Shop All George Nelson

George Nelson

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, as well as its competitor, the Howard Miller Clock Company. 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 these pages, 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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Ships From: Waalwijk, Netherlands
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About the Seller

4.9

Located in Waalwijk, Netherlands

Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.

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