The Chair

Think six Herman Miller Soft Pad Management Chairs and five Knoll Pollock's in one bedroom is a little excessive?

Well, prepare to have your mind blown...

... because I've got another 12 (Yes, t-w-e-l-v-e!) Wegner-style office chairs all up in here.

Designed by Hans Wegner in 1949, the round chair was deemed "the world's most beautiful chair" and featured prominently in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon presidential debate.  It later became such a design icon that it was simply referred to as "The Chair". 

Source: Apartment Therapy

Now, obviously, these aren't REAL Wegner's.  If they were authentic, I'd likely be out living a life of luxury in the Bahamas rather than sitting blogging in my dingy office.  These are vintage replicas done by a company called The Empire State Chair Co. out of New York.  They do seem to be fairly decent copies though.

The pads and frame are a few centimeters thicker, the finger-joints (where the arm meets the backrest) are missing, and the "flow" of the armrests is slightly off, but the workmanship is quite good and they are very sturdy and heavy.  Most of the originals were done in walnut, but I have seen them done in oak, like mine, on occasion (see above examples).

Per the girlfriend's orders, these will need to find a new home, stat!  So, I'm gonna give them the old Howard's treatment and send them on their merry way.  Anyone need to outfit a whole office building?

Too many Soft Pads at my pad

More office chairs?

More office chairs!

They may not be retro (made in 1992), but these Herman Miller Soft Pad Management Chairs (EA435), designed in 1958 by Charles and Ray Eames, are still pretty darn cool, no?  

The set of six popped up on the Jefferson City Craigslist a few weeks back and I just couldn't pass them up.  Unfortunately, my plan to break up the monotonous drive with amazing rural picking adventures was interrupted by kidney stones.  I've still not forgiven them.

No matter.  The chairs were quite the steal, and the build-quality is simply amazing when compared to the typical office chair (as would be expected at their retail price).  No plastic or cheap stamped steel here!  Just look at those beefy casters!

I'm not in love with the oh-so-90's upholstery, but might end up keeping one or two for myself.  After all the discomfort that my current cheapo, duct-taped throne has put me through, I think my backside could use some pampering.  The rest are going on Ebay.  In fact, one already found its new home (my first Ebay sale!).

The really interesting part about the chairs is their backstory.  Remember Northern Telecom (Nortel), one of the first big corporations to go bust during the 2000's recession?  Well, they recently went belly-up and auctioned off their assets, including their Herman Miller office furniture.  

These chairs, in particular, came from the Nortel Headquarters in Canada, which was, according to online sources, some kind of wonder of modern office design done in partnership with Herman Miller.  I wonder how they made it all the way to a dusty old town like Jefferson city.

A Plethora of Pollock

I know they aren't exactly uncommon or high-end but I absolutely love Knoll Pollocks.  They're durable, comfortable, and have an attractive minimalist design.

However, as they say, you can have too much of a good thing.

(Yes, that is a Snuggie resting atop that Knoll Pollock.)

I think that might be the case here, as I've assembled quite an extensive collection.  I've got cloth, vinyl, leather, 4 star bases, 5 star bases, tagged, untagged, black-rimmed, chrome-rimmed, you name it.  And yet, not a single one has upholstery that is in good condition.

It would seem that my home has become a shelter for abused and abandoned Knoll Pollocks.  It's like a mid-century modern orphanage.

But just look at these pitiful chairs.  They've been scratched, scuffed, stained, and had buttons ripped from their cushions.  Could you turn these poor wretches away at your door?

I certainly couldn't, but that's left me with a bit of a predicament: no money, no time, and no idea how to fix them up.

<cue uplifting piano music>

Every day, thousands of mid-century office chairs suffer neglect and abuse.  Hi, I'm Nick from Save the Pollocks.  For only a dollar a day, you could make a difference in the life of this poor Knoll Pollock.  Give the gift of a brighter future with fresh upholstery and properly attached buttons.  Donate today and you will receive a hand-written letter written from the comfort of your adopted chair.  Thank you for your support and kindness and have a wonderful day.

(Disclaimer: Save the Pollocks is not an actual charity.  All proceeds from Save the Pollocks will, in all likelihood, be used to purchase additional unneeded mid-century crap.)