George Nelson was personification of humane design in mid-century America. Although he called himself, simply, a designer, his roles included, but were not limited to: graphic artist, writer, teacher, architect, product designer, exhibition designer, photographer and design promoter. His broad scope of talents led him to be one of the main influences in American post-war modernism. He considered his career breaks to be “lucky,” a vast understatement considering the brilliant talent he brought to the design industry.
Nelson’s Storagewall design, the first modular system and forerunner in systems furniture, had been showcased on the cover of Life magazine in 1945 and had caused a sensation in the design industry. Although Nelson had very limited experience in furniture design, Herman Miller founder, D.J. De Pree offered him the position of director of design for his company, certain of Nelson’s developing design talents. His decision proved to be a great benefit for both Herman Miller and the design profession as a whole.
Nelson started George Nelson & Associates and maintained both a professional and personal relationship with De Pree and Herman Miller for over 25 years. During his successful career with Herman Miller that lasted until 1972, Nelson collaborated with other designers of the time such as Ray and Charles Eames, Alexander Girard and Isamu Noguchi to create an extensive selection of furniture to offer in the Herman Miller catalog.
Nelson once said that “total design is nothing more or less than a process of relating everything to everything.” It is with this train of thought that Nelson introduced the Coconut Chair to the Herman Miller collection in 1955.
The design of the Coconut Chair is simple and clean, making its shape its most striking feature. Like a slice of a coconut, the “exterior” of the chair is made of hard, molded plastic while the “interior” is supple leather upholstered over a foam rubber cushion that forms itself to the shape of the outer shell. The body is supported by a bent-steel, 3-legged base similar to many other furniture designs of the time. The chair is not only lightweight, but it is incredibly durable and sturdy.
Nelson’s intention in designing the Coconut Chair was “to give lounge seating comfort, together with great freedom of movement.” The sides of the chair are shallow making it easy to maneuver into nearly any seating position imaginable, while the seat is curved to allow a human body to conform into the chair comfortably.
Nelson’s Coconut Chair makes an elegant office or residential chair and can fit into nearly any modern setting. To find a Coconut Chair in the KC area, contact the John A. Marshall Company in Lenexa, KS. They are an authorized Herman Miller dealer and can help you with all your Herman Miller needs. They can be reached at 913.599.4700.
Comments