Herman Miller Peer Reviews

I really liked how Haley H went into a lot of detail about the company and the services that come with the furniture. Also, she gave detailed information about each designer and some of their creations.

I enjoyed Stephanie's blog and the pictures she provided. The photos of today's uses were really interesting and I like the new Action Office design from Herman Miller.

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.

Past Photographs:

D.J. Depree


The Coconut Chair





Present Photographs:





Herman Miller Green House



Herman Miller Aeron Chair


Extra Credit: Herman Miller Design Yard Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR-R9r5n5NM

Art Deco Peer Reviews

Emma had a ton of information about the Art Deco period! I also really enjoyed the present photographs that she provided. All of them have an Art Deco inspiration with a modern flare.

In Stephanie's blog post I fell in love with the present photograph with the stripped ceiling details. I think that photo really sums up the major characteristics of the Art Deco design period.

Art Deco

During the roaring 1920's the Art Deco movement began to take over. Although there was tension between the functionalists and decorators, many of the same characteristics came out of this time period including being strongly decorative and angular, an influence of Art Nouveau, and a use of zig zags, folding screens, large mirrors, and prominent lighting fixtures. The functionalists believed in mass production while the decorators strived for craftsmanship and handmade designs. The Art Deco design influenced the clothing industry and set a new everyday style. Some of the major designers during this period were Michel Roux-Spitz, Jean Dunand, Maurice Dufrene, Jean Michel Frank, Jaques-Emile Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Paul Frankl, Joesph Urban and  Fredrick Kiesler.

Past Photographs:

Chrysler Building, New York  

Paul Frankl

Paul Frankl

Present Photographs:

 

 

 

Extra Credit: Compares Art Nouveau to Art Deco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_4j2WPzSKU

 

 



Emergence of Modernism Peer Reviews

I really enjoyed the photos that Stephanie provided on her blog. The final photo is a really good example of a modern take on the Barcelona Chairs.

Another blog I found interesting is Tiziri's. She went into depth about Le Corbusier and many of his beautiful designs!

Emergence of Modernism

The Emergence of Modernism began in the early 1900's and included many well known architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe. Although each architect and designer has their own style, I found Mies, the German architect, to be very interesting.  His famous sayings are "Less is more" and "God is in the details". Mies was known for using rich materials such as marble, glass, and steel. These materials served as the ornamentation rather than actual décor pieces. Some of his most famous designs were the Barcelona Exhibition, the Farnsworth House, and the expansion of the Caroline Wiess Law Building. Although he had many more influential designs, these three stood out to me and most definitely stood out in this time period. In all three of these designs, we can se that his saying "Less is more" really is applied. He also designed the Barcelona Chair, Stool, Chaise and Table as well as the Brno Chair. The Barcelona series appeared in the Farnsworth House. However, there were complications with his designs. Such simple, day to day activities were difficult in such an exposed home. Problems like were to place a garbage can and were to hang clothes were not taken into consideration when Mies created the layout for the home. Although some problems occurred, his designs are still being produced today by companies like Ikea. Clearly, Mies Van der Rohe made a lasting impact during the Emergence of Modernism.

Past Photographs:

The Barcelona Exhibition
 

The Barcelona Exhibition



Caroline Wiess Law Building

 

Present Photographs:

Barcelona Chaise





Recreation of the Villa Tugendhat

Extra Credit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPYHznP8WP8



 

Frank Lloyd Wright Peer Reviews

Happy's blog summed up this time period perfectly with straight to the point facts. She included several photos, interiors and exteriors, of the emergence of modernism. Her video of the Robie House really showed off the FLW design style.

Holli's blog included not only information on Frank Lloyd Wright, but also an overall glimpse into the time period of the emergence of modernism. The photos she included for the past were very intriguing. The stair cases did not look like the normal Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style that was so common in this period. Overall, very interesting!