Efficient Surfaces
Right-sized desks. It's like they were made to fit today's compact electronics; colorful cubbyholes at the back keep materials organized and at hand; one slot fits a laptop computer.

Practical tables. The work table provides plenty of room to spread out papers; dining tables can also be meeting tables.

Attractive finishes. Tops can be white laminate or walnut veneer with a walnut veneer edge band that coordinates with the solid walnut stretcher.

Stylish Seated Comfort
Separate seat and back. The look is light-scaled and sculpted; the chair shell flexes with the sitter and prevents heat buildup.

Wide, flat armrests. Forearms can rest comfortably.

Design Story

With his swag leg group, George Nelson didn't try to design an innovation; the innovation resulted from his criteria for the design. He began with the legs, insisting that they be made of metal, machine formed, and prefinished. He also wanted them to be easy for the consumer to assemble, so the desk and tables could ship knocked down to save on costs.

Swaging--using pressure to taper and curve a metal tube--proved the best way to produce the legs, which are 16-gauge steel and have adjustable glides. Nelson added solid walnut stretchers that bolt to the legs for a stable, durable base common to the desk and tables.

The chair presented a bigger problem: How to connect four legs. Thanks to some ingenious engineering, the resulting base looks natural and simple. As one early observer said, it "grows up like four tree roots and unites into one strong upward thrust."

For the chair shell, Nelson got permission from Charles and Ray Eames to use the patented process they developed for molding plastic. Nelson took the process a step further and created separate seat and back shells that he glued together. With 21st century innovations in technology and material, today's shells are fully authentic and made of recyclable polypropylene.