A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Inmod and asked to review a piece of furniture from their new Origins line, and I agreed to do so.
Today I received the Wire Base Side Table, which is Inmod's reproduction of the Charles and Ray Eames Wire Base Low Table. I must say that it is quite faithful to the original design in dimension (H 10" x W 15.5" x D 13.25") and appearance. The table was designed to be stackable or used side-by-side as a low coffee table, and because of its size, I think that would almost be necessary. Alone it could look awkwardly small, unless paired with just the right size chair or sofa.
As soon as I lifted it from the box (fully assembled, incidentally), I immediately noted its substantial weight. The layered plywood top with flat melamine surface is extremely attractive, as is the sturdy wire base. The workmanship is impressive, and the Inmod price of $179 (currently on sale for $99) is more economical than the licensed table produced by Herman Miller and sold for $205 (or Design Within Reach's $215 for the Herman Miller version), especially since, as far as I can tell, there is virtually no difference in the products. Like the tables offered by the other retailers, Inmod's table is available in black or white.
The original Eames design was inspired by the low profile of Japanese furnishings, and, according to the DWR site, was used in the Eames home for a tea ceremony including Isamu Noguchi and Charlie Chaplin.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with Inmod's Wire Base Side Table. It will go upstairs in my grandsons' gameroom, where it will fit perfectly between two low-slung kids' chairs. If this piece is representative of their classic mid-century Origins line, I can't wait to see more!
Note: I partnered with Inmod for this post and was encouraged to provide an objective review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Five years ago, a company was started with the mission "to set the trend in replica and original designs, providing the opportunity for everyone to create homes and spaces with an edge and at a budget that everyone could afford."
I admit that at first I was a little put off that they chose to appropriate the name "France & Son" from that of the well-known 20th century Danish manufacturing company which ultimately put into production the designs of a number mid-century icons, such as Arne Vodder, Grete Jalk, Peter Hvidt & Orla Molgaard-Nielsen, Finn Juhl, and Ole Wanscher. I could find no mention of the original company on their website, nor a disclaimer saying they have no connection to that historic company.
To be fair, they are under no legal or ethical obligation to do so, since the original company has not existed for decades. However, my concern was, and still is, that some people who are familiar with the name of the Danish company but do not know its history might be misled by the new company's name.
That said, after receiving numerous promotional emails from the company, I decided to make a purchase and take a look at the quality of the products they sell. I ordered their $39.99 walnut version of the Eames Hang-It-All, which is sold by Herman Miller for $299.
The Herman Miller version measures 14.7H x 19.7L x 6.5D, while the France & Son version measures 15.5H x 19.75L x 7D. I was quite pleased with the sturdiness and workmanship of the France & Son version, considering the difference in price, and I can justify spending $40 for a coat rack far more easily than I can justify spending $300.
Once a real purist about mid-century design, my attitude began to shift after doing some research for this blog. If you'd like to know why, see the links below.
France & Son version of Eames Hang-It-All
Close-up of France & Son version of Eames Hang-It-All
NOTE: A recurring theme on this blog has to do with legal and ethical issues surrounding knock-offs, reproductions and reissues. Whenever I broach this subject, I always reference a series of three "Is It Real?" posts I did in 2011 for any new readers who would like to examine the topic in more detail. First post : According to a Collector; second post: According to a Manufacturer; third post: According to an Heir
We just put two gorgeous tables on the floor. One is an early George Nelson design for Herman Miller that has two butterfly leaves, a walnut top and ebony legs. The other is an oval rosewood by Florence Knoll that can be used as a conference table or a dining table. The Nelson table has been fully restored, and the Knoll table is in very good vintage condition.
In 1953, a high school dropout in her early twenties named Hilda Longinotti saw an ad in the New York Times for a job as a receptionist for a world-famous architect. She didn't know what an architect was, but she donned her pumps, hat and gloves, straightened the seams of her stockings and went to the George Nelson Office to apply. She was hired on the spot.
At age 43, she left the Nelson Office and went to work for Herman Miller. And now, as part of their remarkable WHY series, Herman Miller has created several short films about Hilda Longinotti's favorite anecdotes about working for George Nelson. Animated by Damien Florébert Cuypers and entitled The Hilda Stories, these charming videos provide a fascinating insight into her 21-year run as Nelson's aide-de-camp. Each one ends with brief comments by Longinotti, who is now in her eighties. I highly recommend your reading the short interview with her on the Herman Miller site. You're going to love this woman!
The Receptionist
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Bon Voyage, George
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The Case of the Missing Warhols
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The last video of the series, called The Woman on the Marshmallow Sofa, premiered today on the Herman Miller site. You can bet I was tuned in for Hilda's next tale. How could I resist after seeing the following photo of her?
Hilda Longinetti modeling the Marshmallow sofa
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The Woman on the Marshmallow Sofa
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Thanks to reader Lauren Fraser for emailing me a link to these great videos. I kept up with the WHY Design series faithfully, but somehow The Hilda Stories had escaped my attention, and I would have hated to miss them. Be sure to check out Lauren's beautiful Etsy store, 2nd Look Vintage.
This lovely tall secretary now graces our store. Designed by George Nelson for Herman Miller, it has a door on the left, with drawers and a drop-front desk on the right. This is one of those stylish pieces that could quickly become an indispensable storage unit in your home.
I only have one thing to say about this video: Herman Miller should have stuck to print ads.
OK, maybe a few more words...If you love the coolness of the Irving Harper print ads, you've got to see this to believe it. These TV commercials are so bad they defy description.
This is my fifth post sharing with you the Herman Miller WHY series. The Forward Pull
In this segment of Herman Miller WHY, 33-year veteran of the company's Research and Design department Don Goeman talks about their two-decade-long collaboration with German design firm Studio 7.5 and why he thinks it still feels fresh after all these years.
He recalls meeting Burkhard Schmitz, Claudia Plikat, and Carola and Roland Zwick for the first time twenty years ago: their casual attire when Herman Miller employees were still wearing coats and ties, their hip quirkiness and their rigorous approach to work.
Goeman explains why he considers Studio 7.5 the best seating designers in the world and why he feels they are rarely following the Herman Miller lead, but instead are pulling them forward.
(I would urge you to check out Studio 7.5's website if you haven't already. It is a perfect example of how creative this group is...not like most sites I've visited, for sure!)
Don Goeman
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Claudia Plikat, Roland Zwick, Carola Zwick, Burkhard Schmitz
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Setu chair and table, Puzzle, Mirra 1 and Mirra 2
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Roland Zwick, Claudia Plikat, Burkhard Schmitz and Carola Zwick
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Setu chair hermanmiller.com
Mirra chair hermanmiller.com
You can read the entire piece at the Herman Miller site.
This is my fourth post sharing with you the Herman Miller WHY series. Work Life
This segment of the Herman Miller WHY series focuses on collaboration. For a year, the company's Insight and Exploration team observed various workplaces and came up with a universal "anatomy of collaboration." Even though how workers collaborate appeared to vary widely, the team identified 10 activities that go on in all offices every day.
Senior Researcher Shilpi Kumar notes that, “outlining these collaborative work behaviors will empower designers and decision makers with a greater understanding for how people really work, and will enable more informed choices in regards to office spaces.”
Chat
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Converse
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Co-Create
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Divide & Conquer
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Huddle
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Warm Up, Cool Down
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Show & Tell
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Process & Respond
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Create
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Contemplate
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To read the entire piece with an explanation of each activity, visit the Herman Miller site.
Charles Pollock (1930-2013) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After moving to Ohio, his family eventually settled in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Cass Technical High School, where he studied art and design.
When he was in his mid-teens, his family relocated again, but he decided to stay in Detroit to finish his studies. During that time, he worked part time for the Chrysler Corporation, which he considered a great education in manufacturing products.
Because of his excellenet performance at Cass Tech, he received a full scholarship to the School of Art and Design at Pratt Institute in New York. While touring Pratt, George Nelson noticed one of Pollock's wire sculptures and was impressed with it. Pollock took the sculpture to Nelson's studio and presented it to the designer as a gift, telling Nelson that he would like to work for him when he graduated.
However, after graduating, Pollock was drafted into the U. S. Army, where he was chosen to be the art director of the Infantry Magazine. He also taught art classes at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Upon returning to New York, Pollock took a job with Donald Deskey, the well-known designer of the Radio City Music Hall. He soon had an opportunity to join the George Nelson Office, where he perfected the art of swaging, a technique for bending cold metal which he had started developing while still a student. Although Nelson was initially given credit for the Swag Leg Collection for Herman Miller, he eventually acknowledged Pollock as the designer.
After working for Nelson, Pollock opened his own studio in Brooklyn. Because of the success of the Swag Leg Collection, Florence Knollbegan became interested in Pollock's designs and began a business relationship with him...$20 a month for rent and a small development allowance to continue working on new products. His first design for Knoll was the 657 Sling Chair. His most famous design was the Pollock Chair, released by Knoll in 1965 and still produced today.
When Florence Knoll retired in 1965, Pollock went to Europe, where he spent many years skiing, sculpting and painting. In 1982 he introduced the Penelope Chair for the Italian company Castelli. It was a major breakthrough, because it was one of the first passively ergonomic chairs produced with simple parts.
Pollock's designs were characterized by continuous curved lines, functionality and affordability. He received the IBD Bronze Medal Award, the Dutch Institution for Industrial Design award and the Pratt Institute's Excellence by Design award. His work is exhibited in many museums worldwide.
Pollock had been diagnosed in the 1950s as having bipolar disorder but had continued his design work. However, when a chair he had designed for Olivetti was never produced because of the company's financial problems, he retired from industrial design and shifted his focus to painting and sculpting.
In 2010 Jerry Helling, president of Bernhardt Design decided he wanted to meet Pollock and find out about his life, because the Pollock Chair was one of Helling's favorite designs. He found a list of 30 Charles Pollocks and began narrowing down the list till he found the designer. What resulted was a surprise to him and to Pollock: the creation of a new line of chairs and Pollock's return to industrial design at the age of 81. The CP Lounge Collection was introduced in 2012.
Pollock died in a fire at his home in Queens, NYC on Tuesday, August 20, 2013.
From bernhardtdesign.com, nytimes.com
Swag Leg Chair by Herman Miller (1958) 1stdibs.com
657 Sling Chairs by Knoll (1960) prweb.com
Pollock Chair for Knoll (1965) 1stdibs.com
Penelope Chair by Castelli (1982) archiproducts.com
CP Lounge Chair for Bernhardt Design (2012)
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Charles Pollock and Jerry Helling with the CP Lounge Chair
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If you have a chance, I urge you to watch this video. It tells the story of Jerry Helling's search for Charles Pollock and Pollock's subsequent return to designing furniture. It is very moving, especially in light of the recent death of the designer.
This is my third post sharing with you the Herman Miller WHY series. Irving Harper: The Mediums Beyond the Message In this segment of the Herman Miller WHY series, Amber Bravo examinesIrving Harper's two-decade stint as design director of the George Nelson Office and the impact his print design had on client Herman Miller.
According to Bravo, "...the Swiss magazine Graphis noted in a 1953 survey of his print work for the Nelson Office, it’s an approach not dissimilar to that of an architect. 'The page on which to print is regarded as a site on which to build…. Pictorial material, often broken into fragments, is organized by asymmetrical harmonies.' From his start working with Nelson in 1947 through his tenure as design director at the office until 1963, Harper brought a visual coherence and energy to everything he created—from furniture, to ads, to clocks—but it's in the printed collateral that his approach to design as a total experience is most easily gleaned. Be it evoking three-dimensional spatial gestures into a two-dimensional magazine spread, for example, or turning a functional object like a clock into a graphic abstraction, or giving a simple typographic treatment the textural quality of a swath of fabric, everything he designs has a deeper sense of dimension."
Magazine ad, 1960
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Magazine ads, 1952 (left) and 1960 (right)
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Magazine ad for Interiors, 1952
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Magazine ad for Interiors: 1949 (left) and magazine ad: "Herman Miller Collection," 1952
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Magazine ad, 1948
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Magazine ad, 1949
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Irving Harper's logo for Herman Miller, 1947
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You can read the entire piece at the Herman Miller site.
This is my second post sharing with you the Herman Miller WHY series.
Above Ground with Leon Ransmeier
In the segment entitled Above Ground Level with Leon Ransmeier, designer Ransmeier and photographer Geordie Wood explore the thinking behind the new AGL Table Group, as well as table design in general.
Leon Ransmeier in his Financial District studio
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About table design, Ransmeier observes that the comfort of a table is "specific in relation to our body proportions and the size of the chairs that we sit in. For example, the standard height for a dining table or desk is derived from its relationship to the chair, which is derived from the distance of your knees to the floor when you are in a seated position. So you could say that the height of a table has evolved out of the length of people’s shins."
He also examines Westerners' need for furniture...so great a need, in fact, that we will improvise to create a seat or a table out of anything near us.
Improvised tables in Chinatown (left) and the Staten Island Ferry (right)
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More improvised table from the Staten Island Ferry
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Ransmeier notes that even when no flat surface is available, we use our laps or our laptop computers as stand-ins and sit on anything that elevates us off the ground.
Working outside the New York Stock Exchange
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Photographer Geordie Wood captures a series of stark but beautiful surfaces in the Financial District.
Unconventional surfaces in the Financial District
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You can read the entire piece at the Herman Miller site. And for those of you who want to get a glimpse at the new AGL Table Group, which is so versatile that it can be used for dining, an executive desk or a conference table, take a look at these exciting images.
AGL Table Group
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AGL Table Group
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AGL Table Group, with pull-out tray and cleverly hidden power strip
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