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Long slatted wood bench with spaced slats on black legs
Art Institute of Chicago. Rights reserved (AIC: not public domain). View the source record

Mudroom & Entry Storage · Mid-Century Modern

George Nelson Platform Bench (designed 1946)

A slatted wood platform bench designed by George Nelson in 1946 for Herman Miller, usable as a seat, a coffee table or a low base for cabinets.

Design characteristics

George Nelson's Platform Bench is one of the simplest and most versatile designs of the period: a long platform of spaced wooden slats on ebonized legs. It works as a bench in an entry or mudroom, a coffee table, or a base for cabinets. Slatted benches like this are an elegant alternative to upholstered mudroom seating and are easy to produce with consistent slat spacing.

Classification

Style
Mid-Century Modern
Category
Mudroom & Entry Storage
Material
Maple
Motifs
Slatted bench
Date
1946 (designed) 1946/67 (manufactured)
Maker or designer
George Nelson (American, 1908–1986) Manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Co. (American, founded 1905)
Recorded medium
Birch
Dimensions
35.5 × 47 × 183.5 cm (14 × 18 1/2 × 72 1/4 in.)
Evidence
Documented historical object
Source
Art Institute of Chicago

Architectural context

Flush slab doors, walnut and teak, and storage built into the walls. United States and Scandinavia · c. 1945–1970.

Explore Mid-Century Modern Mudroom & Entry Storage in the library

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