Nelson Swag Leg Desk

Name: Nelson Swag Leg Desk
Brand: Herman Miller

Desks from Herman Miller, Designed by George Nelson

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Product description

Surfaces with swagger

Swaging—the use of pressure to taper and bend metal tubes—is the integral technique behind the distinctive profile of this classic design by George Nelson. With a modest scale seemingly made for a modern world of laptops and smartphones, it offers a compact work surface, colorful cubbies, and molded drawers to manage clutter.

Concept

This armchair is part of a collection that was born of George Nelson’s desire to create furniture with a sculpted leg, and he had very specific ideas about how that leg would take its form. He wanted the base to be gracefully curved, crafted from metal, machine formed and prefinished, as well as easily assembled and disassembled so it could be shipped conveniently and made more affordable. Swaging, the use of pressure to taper and bend metal tubes, proved to be the smartest method for producing these legs, and it is this process that lends its name to Nelson’s distinctive design.

For the chair’s seat shell, Nelson combined separate seat and back pieces to form a sculptural shape that fits and flexes with the body. A slit between the seat and back helps prevent heat build-up. Wide, flat arms provide a comfortable place to rest forearms. Placed at a desk or situated around tables in dining areas or conference rooms, this timeless, distinctive chair fits today's needs as it did when it was first introduced in 1958.