Decorating & Design
Herman Miller Flagship Store Opens
Published on December 29, 2016
After a 60-year hiatus, iconic furniture brand Herman Miller is launching a bricks and mortar presence. Their Textiles & Objects shop shuttered in 1967, but in November the company relaunched a Herman Miller-branded retail store to anchor the company’s New York City flagship at 251 Park Avenue South so customers could get up close and personal with their iconic designs.
The 6,000 sq.-ft. store is located in Manhattan where Union Square, Gramercy, and Flatiron meet. The Renaissance-revival building served as the home of George Nelson & Company in the 70s; Nelson was the design director for Herman Miller from 1945 until 1972.
The new store’s modular floorplan is laid out as a home, with rooms for living, working, dining, socializing, and sleeping so customers can have a more tangible home shopping experience, encompassing many different categories. An Eames lounger and oversized are complemented by rugs from Danskina and Breukelen Berber, kitchen and tabletop items from Deborah Ehrlich, pillows and bags from Maharam, accessories by Doug Johnston, Knotwork, Carl Aubock, and Helen Levi, and Nelson Bubble Lamps along with lighting from Noguchi, Wastberg and Michael Anastassiades.
The distinctive in-store experience was inspired by another Herman Miller partner, Charles Eames, who said the role of the designer is that of a “very good, thoughtful host.” This dining area is fully equipped with sideboards, dishware, artwork and candelabra.
The accessories on display and furniture inventory blend current and vintage Herman Miller designs with a curated set of complementary products from likeminded vendors and artisans from around the world. The Bolster sectional by BassamFellows projects lightness and airiness while still anchoring the space, and mismatched rugs and live plants add a note of authenticity to vignettes.
In this casual dining set up, a George Nelson Bubble lamp (made from a technique employed by the U.S. military) floats over the Eames Outdoor table and moulded chairs.
A Wireframe sofa from Sam Hecht and Kim Colin uses an external structure shaped from steel wire, and suspension technology first developed by Herman Miller for the healthcare industry.
The average working day has gotten a lot longer so the role of the ergonomic office chair has become even more important. Many of Herman Miller’s iconic office chairs have swivelled out of the cubicle and into the home office. Standout designs include the channeled Eames version (far left), the Aeron, the curvy Mirra 2, and mesh-back Sayl chair by Yves Béhar.
In this mock bedroom, a George Nelson Platform bench and Thin Edge bed with cane back headboard is paired with a classic Eames moulded plywood screen.
An eclectic collection of pillows, Eames walnut stools and a tribal rug draw focus from quiet pieces such as the Brabo coffee table from Vincent Van Duysen’s lounge collection.
Nicholas Calcott