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The Full Nelson. George Nelson’s Gate Leg Dining Table

Written by Chad Womack on 03/05/2017. Posted in Design History. Leave a Comment

The Full Nelson. George Nelson’s Gate Leg Dining #4656 for Herman Miller.

Nelson Table open — George Nelson Dining Table #4656 for Herman Miller restored by TC Woodcrafters.

George Nelson’s gate leg dining table #4656 was designed for the Herman Miller Company in 1946. The table illustrated was recently restored by my friends at Tim and Anne Donn at TC Woodcrafters in Traverse City Michigan. Woodcrafters beautifully restored the finish and damages that occurred from normal use. The table was produced from 1947-1960 and is shown in American Walnut. It was also manufactured in South American Prima Vera solids and veneers. The underside of the table top is stamped with #17. It is unclear if this a factory “batch” number or the 17th table produced.

This type of table gate leg table converting from a console table to a dining table borrows from traditional designs as far back as the 17th century Jacobean period. The table stylistic departure from traditional furniture as well as Nelson’s design accentuating the joints function into a design detail is unique in American mass produced casegoods of this period. The top featuring large notched style rule joint “knuckle joint” creates a beautiful interlocking pattern across the width of the top. The more refined rule joint with hidden hinges would have been the only acceptable method traditionally used on high-quality furniture. Here Nelson makes a feature of the joint on both top and the gate leg supports. More research needs to be done to see if Nelson borrowed this technique from Danish cabinetmakers or this construction detail unique to his work. This type of exposed knuckle joint was later widely adopted on dining tables by American Craft Furniture makers in the 1970’s. The Nelson table #4656 is in the permanent collection of the Vitra Design Musem in Germany. Dimensions H. 29.5″, W. 18.5″ – 65″ D.40″

The dining table was one of Nelson’s very early designs for Herman Miller. He was appointed the company’s first Director of Design in 1945. Max Depree the president of Herman Miller sought out George Nelson after the death of the great American designer Gilbert Rohde in 1944. Note: click on images to enlarge.

George Nelson's gate leg dining table — Nelson Table fully open

$100,000.00 Double Marshmallow

Written by Chad Womack on 02/26/2017. Posted in Design History. Leave a Comment

Iconic George Nelson and Irving Harper Marshmallow Sofa

Nelson Marshmallow Sofa — George Nelson & Irving Harper Double Marshmallow Sofa for Herman Miller Circa. 1956. Photo: Wright Auctions Chicago. Sale date May 19, 2015

I am currently researching an early George Nelson Drop Leaf Dining Table for Herman Miller circa. 1946. My friends at T C Woodcrafters in Traverse City are currently restoring the table for a client. During my search, I came across this mind-blowing Wright Auction Design Masterworks sale May 19, 2015, featuring a rare double Marshmallow Sofa by George Nelson & Irving Harper with upholstery hues by Alexander Girard. The double sofa illustrated is 104″ w x 31″ d x 31h. The original designed in 1956 was scaled at 52″width. Only 186 were produced by Herman Miller and design was not a commercial success. The piece illustrated sold for and absolutely amazing price of $112,500 in the 2015 sale.

Finn Juhl Dining Table

Written by Chad Womack on 04/28/2016. Posted in Design History. Leave a Comment

Finn Juhl Dining Table FJ44 c 1944. Sold at Phillips London April 27, 2016 for $98,500.00. Cabinet maker Niels Vodder. One of 12 made. Phillps describes the one sold as in Cuban Mahogany and painted. The other FJ44 description I found was in Teak and Formica. Two versions are shown. Really interesting piece and important Mid-Century Modern design.

Cabinet Featuring Integrated Desk Old Mission Peninsula

Written by Chad Womack on 12/10/2015. Posted in Desks. Leave a Comment

Cabinet Featuring Integrated Desk

The cabinet featuring integrated desk was designed for my client who owns a wonderful mid-century modern house on Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City, Michigan.

The cabinet features a painted bookcase with three adjustable shelves and a recessed pigeon hole unit for the desk. The solid cherry pigeon hole is fitted with a natural white maple partitions and illuminated with cobalt blue glass back panels. The cherry partners desk is fitted with a traditional map style drawer in African Wenge that functions as a “pencil drawer” on both sides of the top.

Please click on the images to enlarge.

Chair Model No. DRB15

Written by Chad Womack Design on 06/09/2015. Posted in Chairs. Leave a Comment

Chair Model No. DRB 15

Chair Model No. DRB 15 is composed of American Cherry solids with African Wenge back splat and polished Stainless Steel banding. The hand-tied traditional sprung seat is shown in fine Cognac brown hide. The curved cherry backrest was glued up to the required thickness and band-sawed on a taper. The backrest blank was also positioned on a compound angle on the saw table so that no glue line was visible on the face, disrupting the pattern of the wood grain. The back splat is veneered in beautiful dark African Wenge and traced with a banding of polished stainless steel. Polished stainless hex key fasteners are used as both functional and decorative elements. The tapered Cherry back legs are splayed on a compound angle to give the chair an elegant stance.

7 Drawer Desk in Walnut & Parchment

Written by Chad Womack on 11/23/2014. Posted in Desks. Leave a Comment

7 Drawer Desk in Walnut & Parchment.

The 7 Drawer Desk in Walnut & Parchment was inspired by the interest in modern furniture from France in 1930’s the 1950’s. This period of design is frequently described as “40 French Furniture”. In the late 1990’s when I was V.P. of Design and Product Development at John Widdicomb Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I produced a number of furniture collections based on this wonderful period of design. Designers of the 40’s period looked back on the opulent French Louis XVI Cabinet Makers and reduced the bronze ornamentation but kept the silhouette. The French designer Jean-Michael Frank is the acknowledged master of the distillation of 18c French interior design. Frank used parchment not only furniture but covered entire rooms with square panels wrapped with the skin. The 7 Drawer Desk is constructed of solid American Walnut with Parchment covering veneered panels. The walnut top is fitted with a recessed parchment panel that has a glass panel over the top for protection. The Greek key style pedestals are cantilevered over the open plinth. Polished Stainless Steel drawer pulls are graduated in size on the drawer fronts. The left pedestal features a unique drawer that functions as a small lock box and is illustrated below.