Interesting To Me: Allsteel Acuity Chair

BarryBlog posts on ideas, issues and objects that are really all over the map. This is a reflection of who I am as a thinker, a designer, a christian, and is how I originally envisioned the blog from day one. I post on things which have caught my attention and which I find interesting and at times important. Things I observe by intention, by happenstance, by referral, or by The Spirit, as a way and a place to file interesting things away for future consideration. And for you too, if you find them interesting. The feedback I get in these regards has always been a high point of the process.

The last few months I've been posting less, but with more frequency regarding my flea market finds and the collection I am curating 50 cents at a time via St. Vincent DePaul, Goodwill and other local flea market haunts. Judging by my stats, this is less interesting to some, though ironically my core reader still remains rather solid. It is always fun to see which posts spike readership, but I never set out to gain a following or to boost readership. In fact my blog can best be summed up by a quote from Samuel Butler from The Way of All Flesh which I discovered in reading my book by Herman Miller called "Notes on Attention" by Ralph Caplan."

Butler says...

"The literacy instinct may be known by man's keeping a small notebook in his waistcoat pocket, onto which he jots down anything that strikes him, or any good thing that he hears said, or a reference he thinks will come in useful to him." (I would add: "Or to you").

One thing I never tire of and always find interesting is contract and residential furniture. Furniture industry insider I am not, but having grown up in Mid-Michigan in a small design boutique that was furnished predominately in Herman Miller, then calling Grand Rapids home for a few years as a communication designer, I have developed a passion for contract furniture. All furniture really. I always seem to find incredible furniture and decorative art finds at garage sale prices, which has only fueled by desire to learn more. Perhaps it's learning I enjoy mostly about furniture, not the finds themselves. Maybe that could be another blog post.

Anyway, what I really appreciate the most about the furniture design industry is the leadership role it has earned in the overall design landscape. Furniture design is approached holistically, and design is considered and relied upon at every level of thinking— from the board room to the retail floor. Those who have followed BarryBlog know the business of design is an issue that's been discussed here frequently.



All that to say, the new Allsteel Acuity chair has caught my attention. In a big way. Mainly because of all it isn't. It sits quietly and expectantly for it's user to draw near. In my estimation, the chair's personality takes on the personality of the user, not visa versa.

In some ways I see the Allsteel Acuity chair more representative of Audi than BMW, if you will. The Acuity does what it says, the Aeron says what it does.

You get the picture. Do understand I am a major Herman Miller fan, but like the Aeron, I see the Allsteel Acuity chair in a really small group of excellent products. Perhaps the reason this chair is so excellent, and has so little, is because of Bruce Fifield at Continuum. According to Allsteel's president Eugene Sung, Bruce is a relative newcomer to chair design. I have always been a relative newcomer to each industry I have designed for, and often find this to be a distinct advantage. Mainly because of so little preconception. But as always, you must have a client who trusts your intuition, instinct and voice. After seeing Continnum's previous work, I can see how this would not have been a stretch for Sung.

In reference to paying attention, and to all that this chair is not, here is a great quote by Ralph Caplan from the same publication On Attention I referenced earlier in this post...

"Pay attention so that people are free to attend to what they care about. Ironically, though, the freest societies invariably create environments that militate against attention. Visual pollution is harmful not just because it is ugly but because it is distractive. And therefore destructive. Like other pollution, it destroys the balance of nature–in this case, human nature. A climate loaded with designs clamoring for your attention is a climate in which you end up paying attention to nothing."

Bravo Eugene and Bruce and team. Thanks for paying attention. It made a connection. With me, anyway. And that's why it's on BarryBlog.

Neocon and The Big Three

: : : : : : : : : : : : R_E_P_O_S_T : : : : : :: : : : : :

Ugh...Ford, General Motors and Chrysler are kinda IN THE NEWS lately, so for those who never heard my perspective on this, here it is (again).

( Begin original post from June 11, 2008 )

So I'm in Chicago at NEOCON 2008. Everywhere I look, I'm amazed. And it made me think. People are genuinely friendly, knowledgeable, and seemingly happy to see me as I walk into their space. I'm not asked if I'm "looking for something special." I'm not immediately apprised of sale items. I am not even asked for my email. Well in a couple I am.

All that said, "The Big Three" come to mind. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. But also the Furniture Big Three– Herman Miller, Steelcase and Haworth.

These Big Three couldn't be more different.

I'm reminded of how amazing the contract furniture market is. It is so obvious that the Furniture Three see design as THE product they sell. They are selling experience and story. Unlike Pontiac's Driving Excitement®– the Furniture Three are genuinely excited and passionate about furniture. So much so that talking to them about it is more like going to lunch with a friend than arm wrestling a car salesman would be.

The thought that keeps coming to mind is how amazing it might be if the Auto Big Three would begin to be more like the Furniture Three. As I shared before here. Even though we find ourselves in tough economic times, it is apparent the Furniture Three have not cut back. Yes, there was noticably way less printed brochures and flashy food, but the commitment to design quality seemed to have been taken up a notch. Everywhere I looked, I was blown away by the thinking, the execution, and the delivery of the products they were just then bringing to market. It was an amazing showcase of design ingenuity and commitment to high design.

I realize I have been picking on The Auto Big Three unmercifully here, some of which is unfair generalization, but the point of all this jabber is to point out one thing.

Those who see design as a function and process will lose. Those who see design as core to what they do, how they do it, what they sell, and who they are, will win.

If the automakers saw the world through the lens of design, and by design I don't mean this year's body-style, then I would likely be driving one of their products. Instead, I buy the product that promises me an experience, that I see as relevant, and that I want to see succeed.

NEOCON is amazing. It is a tangible example of why the furniture industry is a leader in so many ways. Design thinking, business strategy and marketing communication, product innovation, environmental impact, sustainability, and so much more. I maintain that the best marketing is simply doing business well, consistently and with integrity, and with the understanding that nobody cares about your marketing as much as you. Herman Miller gets this. As does Steelcase and Haworth. And each of these three companies, although they are part of a struggling economy like everyone else, rise above the rest and are able to ask a premium for their products. A fact that when you attend NEOCON you will begin to understand why this is no big mystery. It's truly a cradle to cradle way of thinking. A renewable enterprise.

Jubilee Furniture: Help Spread The Word

Quiet, sleepy, Carol Stream Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) is home to an amazing vintage, mid-century modern, retro and gently used furniture market so secret, that, well, I finally decided to put my greed aside to help them get the word out. For months now on Saturday's only, Jubilee Furniture Company has opened it's doors at 9 am – the exact time I show up. For months I've had practically unfettered access to all this incredible and ever changing furniture and collectibles. A smorgasbord of vintage and retro items that sell for at or below garage sale prices. I kid you not, I've found Vitra, Steelcase, Herman Miller, Weiland, Knoll, Kimball, d_SCAN, Haworth, AllSteel and a ton of older American and Danish lines there. I blogged about my Steelcase Warren Snodgrass 474419W Encore Series guest chairs that are in the Museum of Modern art a few weeks ago. Each Saturday a new selection awaits at Jubilee.

You see, during the week, Jubilee accepts furniture donations, as the whole concept is to assist individuals and families in need throughout the suburbs through this ministry called Community Outreach. All proceeds from the Jubilee Furniture mart go to this worthwhile cause.

So why do I ask you to help me get the word out when I could continue my cherry picking under the radar, so-to-speak?

Well, each week I've noticed they've not had adequate resources and people to get the word out as they would like. Consequently, the place does an "okay" business, while the vintage gems go largely unnoticed (except for by me of course). Since the market is a ministry, I feel a call to help them. Especially as you consider they are a bunch of spirited, friendly, energetic and hardworking folk, and I know that they would oh-so-appreciate your help in spreading the word.

I spent 45 minutes there recently and took all the photos you see at the beginning of this post with my Canon Rebel 300D.

The yellow, low flourescent lighting at Jubilee is practically non-existent, but this dark, dusty, huge warehouse is what I find so charming. It's not polished; it's not pretty—a distinctive that may in fact be it's charm. While it provides really affordable furniture to a community in need, it's also a diamond in the rough for collectors and dealers.

Let me know what you think about my photos, and if you have any questions just ask. I've volunteered there a couple Saturdays in the past and am tight with the two full time staff members, Dave and Susan. They're located on the corner of North Avenue (64) and Schmale in Carol Stream. Jubilee can be reached at 1-(630)-337-1467. Susan just told me that they are now opening on Fridays, too, from 3pm - 8pm. And always Saturday 9am – 4pm.

I appreciate your help spreading the word. Tell them BarryBlog sent ya'.

The Hunt: Eco-Friendly and Vintage Furniture

Apartment Therapy recently featured a great post on eco-friendly furniture. Now Sarah follows up, listing all the environmentally conscious wood furniture that's been featured on AT in the past. What a great resource. She lists sustainably harvested, recycled, and second-hand wood in her line up, and in so doing, highlights Jubilee Furniture as a place to find "second hand solid wood."

For me, "vintage used" Mid-Century Modern (and older) has always been a favorite choice for hunting, researching, collecting and usually just admiring. There's something about "the hunt" for this stuff that makes it rewarding and worth repeating. The late thought leader Rob Roy Kelly does a nice job of shedding light on collecting, as he describes in detail what it means to him. For non-hunters and non-collectors, this article might explain where your collector friends are coming from.

I appreciate Sarah's article. It reminds me of how cool it is to reuse stuff. Especially when doing so achieves refreshing, unintended and inspired results. And for me, like Rob Roy Kelly, finding and researching these articles is often more enjoyable than buying. Many times I just take a picture so I can research it later without having to buy. That's fun too.

As background for those of you who have not heard of Jubilee Furniture in Carol Stream, the word got out several weeks ago through the generous help of a few bloggers I contacted for help, and by the images I took of the items there. I hoped my blog friends and contacts would share the news about Jubilee, and boy did they. Apartment Therapy, Nicole at Making it Lovely, Jess at Howaboutorange, ToKissTheCook, and others– they all got the ball rolling big time. Since then many have ventured out to Carol Stream for themselves, and some continue to blog about their experiences. I even saw some recent chatter on Domino Magazine's website. Some found deal of a lifetime, while others came up empty. And some really gave Jubilee high praise calling it "This trip may have been our best thrift store experience ever." I'm continually surprised every week by what's been donated from the week before. I have begun to see some of the same new faces there every weekend, which is cool.

Now that Jubilee is on the map so to speak, they have a need for more furniture donations. There's something satisfying about reusing and helping the environment, and an even better feeling knowing donation of furniture to Jubilee will help people who are shy on cash for whatever reason, and by knowing their profits go to the greater good. So if you or anyone you know is looking to donate something, call Jubilee and see if they can help. Dave and Susan can be contacted at 630.337.1467.

French Provencal Louis XV Lovliness

December 09 UPDATE: After discussing this furniture with Christie's, Wright20, and several other auction houses and furniture dealers, though you can't fault me for trying and spending significant time doing so, you can begin laughing at me. This stuff is of value, but not as valuable as I had thought. The exception being the bedroom stuff, which has generated a great deal of collector and auction house interest. So head into Jubilee this weekend and some of it will be priced.

Jubilee Furniture just got a donation beyond anything they've ever seen. I'm a mid century modern furniture and decorative arts collector, and although French Provencal Louis XV style furniture is like a foreign language to me, it does not take a genius to understand how special this donation really is.

So I spent several hours taking photos (as I have done several times in the past) of this amazing furniture on Saturday afternoon. Love taking photos, I love everyone at Jubilee, and I love furniture (especially Time Life Chairs by Charles Eames for Herman Miller), so this was a great day.

I am currently in the process of communicating with a few choice auction houses for their assistance. If you can help me identify these pieces, I and Jubilee would really appreciate it.

While I was at Jubilee I shot several more pieces from their very stocked showroom. Below are both galleries.

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Mid-Century Jubilee Furniture - Coming Soon

I just completed a new set of images to help my friends at Jubilee Furniture in Carol Stream IL document a bunch of new furniture donations they called me about. You may have heard of them before. These cool new vintage furniture pieces may be available via Apartment Therapy Chicago's classified ads, or via Craigslist, or at the Carol Stream store...I'm not quite sure yet. Suffice it to say there is some SWEET mid-century modern furniture goodness to be had, when they are ready to go. They are still pricing these items. Stay tuned.

Jubilee Furniture - What Caught My Eye

Photography is a hobby, and today I had a chance to shoot a few pieces of Jubilee Furniture's current inventory that caught my eye. If you haven't been there recently, you should. Susan, Dave, Connie and all the other great people at Jubilee put in a lot of work to keep the donations streaming through, and a few new business relationships with impressive local big name companies have made the prospect of getting interesting new donations a reality. Judging by today's inventory, I am personally excited by how this may make things really interesting. For those who trust my eye and thrifting skills, understand that Jubilee just got even more interesting. As these partners deliver new furniture all across Chicagoland, the old stuff they remove (sometimes in like new condition) will end up at Jubilee.

I didn't take a ton of photos, but check out the stuff that caught my eye.

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Bauhaus 2 Your House: Modern Furniture Direct

Modern Furniture Classics from Aalto, Bellini, Bertoia, Breuer, Gray, Jacobsen, Knoll, Le Corbusier, Mackintosh, Nelson, Noguchi, Saarinen, Van Der Rohe, and Wright can all be purchased from a plethora of dealers and wholesalers across the country and on the web. But what caught my attention here is this particular companies' name: "Bauhaus 2 Your House." I'm sorry, but that's funny. The prices, apparently wholesale, are still well beyond my means, but they appear to be factory direct originals—not knock-offs. The site's design is rather uninspired (a bit ironic), so if for nothing else it serves as an opportunity to learn more about classic furniture design and legendary designers. You'll also find bios for each of the designers represented, though if that's what you're looking for Design Within Reach does a better job. As many of you know, I am a HUGE fan of these design classics, and though I can't afford these prices personally, I have been fortunate over the years to collect two tan Marcel Breuer Wassily chairs (Knoll) for $75/e from a colleague 10 years ago; a Charles Eames Aluminum Group softback Executive side chair (Herman Miller 1969) at a garage sale for $5; an Eero Saarinen Executive Side Chair (Knoll 1957) on the side of the road for free; and a Heywood Wakefield Butterfly table (1954) and 4 chairs for $225 at a flea market.

Bauhaus 2 Your House. That name kills me.

BDDW: heirloom quality solid wood furniture

BDDW—A small company in Williamsburg Brooklyn, creating highly crafted and timeless furniture designs, one at a time, each by hand. Constantly producing new and innovative work, Tyler Hays (painter and sculptor) and Joshua Vogel (architect and craftsman) are known for their heirloom quality solid wood furniture, traditionally joined, in select domestic hardwoods. Beautiful stuff at prices I'm sure to not be able to afford. Worth a look.

Flickr: Vintage Mid-Century Modern Furniture

Attention anyone who loves furniture in general, especially that with a rich history: I created a new Flickr home for all the vintage furniture images I have scattered throughout my various Flickr sets. The slideshow is here. It's fun and convenient to see everything in one place. Most of the images reflect my taste for mid-century modern, but there's a real mix here.

Born Modern: Master Designer Alvin Lustig

Considering his amazing but short career, Alvin Lustig has indeed earned his master status in the world of design, and his design legacy lives on. He was a book designer. Graphic designer. Interior designer. Furniture designer. Retail store designer. Exhibition designer. Signage designer. Textile designer. Teacher. Spend some time at alvinlustig.org and learn from a true master. You can find a brilliant article by Steven Heller about Lustig called "Born Modern" here, or at the AIGA Medalist site. The AIGA medalist is given to "the most distinguished in the field, awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of graphic design and visual communication." When you visit either Lustig's site or the Medalist site, you'll see why he is considered a master. His work for Knoll furniture is what caught my attention many years ago, but equally as amazing is this signage system for Northland Shopping Mall in Detroit..

By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of Modern art to graphic design that have had a long-term influence on contemporary practice. He was in the vanguard of a relatively small group who fervently, indeed religiously, believed in the curative power of good design when applied to all aspects of American life.
– “Born Modern” by Steven Heller

( via That's Right)

Neocon, Alvin Lustig, and a Design Realization

Neocon is just another furniture show to many. But to me, it's the Superbowl of design. Something I look forward to for months ahead of time. It's an experience that for me is way more valuable than any other design show in terms of charging my creative batteries. And for those who know me, being creative is not generally one of my deficit areas. But something's different about Neocon.

It inspires in a totally unique way. I see colors. Shapes. Materials. Applications. Human enthusiasm and possibility. Execution and good old fashion trade sales. Real ideas being pitched and sold for real money. Not just great ideas, but great ideas with legs. Ideas that are going places. Ideas with schedules and agendas. You get the idea. Rubber meets the road, if you will.

Anyway, in my weekly design group meeting today I spoke to the team about my enthusiasm and perspective regarding the show. I recently received approval from my supervisor to take the whole commercial design team to Neocon so they too can experience this magnificent event. Shortly after discussing this but in the same meeting designer Alvin Lustig came up, as I referenced having posted about him in an article in BarryBlog just the day before. Out of both discussions came a vivid realization regarding the value of design.

As I thought of going to Neocon, I pictured myself back in time and walking the show with Alvin. As we walked together, his presence was felt everywhere. Why? Well, Alvin designed the timeless furniture in the Knoll booth– a tradeshow booth he himself also designed. Continuing further through the Merchandise Mart we notice the catalogs, advertising and collateral pieces being handed out at the show, that as it turns out, he too conceptualized, designed and produced. As mid day approaches and we begin to consider lunch, we're guided to the food court area by Lustig's comprehensive signage system. Pretty much anywhere you look, you see his design influence. One person with such an over arching perspective and skillset, in addition to the ability to think big.

One other important factor in Lustig's sucess was the fact that he was often hired by clients who trusted him, and by trust I mean the fairly rare kind of trust where the client has the confidence to step back, and to step away from preconception. A client who has a vision for something bigger than themselves. A vision so big not any designer could accomplish it. This is part of why he was so successful, aside for a tremendous intellect, drive and talent. If clients really want their result to have, well, results, they will get out of the way of strategic thinkers and innovators and let them do what they are gifted to do. Any designer can conduct themselves in a karaoke type of service to the end product, but only when a client trusts a designer can true innovation and break through work actually take shape with true voice.

I literally had a dream about Neocon the other night. This from a person who barely ever dreams. But it's people like Alvin Lustig who lead the way with projects that not only get results, but inspire. To dream. To build. To take the bar a notch higher. And who in the end serve the entire process best through genuine creativity, guts, big picture thinking and ultimately value to a companies' bottom line.

See ya' at Neocon. June 12. I can't wait.

Etsy: Preparing for What's Really Valuable

Behind the scenes over the last several months, I've been researching, and recently finalizing various merchant side web services in order to begin liquidating much of our antiques, collectibles and what I like to call "unexpectables"— in advance of our adoption which is 12-24 months out. My wife and I share the same taste for mid-century modern decorative arts, furniture and furnishings. We're both rather frugal, so all we own is the result of being at the right garage sale or tag sale at the right time. Several times over the years in fact. I've posted about a couple of these finds before both here, here, here and here. Suffice it to say we've found some gems over the years.

A couple weeks ago it really hit home how some of our stuff has got to go, as we sat in a parenting and adoption seminar. Much of what's in our home are items that are either fragile and/or impractical, and likely dangerous to little ones. So after we returned from the seminar, we met a guy at our home who I'd arranged to show up in a truck, and he took a lion's share of my Heywood Wakefield blond wood 50's furniture back to Michigan where he shares in a collectible business. These items consisted of a vanity, side table, and a dinette set–complete with the famed Butterfly table. The Heywood pieces where the first collectibles I ever bought as a single guy right out of college, so a great deal of legacy and history exchanged hands in that transaction.

So as I ponder what's next for my wife and I, and one or two children who we may bring home from El Salvador in the near future, it makes me smile to know we're transitioning from a life of valuable stuff, to a life of true value.

Not to say enjoying what you have is inherantly wrong, but when this stuff becomes a burden, or draws attention away from things of greater importance, it's time to let go.

All that said, I do hope I'll never lose a passion for going to garage sales, and flea markets and antique malls. I've spent hours and hours in my parent's antique booths, going with them to garage sales, and enjoying every minute. I rank these memories among my most cherished. So it was a natural when my wife and I began spending time together doing the same. Time I wouldn't give up for anything. Except a baby. Or two!

Keep an eye out for our Etsy announcement and a few eBay sales soon. Our Etsy store is called "cur8tor." It's empty now, but won't be shortly. If you go there, you can look through my favorite items and sellers to get an idea what the cur8tor vintage store will be like. If you've never been to Etsy, you should check it out. All proceeds of our Etsy and eBay sales will go to our adoption fund. The costs associated with an adoption are mind boggling. But worth it.

MetroFarm: Just Two People?

I was initially attracted to Metrofarm because of their incredible furniture which I had seen on various sites, including designspotter. However after checking their site out, I have even a greater appreciation for their abilities. In addition to furniture design, they are also gifted designers of objects and graphics. To top this all off, the entire breadth of work is that of just two people. Julia on graphics and Nunu on design. In addition to “things,” their clients call on them for concept and strategy, curatorship and production.

I just wish I could afford their benches. And hey, since today’s my birthday—why not buy me a couple! Or, might I suggest this again?

Eames Lounge Debut: Arlene Francis Show

Charles Eames in 1956, interviewed on the Arlene Francis' Home show—the precursor to what is known today as the Today Show. Eames was given this prime opportunity to describe and debut his Herman Miller Eames Lounge chair to America for the first time. Major furniture history in the making.

Even Ice Cube's feelin' some Charles and Ray

Herman Miller furniture passes the test of time. I know this because I work every day in a 1960's Herman Miller Aluminum Group, Executive Management chair, also known as the Time-Life chair. I also have 6 more at home. It is so cool to learn that rapper, actor, and producer Ice Cube also shares the Herman Miller love.

Dig.

West Chicagoland Thrift / Resale Driving Map

Thrift stores and resale shops are plentiful in the West Chicagoland area. Those who follow BarryBlog know of my thrift scores. And it's almost every day I'm asked where to find these stores. So, below is a list of some of my favorites, with comments about the experience each store offers from my perspective. I will add more stops as I learn of them. If you know of other stores in this general vicinity, leave a comment on this post with the name and address and I'll be happy to add it here. Just bookmark this page, and/or subscribe to the map via RSS and you'll be notified in your reader if anything's added. It's my hope that you'll enjoy and get good use out of this map. I highly recommend that you go to a larger view of the map from Google's page by clicking this link, or the link right below the map which says "view larger map."

If you appreciate this map, and you're feeling charitable, feel free to leave me a tip.

UPDATE: Scott from the awesome journal ars longa has also shared stops for Decatur, Springfield, and Indianapolis IN to the comments section below this post.

Update to my update: I forgot to mention my friends at Jubilee Furniture (Hi Dave and Susan!).


View Larger Map

More Herman Miller Eames Yumminess

Introducing my newest thrift furniture finds – two fixed height Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Soft Pad Management Chairs (pictured above), plus it's big brother, the Soft Pad with swivel and adjustable height (not pictured). I picked them up this weekend. The big brother is my new home office chair, the two fixed height chairs will be on eBay soon. I also bought a Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Soft Pad Lounge Chair at a garage sale last year for $10. My crib is starting to look a bit like a Herman Miller showroom. Here's to hoping some day I'll find a classic bent ply lounge chair and ottoman at a garage sale!

All three of these new chairs from this weekend have just 4 legs–the most vintage and desirable configuration that thanks to OSHA in 1990, all changed to 5 leg versions. 4 leg versions are no longer made. Aside from my original Eames Time Life chairs, which will also be on eBay soon, these chairs are second to none. And don't forget my work chair.

I often wonder what the dot-com Aeron chair is like. Though not vintage or classic looking enough for me (like the Aluminum group), I understand it too is an awesome chair.

If you like Herman Miller stuff, I recommend a group I belong to. Check out the Flickr Herman Miller group, moderated by shawnwall. His the ranch series is amazing. You might also enjoy the Eames Flickr group. If you're into Mid-Century Modern interiors, you'll enjoy Stewf's group, Mid-Century Modern Interiors. Stewf owns and operates the great midcenturymodern.com. Stewf did a nice write up on me a month back or so.

Those links should burn a few hours away. Enjoy.

eBay design.addict: Mid-Century Modern

design.addict is an eBay Power Seller who sells amazing and hard to find mid-century modern furniture and accessories. What's really cool about design.addict's store is the photography of the products. There are multiple angles and shots, with great comments as to the exact condition, good or bad. Once you go to his feedback page, look for "items for sale" link and check out what he has on auction. If you're a mid-century modern fan, you will love this.

Knoll International: Charles Pollack Chairs (2)

The same day I came across all 8 of these Herman Miller Time Life Chairs, I also found two of these Knoll International Executive Arm Chairs designed by Charles Pollock. One might assume I am made of money, but au contraire. Although the Knoll price list (3.3 mb PDF) shows these retailing new between $2,000-2,900.

During the last month or so I have been using one of these in my home office, and you know what? The Knoll Pollack chair is really comfortable. Time permitting, I may attempt the extra research on designer Charles Pollack as I have Warren Snodgrass in the past, to find out what went into the thinking and the design of this wonderful chair. I already discovered Pollack worked with George Nelson's office and went to Pratt. If I find out more, I'll share that here.

Worth note is the very 70's Retro upholstery. It has really grown on me when you consider my penchant for a late 50's, mostly 60's interior, decorative art and furniture look. I am sure the current 70's collectors will enjoy the look.