David Rowland's 40/4 chair for Howe is a cult classic and referred to as the archetypal stackable chair. Since its debut in 1964 over 8 million have been sold and can be found furnishing everything from offices to schools and even cathedrals. It is also featured in most design museum collections around the world. We're pleased to announce that the 40/4 chair will now be available at Herman Miller stores throughout Asia and to mark the occasion we thought we'd share with you five facts about this remarkable little chair;

1. Designer David Rowland was inspired to create the chair after serving time in the air force in World War II and being forced to sit in "beastly, uncomfortable seats" on his many campaigns. Once the war was over, comfortable, ergonomic seating became his mission.

2. Rowland studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, the same school which Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Eero Saarinen attended.

3. The chairs name comes from its ability to be stacked quickly and neatly into piles of 40 chairs that come to a height of just 4 feet - thus 40/4.

4. It can can be linked in rigid rows of 4 to be assembled and disassembled easily in auditoriums and halls.

5. The 40/4 comes in many variations: a side chair, armchair, bar stool, lounge chair, swivel chair, chair with write pad and a chair for outdoor use.

Posted by Lauren Evans

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Mattiazzi Collection throughout Herman Miller Asia Pacific. Mattiazzi are a family owned Italian producer of contemporary timber furniture, renowned for its in-house production methods. By using sophisticated CNC tools, Mattiazzi has perfected the art of allowing wood to take the complex shapes associated with injection-moulded plastic. Operating such a machine is an art and Mattiazzi disproves the modern myth that mechanised manufacturing is not a craft. The complete Mattiazzi collection will be available though Herman Milller, including pieces designed by Studio Nitzan Cohen, Sam Hecht of Industrial Facility, and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Keep an eye out for our interviews with these fabulous designers whom we are thrilled will be joining the Herman Miller family.  

(image above, from left) He Said chair by Studio Nitzan Cohen, Branca by Sam Hecht/Industrial Facility and Osso by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec

Posted by Lauren Evans

Over 650 pieces of The Herman Miller Collection were previewed at Miami's Art Basel last week, furnishing the private collectors lounge and both restaurants at the art show. The idea behind The Collection comes from none other than George Nelson who in his introduction to the 1952 Herman Miller catalogue, spoke of "the continuing creation of a permanent collection designed to meet fully the requirements for modern living." Nelson's philosophy was the starting point for this new collection. The team behind it began by taking pieces from the Herman Miller archives and updating them to meet contemporary standards of sustainability and durability and it looks as though they might have had quite a bit of fun along the way.

For the first time new pieces from George Nelson have been presented including thin edge case goods and the Nelson Pedestal Stool. A stunning new version of the Eames shell chair that employs moulded plywood in place of the current coloured polypropylene is a highlight. You will also find Eames dining chairs upholstered in bright pink and orange (below), the Eames Lounge in white leather and ash and Tuxedo sofas upholstered in Alexander Girard fabric. Further archival pieces will be introduced as the Collection grows and new designs are being developed with the current generation of talented designers. Asia Pacific readers, you won't have to wait long to see for yourself, the Herman Miller Collection will be touring the region in 2012... so stay tuned!

Posted by Lauren Evans

If you are a regular reader of the blog you'll have read about our volunteer project, Project Japan, to assist the community of Ishinomaki through design workshops creating furniture and printed graphic templates. The volunteers are back and from all reports it was a very successful project with some very impressive material objectives achieved. The furniture team (below) designed and built 220 stools, 145 benches and 110 storage boxes. The design team (above) created many different greeting cards, posters, post cards and calenders, culminating in an art exhibition at the end of the project. Both teams taught the locals skills to aid them in their continuing recovery. But it was the experience shared between the Herman Miller teams and the locals that has made the biggest impact, as expressed so eloquently by Ben Matsuzaki, President of Herman Miller Japan;  

"During the 14 days in Ishinomaki working for the local communities, we were given by the locals more than we gave to them...
We made 450 pieces of furniture. We created 65 kinds of greeting cards, post cards, poster and calendar. We saw hundreds of smiles on the people's faces. We saw some teardrops on their faces and our faces as well. We worked with and for a number of local children, high school students, senior citizens, and business owners most of whom lost their homes, relatives, and jobs. And at the end of the trip, we all realized that we'd fallen in love with Ishinomaki and its people."

Here are some of the photos documenting the wonderful experience Project Japan enabled. We'll be featuring an interview with Kate Lochrin from the design team about her experiences in Ishinomaki in the coming week, so do check back.

(above) The design team, three of the pieces designed and made and the children's workshop

(above) A calender created with the design team and (below) the exhibition at the end of the project and a heartfelt letter to the design team from one of the teachers involved.

The elegant and supremely comfortable Eames Lounge and Ottoman is being produced in pure black as a limited edition.  Designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1956 the Eames Lounge & Ottoman was an instant hit.  Today it lives in museums like MoMA in New York, in stylish interiors everywhere and even as a tattoo on one devotee's arm.  It has been the subject of documentary films and books and even has its own fan website.  Our limited edition black version is a sleek and stylish reissue of this icon of design. 

The black on black edition will be made with the unparalleled craftsmanship and attention to detail that has gone into each Eames Lounge & Ottoman for more than 50 years. Both the chair and ottoman are hand assembled with individually upholstered and replaceable 6-inch-thick cushions. The seat is permanently tilted at a 15-degree angle to take the weight off your lower spine and properly distribute it to the back of the chair. The lower back piece supports your lower back so you feel relaxed and supported as you read, move around while talking, or watch a movie.

Only 100 Black on Black Eames Lounge & Ottomans will be made. Each purchaser will receive a framed illustration noting the chair’s unique edition number.

The limited Edition Lounge & Ottoman will only be available through selected Herman Miller dealers. So check out our Where to Buy section and contact your local Herman Miller dealer to see if yours is participating.

Ok so we are not based in the UK but with a review like this from such a highly esteemed publication we couldn't help ourselves - we had to share it with you.  Josh Simms gives a glowing review of SAYL, even calling it the iMac of the chair world.  We are lucky enough to be having SAYL's designer Yves Behar doing a roadtrip through Asia Pacific in February.  Stay tuned for full details of the events in your region and in the meantime read the full article here

Alongside guest stars Hilary Swank, Mila Kunis, and Grammy-award winning singer Adele, Herman Miller's Setu chair made a very special appearance on a recent episode of the Ellen DeGeneres show.

As part of her famous '12 Days of Giveaways', Ellen gave away over 400 Setu chairs to the entire studio audience as well as online registrants.

Invited backstage, Cerentha Harris (editor of U.S. blog Lifework) witnessed the excitement: "It was such a thrill to be part of all that e nergy and well-wishing. Ellen gave away over $3000 worth of gifts to each audience member. And the audience was ecstatic." 

Check out Cerentha's full run down of the event in her recent post.