Herman Miller.

Herman Miller

Herman Miller is the historic editor of American modernism. Based in Zeeland, Michigan since 1905 as the Michigan Star Furniture Company, and renamed Herman Miller in 1923, the house has edited nearly every piece that defines the very idea of post-war modern furniture: Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Girard. LAPIERRE primarily sources vintage American production via collectors and archive imports, alongside equivalent pieces edited by Vitra in Europe under licence since 1957.

Brand history

Michigan Star Furniture Company was founded in 1905 in Zeeland, Michigan, in a region of traditional Dutch-American cabinetmaking. In 1923, D.J. De Pree, son-in-law of investor Herman Miller, bought a majority stake with his father-in-law and renamed the company. During the Great Depression, designer Gilbert Rohde convinced De Pree to pivot the catalogue toward modern furniture, breaking with the neo-historicist aesthetic then dominant in the U.S. The transition was slow but structuring.

The decisive shift arrived in 1945 with George Nelson joining as design director. Nelson recommended De Pree edit Charles and Ray Eames, who had just published their moulded plywood research in Arts & Architecture. The partnership was signed in 1946 with production of the LCW (Lounge Chair Wood) — moulded plywood shell on a wooden base. Followed the DCW, the Plastic Chair (1948), the Lounge Chair 670 and Ottoman 671 (1956), the Aluminium Group (1958) and the Soft Pad (1969). Nelson designed the Marshmallow Sofa (1956), the Coconut Chair (1955), the Bubble Lamps (1947) and the Platform Bench. Isamu Noguchi signed the Coffee Table IN-50 (1947) and the Akari Lighting Series.

Herman Miller continued through the following decades by widening its catalogue with Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick (Aeron Chair, 1994), which became an absolute bestseller in ergonomic office seating. In 2021 Herman Miller merged with Knoll to form MillerKnoll. Production remains centralised in Zeeland.

Signature pieces we source

Lounge Chair 670 and Ottoman 671. Moulded plywood shell in rosewood, Brazilian rosewood, Santos rosewood, walnut, ash or cherry, on polished aluminium cross with rubber pads, leather-buttoned cushions. Eames's absolute signature piece. Pre-1990 Brazilian rosewood pieces are the most sought after.

LCW and DCW (Lounge Chair Wood, Dining Chair Wood). Moulded plywood shell on wooden base, the Eameses' first major production. Sought in birch, ash, walnut or ebony.

Plastic Chair. Single-piece polypropylene shell on varied bases (Eiffel wood, chromed Eiffel, DSR, DSW). 1950s-60s American production rarer in Europe.

Aluminium Group. Office seating and armchairs in polished moulded aluminium with stretched leather or fabric. Charles Eames 1958, sourced primarily from the U.S.

Noguchi Coffee Table IN-50. Triangular glass top resting on two interlocking sculpted wood pieces. Sought in walnut, ebonised or cherry.

Marshmallow Sofa. Bench with eighteen circular buttoned cushions on steel structure, signed George Nelson 1956. Exceptional piece.

Coconut Chair, Bubble Lamps, Platform Bench. Nelson catalogue, the pop signature of American modernism.

Authenticating an original

Five points support authentication of a vintage Herman Miller piece. Marking: Herman Miller label or stamp under the seat, additional metal plate on certain models. The Made in U.S.A. mention is a key reference. Plywood: on Lounge Chair 670 and LCW, plywood thickness and Brazilian rosewood grain are noticeably superior to copies. Brazilian rosewood is no longer used since 1992, so its presence dates the piece. Leather: deep buttoning, original aniline-tanned leather, even ageing. Copies use synthetic or pigmented leathers. Aluminium cross: deep black polish, original rubber pads, marked fixing plate. Provenance: a Herman Miller piece in France almost always carries an import history. An equivalent Vitra piece circulates more naturally in Europe.

LAPIERRE process for this brand

The Herman Miller protocol at LAPIERRE includes systematic provenance and year verification. For Lounge Chair 670, full check on plywood, cross-base, buttoned cushions. If a cushion is too tired, recover in tanned buttoned leather by a specialist workshop. For older Plastic Chairs, verification of the shell (1950-60 polypropylene has a specific tone), base and fixing. For Bubble Lamps and Akari, check of the steel armature, translucent film and electrical cable to European standards before commissioning.

Request a search

Looking for a Brazilian-rosewood Lounge Chair 670, a Marshmallow Sofa in good condition, or an early-production Aeron? Write to LAPIERRE with your brief: model, finish, period, target condition. Our team activates its sourcing network in the U.S. and Europe and returns within a few days.