(4) Art Deco Heywood Wakefield Gilbert Rohde Chairs
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 American, 1894-1944 It was 1930, and Gilbert Rohde had a problem: he was full of fresh new ideas about furniture design but he couldn`t convince any of the traditional manufacturers to take them on. Then he met D. J. DePree who had also a problem: his company, Herman Miller, needed a major shot in the arm if it was going to survive. Rohde told DePree that his new ideas made sense for the changing times and for the growing number of people who were living in apartments and smaller houses. “This calls for a different kind of furniture,” he said. A deal was struck, and thus began a relationship that would lead Herman Miller into an exciting and challenging new era. `You’re not making furniture anymore, “Rohde told DePree. “You’re providing a way of life.” Disdaining ornamentation that often covered up shoddy workmanship, Rohde espoused clean, simple, honest designs. To accommodate smaller living spaces, he created furniture with dual purposes: a card table that turned into a dining table, a settee that folded back into a bed, tables (“rotorettes”) that housed books and other items on rotating shelves. He loved this idea of interchangeability, demonstrated most notably in his Living-Dining Group – individual pieces that could go in either place or a radical departure from the standard living or dining room “suites” purchased at the time. And with the introduction of Rhode’s Executive Office Group, the company entered the office furniture market. |
 by Gilbert Rohde USA 1931 C2794 A Side Chair Bentwood and bent plywood chairs were designed by Gilbert Rohde and manufactured by Heywood Wakefield. Walnut with orange upholstery. |
 seat height 18″ |
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