Herman Miller Nelson Coconut Chair designed by George Nelson
At A Glance: Originally introduced by Herman Miller in 1955, the Nelson Coconut Chair is a 20th century icon. It has a simple, striking shape, and it's also an extremely comfortable place to unwind, in a private office or lounge. With its shallow sides and inviting curves, the chair is designed to let you sit in any position and move with ease. The one-piece foam rubber, leather-upholstered cushion provides comfort and classic good looks.
What's To Like: The contours of George Nelson's Coconut chair invite you to surround yourself in comfort. In his 1956 design statement for the Coconut Chair, Nelson said it "was developed to give lounge seating comfort together with great freedom of movement." A chair designed to look like a section of a coconut shell wasn't a stretch for someone who said, "... total design is nothing more or less than a process of relating everything to everything." The Nelson Coconut Chair offers shapely comfort anyone can relate to. It's like a sculpture that doubles as a resting place.
What's Not to Like: Well, the price is high, but the design is original and completely unique. The head rest isn't very wide, but you can sit any way you want. Shall we call it a draw?
The Bottom Line: The Coconut chair is completely true to George Nelson's original design, materials, and detailing. With the unique shell design, he accomplished his goal of providing comfortable and attractive lounge seating that gives freedom of movement so that people can sit in just about any position they choose.
Details:
Overall: 33" h x 40" w x 34" d
Molded plastic shell
One-piece foam rubber padding with leather upholstery
Three-leg chromed steel base
Plastic glides for hard floor or carpet
Leather Info:
Stock Leather Chromium free and from Austria, this stock Herman Miller leather is a winner. With a matte, soft feel, this is the most popular leather used on Herman Miller upholstered items.
The Herman Miller Nelson Coconut Chair is also known by the following manufacturer Item Number: 5569.
When writing about the course of his remarkable 50-year career, George Nelson described a series of creative "zaps"--moments of out-of-the-blue inspiration "when the solitary individual finds he is connected with a reality he never dreamed of." It was these zaps that would lead to the creation of some of the most original furniture designs of the 20th century- including the Coconut Chair, the Marshmallow Sofa, and the Swag Leg Desk.
An early zap came in the 1930s, when he was an architectural student in Rome. Before returning home, an idea struck him: He would travel Europe and interview leading modern architects, hoping to get the articles published in the U.S. He succeeded, and in the process introduced the U.S. design community to the European avant-garde. This set in motion a sequence of what he called "lucky" career breaks that were really the inevitable outcomes of his brilliance as a designer, teacher, and author.
Herman Miller is an industry leader in the integration of cutting edge technology to furniture and other household items to make everyday life more comfortable, convenient, and stylish. Herman Miller stands out at the forefront of such fields as ergonomic technologies, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, and customizable furniture items.
In addition to producing some of the most outstanding office furniture in the world, Herman Miller has also taken on the responsibility of manufacturing some of the most celebrated furniture designs by some of the world's most famous designs. These "modern classics" include works by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi. Herman Miller celebrates these famous mid-century designers' works through its extraordinarily precise manufacturing techniques and industry-leading green production processes.
Herman Miller is a global company with operations, sales offices, dealers, and licensees in more than 40 countries in North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, serving customers virtually anywhere in the world. Herman Miller is headquartered in Zeeland, Michigan, while manufacturing facilities are located in the U.S., China, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Free White Glove (for destinations within the contiguous U.S. only)
Service includes delivery of high value, large, extremely heavy and or extremely fragile items. Delivery is made to your room of choice and includes unpacking, 15-30 minutes of light assembly and debris removal. Deliveries are generally made within 3-10 days from the time your order ships, and occur Monday through Friday. After hours and weekend deliveries can also be arranged upon request. Day and time specific delivery appointments are required, and someone must be present to receive the order.
When writing about the course of his remarkable 50-year career, George Nelson described a series of creative "zaps"--moments of out-of-the-blue inspiration "when the solitary individual finds he is connected with a reality he never dreamed of." It was these zaps that would lead to the creation of some of the most original furniture designs of the 20th century- including the Coconut Chair, the Marshmallow Sofa, and the Swag Leg Desk. 
Materials: