Classic designs become classic for a reason—they not only enjoy wide popularity, but they also change the way we think, see, and feel. Eames molded plywood chairs utilized a new technological approach to dispense with upholstery and upend traditional notions of comfort. Nelson’s platform bench established a baseline for multipurpose furniture by fulfilling the role of table, seat, and platform with the bare necessity of materials. The symmetrical wood supports of the Noguchi table base are the very essence of sculpture masquerading as furniture.

But in the fabled history of Herman Miller, for every classic there are the designs that got away. Nelson’s first collection alone offered no less than 140 pieces. Describing the role of design at Herman Miller to salespeople in 1959, former CEO Hugh De Pree paraphrased Dr. Seuss. It was “to go beyond Z.”A company that was brave enough to bring something like the Marshmallow sofa to life had to be willing to take risks. While some paid off, others fizzled and faded.

Most of these forgotten designs would be totally lost were it not for a popular resurgence in mid-century modern that began around the turn of the 21st century. It was around this time that auctioneer Richard Wright opened his eponymous Chicago auction house. It has since become the premier destination for collectors of modern furniture. “I got into the business early and knew nothing. Luckily I was very quickly pointed in the direction of Herman Miller,”he says. “Through Eames I soon became a big fan of the entire output of the company—Rohde, Nelson, Girard, and so on. I would go to the Zeeland, Michigan, area and find all kinds of things—it was an exciting time; the first generation of real Herman Miller collecting.”



Since 2000, roughly 1,400 Herman Miller pieces have passed through Wright’s doors, and he’s certainly seen his share of the classics. “Do I care about selling any more George Nelson benches—not really. They are fine, but like any song you’ve heard too many times, they just don’t thrill me.”Nonetheless, Wright is happy to walk us through the following ten designs that “absolutely get [his] heart beating,” and trace a very different arc in Herman Miller’s story.