AllModern Guest Post: George Nelson - A Series of Creative "Zaps"

George Nelson

In reflecting on his illustrious 50 year design legacy, contemporary furniture designer George Nelson was notably modest, labeling them as a series of creative "zaps," that struck him like lighting bolts of inspiration. This inspiration resulted in modern masterpieces like the Marshmallow Sofa, the Coconut Chair and of course, his famous Swag Leg Group of chairs and desks.

As an architectural student in Rome, Nelson wrote a series of articles that were published in the U.S., introducing American design community to the European avant-garde. As an editor of Architectural Forum magazine in the early 40s, Nelson garnered praise for his concept of the downtown pedestrian mall. Shortly after he developed the Storagewall, a modular storage system (the first of its kind), which went on to be showcased in a 1945 issue of Life magazine. It was this showcase that grabbed the attention of Herman Miller founder D.J. DuPree, who tracked Nelson down and made him director of design.

Swag-leg desk and chair

George Nelson's partnership with Herman Miller lead to the creation of the Marshmallow Sofa and the first L-shaped desk, which later would morph into the office workstations we see in offices all over the world today. Nelson admired Herman Miller's innovative spirit and design aesthetic, once praising Herman Miller for "not playing follow-the-leader."

Perhaps Nelson's most popular collection for Herman Miller was his Swag Leg Group, introduced in 1958. Seamlessly blending together both form and function, the Swag Leg Group offers consumers a sculptural series of chairs, tables and desks that work in offices today as well as they did back in the day. As practical as they are stylish, the Swag Leg Group has everything that the modern office needs. The desks have ample storage space and work space, while the sculpted chairs are comfortable as they are swanky.

Swaging is the process used to make the metal legs present in all of the pieces, where, using pressure the 16-gauge steel metal tubes are tapered and curved. Using the same patented process as Charles and Ray Eames to mold the plastic shells, Nelson created a series of truly classic contemporary office furniture. Today, while the design remains the same, the shells are made from recyclable polypropylene, extending Nelson's legacy by reaching out to today's more environmentally-conscious consumers.