GEORGE NELSON THIN EDGE CHEST / Cabinet for HERMAN MILLER. Classic Modernist

It was Nelson’s ‘Storagewall’ concept, first introduced in 1945 in a Life magazine feature article, that led to a series of cabinets that Nelson designed over the course of several years. in the 1940s, George Nelson was at the forefront of the trend toward modernism in design. The Nelson ‘Basic Cabinet Series’, designed in 1946, was his first clean-lined, functional, and versatile modular storage system, which gave way to the updated ‘Rosewood Cabinet Series’ of 1952 (so-called due to its singular use of rosewood veneer). This new series represented a synthesis of Nelson’s approach to modular storage furniture with heightened attention to quality and craftsmanship. As the range of veneers expanded and design details were standardized, the group was renamed in 1958 after the feature that gives them their unique aesthetic quality—the thin edge that frames the doors and drawers. The ‘Thin Edge Group’ stands out for its attention to detail and high standards of quality. Porcelain handles, aluminum legs, and exotic veneers all came together in an unbeatable contemporary collection. It was George Nelson’s ongoing endeavor to standardize and organize the objects of everyday life and to do it in a minimal and practical way. Creating elegant storage options was a significant part of his life’s work, as were his sofas and chairs.