george nelson™ coconut chair
Design George Nelson,
1955
Glass fiber reinforced plastic, leather masked, stainless steel
The contours of George Nelson's Coconut chair invite you to surround yourself in comfort. Originally introduced by Herman Miller in 1955, the Nelson coconut chair is a 20th century furniture icon. A chair designed to look like a section of coconut shell wasn't a stretch for someone who said, ?"Total design is nothing more or less than a process of relating everything to everything." The Coconut chair offers a simple, striking shape, and it's also a very comfortable place to unwind at home or in the private office or lounge.
Herman Miller founder D.J. DePree saw an article in a 1945 Life magazine featuring George Nelson's Storagewall unit, which was causing a sensation in the furniture industry. He was so impressed that he paid a visit to Nelson in New York and convinced him to be his director of design, which spurred Nelson to found his design firm, George Nelson & Associates. The warm personal and professional relationship between Nelson and DePree yielded a stunning range of products, from the playful Marshmallow Sofa to the first L-shaped desk, a precursor of today's workstation.
1060 w | 480 d | 920 h
George Nelson (1908–1986) was an American industrial designer, and one of the founders of American Modernism. While Director of Design for the Herman Miller furniture company, both Nelson, and his design studio, George Nelson Associates, Inc., designed much of the 20th century's most iconic modernist furniture. George Nelson attended Yale University, not originally intending become an architect. He happened upon the architecture school while ducking into the building to get out of the rain, and was impressed by an exhibition inside. He graduated with a degree in architecture in 1928. During his final year at Yale, Nelson was hired by the architecture firm Adams and Prentice as a drafter.
Herman Miller was a West Michigan businessman who helped his son-in-law, D.J. De Pree, buy the Michigan Star Furniture Company in 1923. De Pree had been working at the company, which opened in 1905, since he was hired in 1909 as a clerk. De Pree knew his father-in-law was a man of integrity, so he decided to rename the company after him. By the middle of the 20th century, the name Herman Miller had become synonymous with “modern” furniture. Working with legendary designers George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames, the company produced pieces that would become classics of industrial design.