Knoll - Sedia “Straight”

Featuring natural, low-sheen finishes and live wood grain patters - in American Walnut and Hickory - the Nakashima pieces epitomise the designer and his artistry and craft.

The frame is constructed from solid American Walnut, turned American Walnut legs and stretches, and constrasting Hickory spindles, clear low- sheen finish and nylon glides. Each Chair features George Nakashima's signature under the seat.

The chair is available in American Walnut only. This exhibits a high degree of natural colour characteristics, ranging from chocolate, grey and purplish-browns to deep honey. Colour variations will soften and become more uniform over time.

George Nakashima

George Nakashima, one of the most recognized furniture designers and makers of the 20th century, George Nakashima is celebrated for his traditionally-inspired designs and legendary craftsmanship. Nakashima studied architecture at the University of Washington, Seattle, the Ecole Americaine des Beaux-Arts Fontainebleau in France and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

While in an internment camp during World War II, he learned the art of Japanese woodworking from a local elder. He subsequently traveled the world via steamship before finally settling in Japan. Here he worked for Antonin Raymond, an American architect who had collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright to design the Imperial Hotel.

Back in America, Nakashima became a major figure in the American craft movement. His furniture is recognized for its simplicity and for the careful attention to material qualities. He often juxtaposed the natural edge of a piece of wood with traditional Japanese joinery. 

Nakashima’s Splay Leg Table and Straight Chair designs were created for, and originally produced by, Knoll in the 1940s. Consistent with his body of work, these Knoll pieces combine the modern aesthetic with a deep respect for the natural forms of a tree and the inherent beauty of wood.

The pieces were reintroduced by KnollStudio in 2008.

Knoll

Knoll uses modern design to connect people to their work, to their lives, to their world. Since 1938, it has been internationally recognized for creating furniture for work and residential environments.

For more than 80 years Knoll has remained true to the Bauhaus design philosophy that modern furniture should complement the architectural space. At Knoll, modern design has been the guiding principle and this passion has been shared by customers and design professionals around the world. The founders, Hans and Florence Knoll, embraced the creative genius of the time.  Supported schools were Bauhaus School and Cranbrook Academy of Art to create new types of furniture and workplace environments.

Their approach, where craftsmanship joins technology through the use of design, sets the perspective and shapes the values that live today. 80 years of historical collaborations, with pioneering modernists and daring contemporary designers, define not only the past but the future through active, recent and future collaborations with Antenna Design, Don Chadwick, Formway Design, Jehs & Laub, Joseph D'Urso , David Adjaye and OMA.