One warm July day in 1930, a young stranger appeared in the Grand Rapids showroom of @hermanmiller. Gilbert Rohde was a self-taught industrial designer looking to drum up interest in his modernist furniture designs. During his short meeting with then-president Dirk Jan (D.J.) De Pree, Rohde explained that America's residential landscape was experiencing a sea change, and the antiquated bedroom suites Herman Miller was selling were suited to another era — not the city apartments and smaller homes people were increasingly inhabiting.💡 Rhode urged De Pree to make furniture that suited a contemporary lifestyle, stating, "You're not just making furniture anymore; you're making a way of living." These were the words that opened De Pree's eyes to Rohde's vision and helped transform Herman Miller from a manufacturer of mediocre historical reproductions to the premier purveyor of modern design in the United States. While Rohde's other accomplishments have largely been forgotten, his impact on Herman Miller changed the course of American design forever. Even the great George Nelson noted, "We really stood on Rohde's shoulders... and... moved from there." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#SchoolofDims