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. Nelson's studio also sold designs for clocks to the Howard Miller Clock Company, a manufacturer that was initially part of Herman Miller before it became an offshoot that was helmed by Howard Miller, D.J. De Pree's brother-in-law.
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 1stDibs, 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.
$7,500
H 29 in W 71.75 in D 83 in
George Nelson for Herman Miller Executive Office desk and Return 1955
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Chicago, IL
George Nelson for Herman Miller Executive Office Desk and Return, 1955 Walnut case with laminate top and aluminum “H” base legs. The long cabinet is finished on all sides, featuring ...
Aluminum
George Nelson Desk for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in San Mateo, CA
Double pedestal desk by Herman Miller. This desk was probably a custom order. There are three wide drawers and three small drawers. The top small drawer has a sliding pencil...
Chrome
George Nelson Home Office Desk Model 4658 for Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Dallas, TX
George Nelson & Associates Home Office desk, model 4658 Manufactured by Herman Miller USA, 1946 This example is constructed of combed oak, chrome-plated...
Aluminum, Steel
$1,950
H 25.5 in W 72 in D 23 in
1970s 6ft George Nelson & Robert Probst Herman Miller Office Desk w/ Drawers
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is an original 1970s Herman Miller Action Office desk with two drawers, designed by George Nelson and Robert Probst. This is a delightful...
Laminate, Oak
$6,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 44.5 in W 80.75 in D 18.5 in
George Nelson For Herman Miller Desk And Credenza
By George Nelson
Located in Pasadena, TX
A mid century modern desk and credenza designed by George Nelson and made by Herman Miller. The walnut credenza with multiple drawers and compartments for storage. The desk with wa...
Laminate, Walnut
$3,200
H 26.5 in W 34.5 in D 16 in
Early George Nelson Desk / Return, Child's Desk, Modernist, Herman Miller
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early George Nelson desk / return, child's desk, Modernist, Herman Miller, Retains original Herman Miller foil label, 4 drawers, pencil dividers, steel frame, minor pitting (lower right side bottom). Original designed for larger desk, return, typewriter desk...
Aluminum, Steel
$14,000Sale Price|60% Off
H 79.5 in W 84 in D 108.5 in
Vintage 1949 Mid-Century Modern Custom L-Shaped Office Desk by George Nelson
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Lafayette, IN
This remarkable piece is a one-off desk/wardrobe/bar/bookcase/storage cabinet custom-designed by George Nelson in 1949 to match his Basic Cabinet Series (BCS) for Herman Miller. The desk was made specifically for a client in the Promontory Apartment Building in Chicago designed by Nelson's associate, and world-renowned architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The entire apartment was outfitted in pieces from George Nelson's Basic Cabinet Series for Herman Miller that sat, untouched for nearly 70 years in their original setting! In addition to two aluminium sconces, this piece also features hidden, fluorescent lighting mounted in the upper canopy as a clever solution to Mies van der Rohe's lack of ceiling fixtures. This is a gorgeous, grandiose, and extremely rare piece of design history that will instantly outfit an entire office in striking style! Features: Desk: - Book-matched walnut veneer - Built-in Bar - Built in coat closet/wardrobe - Dual aluminum sconces - Hidden, indirect fluorescent lighting - Silver-plated Herman Miller hardware - Dual "floating" book shelves - Tapered, cantilevered peninsula desk...
Aluminum
$1,500
H 28 in W 48 in D 30 in
1970s 4ft George Nelson & Robert Probst Herman Miller Office Desk w/ Drawers
By George Nelson, Herman Miller
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a 1970s vintage Herman Miller Action Office desk, designed by George Nelson. This is a classic example of Nelson's work with great emphasis on simplicity and functionality. It has cast aluminum legs and basket-like pull-out drawers. We have multiple Action Office desks in stock...
Aluminum
$1,860Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.14 in W 73.04 in D 31.89 in
Mid-Century Modern Desk Designed by Cees Braakman for USM Pastoe
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Beautifully designed desk by Cees Braakman for Pastoe with high levels of practicality and comfort. It has six drawers, three of each side of the seating position. The exterior lo...
Oak
$2,600Sale Price|28% Off
H 28.75 in W 67.72 in D 33.86 in
1960’s Ejgil Petersen EP401 Executive Writing Desk - Kai Kristiansen
By Kai Kristiansen
Located in Bern, CH
1960’s Ejgil Petersen EP401 Executive Writing Desk. Lockable drawers with original key. Three pull out drawers located on the seating side. Three book / decor shelves on the open sid...
Steel
Mid Century Roger Sprunger for Dunbar Walnut Executive Desk with Plinth Bases
By Edward Wormley
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
A monumental and sophisticated executive desk manufactured by Dunbar Furniture of Berne, Indiana. Designed during the Roger Sprunger era, this piece embodies the transition from mid-...
Mahogany
Mid Century George Nakashima “Origins” Walnut Writing Desk or Coffee Table
By Widdicomb Furniture Co., George Nakashima
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
Documented writing desk from George Nakashima’s Origins series, executed in richly grained walnut and produced in the United States under the auspices of the Nakashima Studio. The Or...
Walnut
Mid Century Clifford Pascoe White Laminate Desk with Hairpin Iron Base, 1950's
By Clifford Pascoe
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
Clifford Pascoe was a notable American mid-century modern furniture designer, active primarily in the 1950s and 1960s. His work is best known for its minimalist, industrial-inspired ...
Iron
Erno Fabry Mid Century Teak and Butternut Dresser with Brass Inlay, 1940's
By Erno Fabry
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
This exceptional dresser is the work of Erno Fabry, a prominent modernist designer known for his early post-war contributions to American and European interiors. The piece features a sophisticated combination of teak drawer fronts framed in butternut wood, a signature material pairing for Fabry that creates a subtle, elegant tonal contrast. A defining feature of this model is the delicate brass pinstripe inlay that borders the drawers, a detail often found in his designs influenced by Italian legend Gio Ponti. The dresser is supported by original, slender tapered brass legs and features circular brass pulls. The "Western Zone of Germany" stamp (visible in your previous photo) is of particular historical interest. It dates the piece to the immediate post-WWII period (1945–1949) when Fabry, after serving in the U.S. Army, was active in establishing product lines for international export. Professionally restored and French hand-polished by Master-craftsman Mark Mendelson, NY. Erno Fabry born Erno Fay Friedmann was born in 1906 in Austro-Hungary. Raised in prosperous Hungarian Jewish...
Brass
Mid Century Modern Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Articulating Desk Lamp
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
A masterful blend of utility and sculpture, this desk lamp was designed by the influential American modernist Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. The piece features a striking matte blac...
Metal
Preben Fabricius & Jørgen Kastholm Square Slate & Teak Coffee Table for Bo-Ex
By Jørgen Kastholm & Preben Fabricius
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
A superb Mid-Century Modern square coffee table designed by the legendary Danish duo Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm for Bo-Ex, circa 1960. This piece exemplifies the "Industria...
Slate, Chrome
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.
Maggie and Anne Genovese, of Forsyth, teamed up with fashion designer Nikki Kule to reimagine some classic pieces.
