History of Interior Design 2: Herman Miller Guest Speaker

Our guest this week was Darrell from Herman Miller. Herman Miller is a furniture manufacturer of historic pieces and new designs. The company started in 1906 and has recently received many awards of excellence. When the company first began as Michigan Star Furniture, their slogan was "Cheap & Medium Priced Furniture". Now, cheap furniture is not how Herman Miller should be defined. They produce quality pieces that can get quite pricey. In 1919 D.J. Depree became the president when his father-in-law loaned him the money to buy the company. He named the company Herman Miller after his father-in-law. Interestingly, Herman Miller never actually owned Herman Miller, he was just the one to loan the money. The company chose many designers to create custom pieces such as Gilbert Rohde, George Nelson, Ray & Charles Eames, Alexander Girard, Robert Propst and Bill Stumpf. Many famous pieces came from these designers such as the Marshmallow Sofa, the Coconut Chair, the Chaise Lounge Sleeper, the Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman and the Aeron Chair. Because many of these designs are incredibly popular, there are many knock offs. However, if there is a Herman Miller medallion on the piece itself, then it is authentic. Herman Millers Design Yard and Green House are both located in Michigan and recently have bought out other companies such as Geiger, Nemschoff, Maharam and Design Within Reach.

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