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Modern Furniture Classics
Furniture by the great modern designers. Go to:
Charles and Ray Eames,
Eames Home Office Furniture,
George Nelson,
Warren Platner,
Modern Dining Furniture.
See
also modern lighting
Florence Knoll Bassett
Florence Knoll Bassett took a holistic view of interior space
planning. As director of the Knoll Planning Unit in the 1950s, her “total
design” approach embraced everything about a space – including the furniture.
She modestly referred to her furniture designs as the “meat and potatoes” of an
interior, yet to this day they hold the same iconic American appeal as that most
basic and functional of meals. Her lounge collection (1954) has the simple,
architectural lines and unparalleled construction of all modern classics.
If you combined the work of I.M. Pei and Eero Saarinen, the
result might very well look like the Platner Collection (1966). Warren Platner
worked with both of the industrial and organic design giants before turning his
attention to steel wire furniture, for which he devised the structure and
production method. Requiring as many as 1,000 welds and crafted out of wire and
space, the Lounge Chair, available in a range of upholstery options,
demonstrates Platner's belief that there is room in modernism "for the kind of
decorative, gentle, graceful design that appeared in a period style like Louis
XV."
Possessed of one of the most inventive minds of
the century, George Nelson is one of those rare people who can envision what
isn't there yet. Nelson himself has described his creative abilities as a series
of "zaps" — flashes of inspiration and clarity that he was able to
turn into innovative design ideas. One such "zap!" came in 1942 when
Nelson conceived the pedestrian shopping mall detailed in his "Grass on
Main Street" proposal. Soon after, he pioneered the concept of built-in
storage with Storagewall, a system of storage units that rested on slatted
platform benches. The first modular storage system ever, it was showcased in
Life magazine and caused an immediate sensation in the furniture industry.
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| Nelson BCS - 5 Drawer Cabinet with Door
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Nelson BCS - 2 Drawers over 2 Doors
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| Introducing the return of the Basic Cabinet Series (1946) by George
Nelson. Designed to accommodate the changing circumstances of our lives,
the Basic Cabinet Series (BCS) was created to satisfy Nelson’s belief
that furniture should be able to function anywhere – any room, any home
and in any era. Modular in design, these flexible storage pieces fit
together in a variety of combinations to suit any living, working,
dining or sleeping area. |
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| Herman Miller Select Nelson Tray Table
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Nelson Coconut Chair
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| George Nelson was the director of design at Herman Miller, Inc. from
1946 to 1972. His influence over those three decades is what made Herman
Miller what it is today. To honor this legacy, Michigan-based Herman
Miller is re-issuing Nelson's 1961 molded-top Tray Table (1961/2011)
with a special design inspired by Nelson's Flock of Butterflies clock.
Forming the sunburst are hand-selected veneers of walnut and santos
palisander wood inlaid into white ash. Simple assembly is required for
the Tray Table. Made in U.S.A |
George Nelson once said that "total design is nothing more or less
than a process of relating everything to everything." So it makes
perfect sense that, in 1955, Nelson related a lounge chair to a coconut.
Intended to combine comfort with freedom of movement |
Fifty years ago, the creation of George Nelson's Swag Leg Group
(1958) began with him asking "wouldn't it be beautiful to have some kind of
sculptured leg on a piece of furniture?" An idea was launched, but the designer
had to figure out how to make the legs of metal, machine formed and ready for
quick assembly. The solution turned out to be
swaging, a method of using pressure to taper and curve a metal tube.
Nelson had found a way to make his sculptured legs.
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Nelson Swag Leg Round Dining Table
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Nelson Swag Leg Armchair
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Nelson Swag Leg Rectangular Dining Table
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| Fifty years ago, the creation of George Nelson's Swag Leg Group
(1958) began with him asking "wouldn't it be beautiful to have some kind
of sculptured leg on a piece of furniture?" |
The Nelson Swag Leg Chair
flexes with the sitter and maintains comfortable air circulation through
the opening between the seat and back. Wide, flat armrests provide a
comfortable resting place for forearms. |
Right for home or workspace, the newly reintroduced Dining Table
features solid walnut stretchers that are screwed to the legs for added
stability. The walnut veneered top has coordinating walnut veneer edging
for a uniform profile |
Design is for living. That maxim shaped a
widespread shift in design during the 1940s and 1950s. It was a revolution of
form, an exciting visual language that signaled a new age and a fresh start --
and two of its prime movers were Charles and Ray Eames. A husband and wife team
whose unique synergy led to a whole new look in furniture. Lean and modern.
Sleek, sophisticated and simple. Beautifully functional. Yet Charles and Ray
Eames created more than a "look" with their bent plywood chairs or
molded fiberglass seating. They had ideas about making a better world, one in
which things were designed to fulfill the practical needs of ordinary people and
bring greater simplicity and pleasure to our lives. These originals are
authentic, fully licensed products of Herman Miller, Inc. Eames is a licensed
trademark of Herman Miller. See also
Eames Dining Room Furniture
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| Eames® Lounge and Ottoman
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Eames® Aluminum Lounge Chair - Fabric
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Eames® Sofa - 2 Seat
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| In continuous production since its introduction in 1956, the Eames
Lounge Chair is widely considered one of the most significant designs of
the 20th century |
When Charles and Ray Eames designed the Eames Aluminum Management
Chair and Side Chair (1958), they created a revolution in seating that
has lost none of its edge |
A study in beautiful contrasts, this sofa has a clean, angled
profile that showcases its fine materials - rich walnut, soft leather,
polished aluminum. Back panels are fashioned from solid walnut,
hand-finished with gunstock oil. |
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Eames® Wire-Base Table
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Eames® Molded Plywood Coffee Table
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Characteristically, the Eames; Wire-Base Table is remarkable for the
elegance achieved using simple, practical materials. The Eameses used
these wire-base tables in their home during a tea ceremony that included
Isamu Noguchi and Charlie Chaplin |
Using the same technology that led to the invention of their iconic
molded plywood lounge chairs, the Eameses designed their Molded Plywood
Coffee Table (1946) to have a lean, shaped form that was durable yet
lightweight |
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Eames® La Chaise
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Eames® Elliptical Table
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The voluptuous organic form of the Eames La Chaise was an evolution of
plywood chairs developed a year earlier in collaboration with architect
Eero Saarinen for the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition
at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. |
Nicknamed the "surfboard table", this elongated Elliptical Table (1951)
exemplifies the delightful playfulness that enlivened the work of
Charles and Ray Eames. It also reveals the couple's practical side |
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Eames® Molded Plywood Lounge Chair, LCM
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Eames® Molded Plywood Lounge Chair, LCW
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| The Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair (1946) is instantly
recognizable as the work of Charles and Ray Eames, with a form that
relates directly to the human body and holds no secrets as to how it
succeeds technically |
The Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair (1946) has been referred to as the
"most famous chair of the century," with a low-slung form that relates
directly to the human body and holds no secrets as to how it succeeds
technically. |
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Eames® Molded Plywood Dining Chair, DCM
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Eames® Molded Plywood Dining Chair, DCW
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| The Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair (1946) is instantly
recognizable as the work of Charles and Ray Eames, with a form that
relates directly to the human body and holds no secrets as to how it
succeeds technically |
The Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair (1946) is instantly
recognizable as the work of Charles and Ray Eames, with a form that
relates directly to the human body and holds no secrets as to how it
succeeds technically |
The concept of modularity wasn't in the popular lexicon when Charles
and Ray Eames designed their innovative Storage Units (1950) that can be
configured to fit a space or need. Suitable for office and residential use, these units were designed
as storage and display spaces, with two color schemes.
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Eames® Storage Unit - 2x2
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Eames® Storage Unit - 1x2
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Eames® Storage Unit - 2x2 with Doors
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| The concept of modularity wasn't in the popular lexicon when Charles
and Ray Eames designed their innovative Storage Units (1950) that can be
configured to fit a space or need |
Suitable for office and residential use, these units were designed
as storage |
The concept of modularity wasnt in the popular lexicon when Charles
and Ray Eames designed their innovative Storage Units (1950) that can be
configured to fit a space or need. |
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